The following chronology is based on the events in the novel with the frame of reference being the explosion of the first atomic bomb near Alamogordo, New Mexico, on July 16, 1945. The events in the novel have been temporally set in accordance with that date.
Spring 1945
May 1—the death of Hitler is announced by the head of the provisional German
government.
May 8—V-E Day, the formal end of the war in Europe.
Summer 1945
Ultima comes to live with the Márez family.
Lupito is killed near the river.
The first atomic bomb is tested on July 16, 1945, at Trinity, in the White Sands area near Alamogordo, New Mexico.
July 26—Japan is given the Potsdam ultimatum of "unconditional surrender" by the Allies.
August 6—The U.S. drops an atomic bomb on Hiroshima and, on August 9, another is dropped on Nagasaki.
August 15—The Japanese surrender to the Allied forces.
The Márez family goes to El Puerto de los Lunas to help with the harvest.
Fall 1945
Antonio starts school.
Antonio's brothers return from the war.
Winter 1945
The Márez family is whole again.
Spring 1946
Antonio's brothers get restless and plan to leave Guadalupe. León and Eugene leave for Las Vegas, New Mexico.
Antonio and Andrew walk together into town in the mornings.
Summer 1946
The school term ends, and Antonio passes from the first to the third grade.
Samuel tells Antonio about the legend of the golden carp.
Antonio learns that Uncle Lucas has been bewitched and helps Ultima heal him.
The struggle between Ultima and Tenorio is set in motion.
Cico shows Antonio the golden carp.
Ultima continues to teach Antonio about herbs and roots.
One of Tenorio's daughters dies.
Tenorio and his men threaten Ultima at the Márez home.
The Márez family returns to El Puerto de los Lunas to help the Lunas with the harvest.
Fall 1946
Antonio returns to school.
Narciso and Tenorio get into a fight at the Longhorn Saloon.
Antonio and his classmates perform the Christmas play at school.
Tenorio shoots and kills Narciso.
Winter 1946
Two of Antonio's brothers return from Las Vegas.
Antonio returns to school after Christmas vacation.
Tenorio tells Antonio that he will kill Ultima.
Antonio begins catechism lessons.
Spring 1947
Florence questions the existence of God and pushes Antonio to consider other viewpoints.
Antonio and his classmates make their first holy communion.
Antonio goes to Agua Negra with Ultima and Gabriel to help a friend with bewitchment problems.
Florence drowns at Blue Lake.
School ends.
Summer 1947
Antonio goes to El Puerto to spend the summer with his Luna relatives.
Antonio learns that another of Tenorio's daughters is dying.
Tenorio kills Ultima's owl, and Ultima dies.
