My take on the Five Nights at Freddy's Timeline

1930s

c. 1935

Fredbear's Singin' Show, a travelling musical circus, emerged near Liverpool, United Kingdom. Its signature act is Fredbear, a trained grizzly bear known for his impressive tricks, providing affordable entertainment during the interwar period.

c. 1936

Fredbear's Singin' Show signs a contract with Stafford & Co. Ltd., securing statewide advertising and publicity.

1940s

1942

Henry Emily is born in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, to two upper-middle class intelligent Mormon parents.

1943

Susan "Sue" Hartwell-Emily is born in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States to two caring parents who were very faithful to their Mormon religion.

1944

William "Bill" Afton is born in Allerton, Liverpool. His father remains emotionally distant, while his mother imposes strict discipline.

1945

Jennifer "Jen" Emily is born as the Emilies' second child and sister to Henry Emily.

1946

Eleanor Schmidt-Afton is born in London, United Kingdom, as possibly the Schmidts' only child. Her parents were both of Mormon origin but had to immigrate to the United Kingdom after the 1929 Stock Market Crash for a fresh start.

c. 1949

One day, an advertising poster for Fredbear's Singin' Show catches William's eye. Intriguied and impressed, he decides to attend one of the circus' performances. Deeply inspired by Fredbear, William becomes determined to bring the magic of the show to life by any means necessary.

c. 1955

The parent company behind Fredbear's Singin' Show eventually goes out of business, filing for bankruptcy as the popularity of circuses steadily declined after the second World War (1939-1945) had concluded.

Henry Emily graduates from East High School in Salt Lake City, later getting accepted into the University of Utah, majoring in mechanical engineering.

William Afton graduates from Quarry Bank High School, finally getting the opportunity to move out, opting for central west London.

As an adult, William tries to bring his childhood dream to life, resorting to hand-sewn costumes. He hand-sews the Fredbear costume, redesigning him from an ordinary brown grizzly into a striking golden one so it feels separate enough from the circus and truly his own. He also creates a second character, Bonnie. Because Bonnie is entirely his creation, William feels a stronger bond with Bonnie than Fredbear, often seeing a reflection of himself in the character.

William opens the new and improved Fredbear's Singin' Show near London, featuring costumed performances by himself and a team of trained staff. The venue quickly becomes a hit with children, fueling William's passion for the business. After a decade of dreaming, he finally senses of fulfillment as his vision comes to life.

To gain better control over his finances, William applies to the London School of Economics. He is accepted and begins pursuing a Finance degree.

During his time at university, Henry begins developing a passion project he calls the "Endo-Skeleton v1", a humanoid, bipedal animatronic composed of intricate mechanical components. The design features wiring, articulated limbs and digits, eye and mouth mechanisms, voice boxes, and is powered by a 12V battery with remote-control functionality, all coming together to form a lifelike robotic framework.

Henry Emily earns his PhD in Mechanical Engineering and decides to enroll in a Computer Engineering program to further deepen his expertise and better his Endo-Skeleton prototype.

During his second year at LSE, William meets Eleanor Schmidt, a fellow Economics major. They connect instantly and soon begin a committed relationship.

William begins attending Latter-day Saint (LDS) services with Eleanor and her family. Over time, he converts to Mormonism, gradually becoming part of their inner circle and ultimately earning her parents' blessing to marry her.

William graduates from the London School of Economics with a bachelor's degree in Finance.

William and Eleanor marry in a modest ceremony in London. Around this time, inspired by the success and impact Fredbear's had on his life, William begins considering immigrating to the United States with the goal of expanding the business and increasing its profitability.

Michael Afton is born as the first child of the Afton family. Confronted with the demands of parenthood, William frequently distances himself from his responsibilities at home, much to Eleanor's dismay.

Henry Emily earns his Ph.D. in Computer Engineering alongside a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering. Possessing this advanced expertise, he feels prepared to launch his own independent venture focused on what he knows best, animatronic mascots. To gain exposure and build moment for his upcoming business, Henry begins contributing to the annual "Fall Fest" Halloween festival, creating small animatronic characters featuring country animals such as elephant and pigs.