Timeline using d3.js

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
	<head>
		<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=utf-8">
		<title>Chronological Diagram of Asia</title>
		<script type="text/javascript" src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/d3@2.10.3/d3.v2.js"></script>
		<style type="text/css">
		.chart {
			shape-rendering: crispEdges;
		}

.mini text {
			font: 9px sans-serif;	
		}

.main text {
			font: 12px sans-serif;	
		}

.miniItem0 {
			fill: darksalmon;
			stroke-width: 6;	
		}

.miniItem1 {
			fill: darkolivegreen;
			fill-opacity: .7;
			stroke-width: 6;	
		}

.miniItem2 {
			fill: slategray;
			fill-opacity: .7;
			stroke-width: 6;	
		}

.brush .extent {
			stroke: gray;
			fill: dodgerblue;
			fill-opacity: .365;
		}
		</style>
	</head>
	<body>
		<script type="text/javascript">
		//data
		var lanes = ["Chinese","Japanese","Korean"],
			laneLength = lanes.length,
			items = [{"lane": 0, "id": "Qin", "start": 5, "end": 205},
					{"lane": 0, "id": "Jin", "start": 265, "end": 420},
					{"lane": 0, "id": "Sui", "start": 580, "end": 615},
					{"lane": 0, "id": "Tang", "start": 620, "end": 900},
					{"lane": 0, "id": "Song", "start": 960, "end": 1265},
					{"lane": 0, "id": "Yuan", "start": 1270, "end": 1365},
					{"lane": 0, "id": "Ming", "start": 1370, "end": 1640},
					{"lane": 0, "id": "Qing", "start": 1645, "end": 1910},
					{"lane": 1, "id": "Yamato", "start": 300, "end": 530},
					{"lane": 1, "id": "Asuka", "start": 550, "end": 700},
					{"lane": 1, "id": "Nara", "start": 710, "end": 790},
					{"lane": 1, "id": "Heian", "start": 800, "end": 1180},
					{"lane": 1, "id": "Kamakura", "start": 1190, "end": 1330},
					{"lane": 1, "id": "Muromachi", "start": 1340, "end": 1560},
					{"lane": 1, "id": "Edo", "start": 1610, "end": 1860},
					{"lane": 1, "id": "Meiji", "start": 1870, "end": 1900},
					{"lane": 1, "id": "Taisho", "start": 1910, "end": 1920},
					{"lane": 1, "id": "Showa", "start": 1925, "end": 1985},
					{"lane": 1, "id": "Heisei", "start": 1990, "end": 1995},
					{"lane": 2, "id": "Three Kingdoms", "start": 10, "end": 670},
					{"lane": 2, "id": "North and South States", "start": 690, "end": 900},
					{"lane": 2, "id": "Goryeo", "start": 920, "end": 1380},
					{"lane": 2, "id": "Joseon", "start": 1390, "end": 1890},
					{"lane": 2, "id": "Korean Empire", "start": 1900, "end": 1945}]
			timeBegin = 0,
			timeEnd = 2000;
		</script>
		<script type="text/javascript">
		var m = [20, 15, 15, 120], //top right bottom left
			w = 960 - m[1] - m[3],
			h = 500 - m[0] - m[2],
			miniHeight = laneLength * 12 + 50,
			mainHeight = h - miniHeight - 50;

//scales
		var x = d3.scale.linear()
				.domain([timeBegin, timeEnd])
				.range([0, w]);
		var x1 = d3.scale.linear()
				.range([0, w]);
		var y1 = d3.scale.linear()
				.domain([0, laneLength])
				.range([0, mainHeight]);
		var y2 = d3.scale.linear()
				.domain([0, laneLength])
				.range([0, miniHeight]);

var chart = d3.select("body")
					.append("svg")
					.attr("width", w + m[1] + m[3])
					.attr("height", h + m[0] + m[2])
					.attr("class", "chart");
		
		chart.append("defs").append("clipPath")
			.attr("id", "clip")
			.append("rect")
			.attr("width", w)
			.attr("height", mainHeight);

var main = chart.append("g")
					.attr("transform", "translate(" + m[3] + "," + m[0] + ")")
					.attr("width", w)
					.attr("height", mainHeight)
					.attr("class", "main");

var mini = chart.append("g")
					.attr("transform", "translate(" + m[3] + "," + (mainHeight + m[0]) + ")")
					.attr("width", w)
					.attr("height", miniHeight)
					.attr("class", "mini");
		
