source site - IGN: Battlestar Galactica: The Timeline -- Day 1

one complaint that is often heard from newcomers to the award-winning series is that, after four years of intricate plotlines, it's tough to jump in the middle of the story and follow along. Our first answer to that would be to spool up your FTL drives and jump in anyway, because you don't want to miss this excellent series. But we're also willing to acknowledge that Galactica has gotten pretty complex over the years, which is where our second answer comes in -- in the form of this new feature, which we've dubbed Battlestar Galactica: The Timeline.

occassionally, i would need a refresher of the happenings and chronology of battlestar galactica. the above link is a good start.