diff --git a/party/chat.py b/party/chat.py
index a2916a7..e0e177a 100644
--- a/party/chat.py
+++ b/party/chat.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-from pymongo import MongoClient
+from pymongo import MongoClient, DESCENDING, ASCENDING 
+from datetime import datetime
 
 class Chat:
     CONNECTION_STRING = None
@@ -16,29 +17,42 @@ class Chat:
 
     @classmethod
     def getAllMessages(self)-> list[dict]:
-        messages = self.collection.find().sort('timestamp', -1)
+        messages = self.collection.find().sort('timestamp', DESCENDING)
         return list(messages)
     
     @classmethod
     def insertMessage(self, content: str, author: str, timestamp: str):
+        if not (self.initialized): self.init()
         message = self.convertToMessage(content, author, timestamp)
         print(message)
+        print(self.collection)
         self.collection.insert_one(message)
         print('inserted message')
 
     @classmethod
     def getNextNMessages(self, count: int, skip: int) -> list[dict]:
-        return list(self.collection.find()
+        messages = list(self.collection.find()
                     .skip(skip)
                     .limit(count)
-                    .sort('timestamp', -1))
+                    .sort('timestamp', DESCENDING))
+
+        return messages
+
+    @classmethod
+    def sortMessages(self, messages: list[dict], order: str) -> list[dict]:
+        if order == 'asc':
+            return sorted(messages, key=lambda message: message['timestamp'])
+        elif order == 'desc':
+            return sorted(messages, key=lambda message: message['timestamp'], reverse=True)
+        else:
+            return messages
 
     @classmethod
     def convertToMessage(self, content: str, author: str, timestamp: str) -> dict:
         message = {
-            'content': content,
+            'text': content,
             'sender': author,
-            'timestamp': timestamp,
+            'timestamp': str(datetime.strptime(timestamp, '%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S'))
         }
 
         return message
diff --git a/party/main.py b/party/main.py
index c1466b0..0b775b1 100644
--- a/party/main.py
+++ b/party/main.py
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ def api_mate_status():
 
 @app.route('/api/chat/', methods=['GET'])
 def api_chat():
-    messages = Chat.getNextNMessages(100, 0) # 0 offset
+    messages = Chat.getNextNMessages(160, 0) # 0 offset
     response = jsonify(success=True, messages=json_util.dumps(messages)) 
     response.status_code = 200 
     return response
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ def api_chat():
 def handle_chat_message(data):
     print(data)
     Chat.insertMessage(data['text'], data['sender'], data['timestamp'])
+    emit('chat-message', data, broadcast=True)
 
 @socketio.on('chat-get-messages')
 def handle_chat_get_message(data):
diff --git a/party/static/js/chat.js b/party/static/js/chat.js
index 1f9111e..410bab7 100644
--- a/party/static/js/chat.js
+++ b/party/static/js/chat.js
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ function getNChatMessages(socket, count, skip) {
 
                 for (let message of data) {
                     console.log(message)
-                    message_array.push(buildChatMessage(message.sender, message.text, message.timestamp['$date']));
+                    message_array.push(buildChatMessage(message.sender, message.text, message.timestamp));
                 }
 
                 const chatBox = document.getElementById('chatBox');
@@ -56,11 +56,17 @@ function sendMessage() {
     const chatInput = document.getElementById('chatInputField');
     if (chatInput.value.length < 0) return;
 
-    const userName = window.sessionStorage.getItem('name');
+    let userName = window.sessionStorage.getItem('name');
+    if (!userName) {
+        userName = 'Peter';
+    }
 
-    const messageDate = new Date();
+    const dt = new Date();
+    const padL = (nr, len = 2, chr = `0`) => `${nr}`.padStart(2, chr);
 
-    const message = { sender: userName, text: chatInput.value, timestamp: messageDate };
+    const dateStr = `${ dt.getFullYear()}-${ padL(dt.getMonth()+1)}-${ padL(dt.getDate())} ${ padL(dt.getHours())}:${ padL(dt.getMinutes())}:${ padL(dt.getSeconds())}`; // magic date formatter
+
+    const message = { sender: userName, text: chatInput.value, timestamp: dateStr };
 
     console.log(message);
 
@@ -72,6 +78,10 @@ function sendMessage() {
 
 socket.on('chat-message', (data) => {
     const chatBox = document.getElementById('chatBox');
-    chatBox.appendChild(buildChatMessage(data.sender, data.text, data.timestamp['$date'])); // $date is mongodb date
+    console.log(data);
+    // check if sender is given
+    let message = buildChatMessage(data.sender, data.text, data.timestamp); // $date is mongodb date
+    console.log(data.timestamp);
+    chatBox.appendChild(message);
     chatBox.scrollTop = chatBox.scrollHeight;
 });
diff --git a/scripts/generate_mock_messages.py b/scripts/generate_mock_messages.py
index 282dfc6..df36aed 100644
--- a/scripts/generate_mock_messages.py
+++ b/scripts/generate_mock_messages.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 from faker import Faker
 import pymongo
 
@@ -10,14 +11,19 @@ def get_connection():
 
 connection = get_connection()
 
-def generate_message():
+fmt = '%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S'
+now = datetime.now()
+
+def generate_message(i: int):
+    date = now - timedelta(days=i)
+    date = date.strftime(fmt)
     message = {
         'sender': fake.name(),
-        'text': fake.sentence() * 2,
-        'timestamp': fake.date_time_this_year()
+        'text': fake.sentence() + ' ' + fake.sentence(),
+        'timestamp': date
     }
     connection.insert_one(message)
 
-MESSAGE_COUNT = 1000
+MESSAGE_COUNT = 150
 for i in range(MESSAGE_COUNT):
-    generate_message()
+    generate_message(i)