On October 6, 2009, at 11:00 A.M., Pacific Time, a mysterious global event causes everyone on the planet to simultaneously experience, for two minutes and seventeen seconds, his or her life six months into their own future: April 29, 2010, at 10:00 P.M., Pacific Time. When it is over, many are dead in accidents involving vehicles, aircraft, and any other device needing human control. Everyone who survived the GBO (Global Blackout) is left wondering if what he or she saw will actually happen.

The chronology of FlashForward is divided, so far, into four parts:

1. Pre-GBO: The events occurred before the global blackout.
2. GBO: The events occurred during the global blackout.
3. Post-GBO: The events occurred after the global blackout.
4. Post-D-Day: The events occurred after April 29, 2010.