		//main lanes and texts
		main.append("g").selectAll(".laneLines")
			.data(items)
			.enter().append("line")
			.attr("x1", m[1])
			.attr("y1", function(d) {return y1(d.lane);})
			.attr("x2", w)
			.attr("y2", function(d) {return y1(d.lane);})
			.attr("stroke", "lightgray")

main.append("g").selectAll(".laneText")
			.data(lanes)
			.enter().append("text")
			.text(function(d) {return d;})
			.attr("x", -m[1])
			.attr("y", function(d, i) {return y1(i + .5);})
			.attr("dy", ".5ex")
			.attr("text-anchor", "end")
			.attr("class", "laneText");
		
		//mini lanes and texts
		mini.append("g").selectAll(".laneLines")
			.data(items)
			.enter().append("line")
			.attr("x1", m[1])
			.attr("y1", function(d) {return y2(d.lane);})
			.attr("x2", w)
			.attr("y2", function(d) {return y2(d.lane);})
			.attr("stroke", "lightgray");

mini.append("g").selectAll(".laneText")
			.data(lanes)
			.enter().append("text")
			.text(function(d) {return d;})
			.attr("x", -m[1])
			.attr("y", function(d, i) {return y2(i + .5);})
			.attr("dy", ".5ex")
			.attr("text-anchor", "end")
			.attr("class", "laneText");

//mini labels
		mini.append("g").selectAll(".miniLabels")
			.data(items)
			.enter().append("text")
			.text(function(d) {return d.id;})
			.attr("x", function(d) {return x(d.start);})
			.attr("y", function(d) {return y2(d.lane + .5);})
			.attr("dy", ".5ex");

//brush
		var brush = d3.svg.brush()
							.x(x)
							.on("brush", display);

mini.append("g")
			.attr("class", "x brush")
			.call(brush)
			.selectAll("rect")
			.attr("y", 1)
			.attr("height", miniHeight - 1);

display();
		
		function display() {
			var rects, labels,
				minExtent = brush.extent()[0],
				maxExtent = brush.extent()[1],
				visItems = items.filter(function(d) {return d.start < maxExtent && d.end > minExtent;});

mini.select(".brush")
				.call(brush.extent([minExtent, maxExtent]));

x1.domain([minExtent, maxExtent]);

//update main item rects
			rects = itemRects.selectAll("rect")
			        .data(visItems, function(d) { return d.id; })
				.attr("x", function(d) {return x1(d.start);})
				.attr("width", function(d) {return x1(d.end) - x1(d.start);});
			
			rects.enter().append("rect")
				.attr("class", function(d) {return "miniItem" + d.lane;})
				.attr("x", function(d) {return x1(d.start);})
				.attr("y", function(d) {return y1(d.lane) + 10;})
				.attr("width", function(d) {return x1(d.end) - x1(d.start);})
				.attr("height", function(d) {return .8 * y1(1);});

rects.exit().remove();

//update the item labels
			labels = itemRects.selectAll("text")
				.data(visItems, function (d) { return d.id; })
				.attr("x", function(d) {return x1(Math.max(d.start, minExtent) + 2);});

labels.enter().append("text")
				.text(function(d) {return d.id;})
				.attr("x", function(d) {return x1(Math.max(d.start, minExtent));})
				.attr("y", function(d) {return y1(d.lane + .5);})
				.attr("text-anchor", "start");

labels.exit().remove();

}
		
		</script>
	</body>
</html>

Modified http://mbostock.github.com/d3/d3.v2.js to a secure url

https://mbostock.github.com/d3/d3.v2.js