[How-to] Create a simple timeline in MS Powerpoint using tables and charts

As you all know, PowerPoint is the name of the presentation program developed by Microsoft. At its initial release, it was called "Presenter", developed by Dennis Austin and Thomas Rudkin. It was officially launched in May 1990 as a part of the Microsoft Office Suite.

PowerPoint presentation consists of a number of pages, generally referred to as "slides". These slides are references to slide projectors which are also called as "foils". In PowerPoint presentations, there is timeline too. Timelines are attractive illustrations of various happenings, events or milestones that are either related to your personal life or to your company. Office Timeline is a free service that is very helpful for the current generation.

With just a click, it helps us create a professional looking project timeline with its design. Simple timeline in PowerPoint can be created using tables and charts. As the name specifies, a table is something that receives text and is made up of columns and rows.

Steps to create a timeline using tables

1. Double-click on top of the Double Click button to add table line on the body of the slide.
2. In the Insert Table dialogue box, change the number of rows and columns.
3. Click OK.
4. If the mouse cursor appears with the Draw Table tool on the Tables and Borders toolbar, click the Draw Table button to dismiss the tool.
5. Click the middle top cell in the table.
6. Type the content and press Tab.
7. If another column is to be added at the right side, click the Table button and click Insert Column to the right. Then in the empty cell go on typing the content and press Tab.
8. After all the values are added, save the presentation.

Just to add to the information above, these tables can even be formatted.

Charts are nothing but graphical representation of numeric values. To get a chart in a slide, two options are available. First is to use the Chart slide, which is a slide whose body would consist of a chart. Alternatively, to have a chart as part of a slide that also contains text, you can use either the Text & Chart slide or the Chart & Text slide. 

Steps to create a timeline using charts

1. In the body of the slide, double-click the Double Click button to add chart line.
2. Click 1st Qtr and type the content.
3. Press tab and go on typing the remaining content.
4. If a column is to be left blank, right click the column header and then click delete.

Content can even be filled at the east or the west side. For example, if content is to be added at the eastern side, then you would have to click east and then type the content and vice-versa. If any of the section is to be deleted, right click on that particular section and click Delete.

Attached image source: Wikimedia