Timeline of Horror History

Timeline of Horror History

A chronological overview of significant events in the history of horror across all media.

Ancient and Medieval

• ~2100 BCE — The Epic of Gilgamesh contains early horror elements including encounters with monsters and the underworld.
• ~8th century BCE — Homer's Odyssey features encounters with Cyclops, Sirens, and the underworld.
• ~700 BCE — Hesiod's Theogony catalogs monstrous beings of Greek mythology.

18th Century

• 1764 — Horace Walpole publishes The Castle of Otranto, widely considered the first Gothic novel.
• 1794 — Ann Radcliffe publishes The Mysteries of Udolpho.
• 1796 — Matthew Lewis publishes The Monk.

19th Century

• 1818 — Mary Shelley publishes Frankenstein, often cited as the first science fiction and horror novel.
• 1831 — Victor Hugo publishes The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.
• 1839–1849 — Edgar Allan Poe's major horror works: "The Fall of the House of Usher," "The Masque of the Red Death," "The Tell-Tale Heart."
• 1872 — Sheridan Le Fanu publishes Carmilla, a foundational vampire novella.
• 1886 — Robert Louis Stevenson publishes Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
• 1897 — Bram Stoker publishes Dracula.
• 1898 — Henry James publishes The Turn of the Screw.

Early 20th Century

• 1910 — Frankenstein (Edison Studios), one of the first horror films.
• 1920 — The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari — German Expressionist horror.
• 1922 — Nosferatu — F.W. Murnau's unauthorized Dracula adaptation.
• 1925 — The Phantom of the Opera starring Lon Chaney.
• 1927 — H. P. Lovecraft publishes "The Call of Cthulhu."

Universal Monsters Era (1930s–1950s)

• 1931 — Dracula (Bela Lugosi) and Frankenstein (Boris Karloff) launch Universal's horror dominance.
• 1932 — The Mummy, Freaks.
• 1935 — Bride of Frankenstein.
• 1941 — The Wolf Man.
• 1942–1946 — Val Lewton produces atmospheric horror at RKO: Cat People, I Walked with a Zombie.

Hammer Horror & International Horror (1950s–1970s)

• 1957 — The Curse of Frankenstein launches Hammer Horror.
• 1958 — Dracula (Hammer) with Christopher Lee.
• 1959 — Shirley Jackson publishes The Haunting of Hill House.
• 1960 — Psycho (Hitchcock) and Peeping Tom (Powell) redefine horror.
• 1963 — The Haunting, The Birds.
• 1968 — Night of the Living Dead (George A. Romero) and Rosemary's Baby (Polanski).

The Golden Age (1970s)

• 1971 — The Last House on the Left (Wes Craven).
• 1973 — The Exorcist becomes a cultural phenomenon.
• 1974 — The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper), Black Christmas.
• 1976 — Carrie (De Palma), The Omen. Stephen King rises to prominence.
• 1977 — Suspiria (Dario Argento).
• 1978 — Halloween (John Carpenter) launches the slasher era.
• 1979 — Alien (Ridley Scott).

The Slasher Boom (1980s)

• 1980 — Friday the 13th, The Shining.
• 1981 — An American Werewolf in London, The Evil Dead.
• 1982 — The Thing (John Carpenter), Poltergeist, Creepshow.
• 1984 — A Nightmare on Elm Street (Wes Craven).
• 1986 — The Fly (Cronenberg), Aliens, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer.
• 1987 — Hellraiser (Clive Barker), Evil Dead II.
• 1988 — Child's Play, Pumpkinhead.

Post-Slasher & J-Horror Wave (1990s–2000s)

• 1991 — The Silence of the Lambs wins Best Picture.
• 1996 — Scream (Wes Craven) revitalizes the slasher genre.
• 1998 — Ringu launches the J-Horror wave. Resident Evil 2 released.
• 1999 — The Blair Witch Project, The Sixth Sense, Audition (Miike).
• 2001 — The Others, Session 9.
• 2002 — The Ring (American remake), 28 Days Later.
• 2004 — Saw launches the "torture porn" debate.
• 2005 — Silent Hill 4, rise of horror gaming renaissance.
• 2007 — Paranormal Activity revives found footage.

Modern Era (2010s–present)

• 2013 — The Conjuring launches a horror cinematic universe.
• 2014 — The Babadook, It Follows — rise of "elevated horror."
• 2017 — Get Out (Jordan Peele) — horror as social commentary reaches mainstream acclaim.
• 2018 — Hereditary (Ari Aster).
• 2019 — Midsommar, Us.
• 2022 — Nope (Peele), Pearl, Barbarian.
• 2023 — Talk to Me, Skinamarink.