April 1969: The Universal House of Justice announces the formation of twelve more National Spiritual Assemblies

As a result of the accelerated pace of expansion and consolidation which has been initiated, and which, if fostered and fed, will become a full tide of victorious achievement, we joyfully announce the formation of twelve more National Spiritual Assemblies, two during Ridvan 1969: the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Burundi and Rwanda with its seat in Bujumbura and the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Papua and New Guinea with its seat in Lae, and ten during Ridvan 1970: six in Africa, the National Spiritual Assemblies of the Bahá'ís of the Congo Republic (Kinshasa); Ghana; Dahomey, Togo and Niger; Malawi; Botswana; and Gambia, Senegal, Portuguese Guinea and the Cape Verde Islands; one in the Americas, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the Guianas; one in Asia, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the Near East; and two in Australasia, the National Spiritual Assemblies of the Bahá'ís of Tonga and the Cook Islands; and Samoa. Thus at Ridvan 1970 the number of National Spiritual Assemblies will be raised to ninety-three. (From Ridvan 1969 message of the Universal House of Justice) (To read the entire message please visit Messages to the Baha’i World Community – by the Universal House of Justice)

1968-1969: A special edition of the book ‘The Proclamation of Bahá'u'lláh’ was presented to Heads of States

The Bahá'í World Centre published Bahá'u'lláh's messages to the kings, rulers, religious leaders, and peoples of the world under the title ‘The Proclamation of Bahá'u'lláh’; a special edition was presented to heads of state. In their Ridvan 1969 message the Universal House of Justice indicated that “Already one hundred and twenty-two Heads of State have been presented with the special edition of The Proclamation of Bahá'u'lláh, and copies have been received by thousands more officials and leaders.” 
(From Ridvan 1969 message of the Universal House of Justice) 
(To read the entire message please visit Messages to the Baha’i World Community – by the Universal House of Justice)

September 1988: Maxwell Baha’i School, the first full-time academic Baha’i school in North America, began classes for grades 7-9

Well over a year of hard work and careful preparation was culminated September 19 when the Maxwell Baha’i School in Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia, Canada, the first full-time academic Baha’i school in North America, began classes for grades 7-9. The following report from the school recounts some of the history of its development and discusses its plans for the future.

Maxwell’s first-ever group of students represents a variety of nations and cultural backgrounds -- Japan, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Tanzania, South Africa, New Zealand, Canada, United States, Native American, Persian, and black American -- expressing one of the fondest hopes for Maxwell. As one looked around the dining hall at students and staff gathered for their first meals as the “Maxwell School family,” one truly had an opportunity to “consider the flowers of the garden: though differing in kind, color, form, and shape, yet ... invigorated by the rays of one sun, this diversity increased their charm, and addeth to their beauty.” (‘Abdu’l-Baha)

As the school develops, it is hoped that students from all nations will attend. Dr. Ray Johnson, the principal, has invited local and national Baha’i communities to consider funding scholarship programs to enable an ever-increasing number and diversity of students to attend Maxwell. “We remember the Master’s statement,” says Dr. Johnson, “that one of the purposes of education is ‘to bring those who have been excluded into the circle of intimate friends,’ and we deeply hope that Maxwell may be such a place.”

1981: Inaugural meeting of the Continental Board of Counsellors in Asia

Inaugural meeting of the Continental Board of Counsellors in Asia (1981) with the Hand of the Cause Paul Haney. Seated, left to right: Khudarahm Payman, Yan Kee Leong, Shirin Boman, Paul E. Haney, Zena Sorabjee, Dipchand Khianra, Ruhu'llah Mumtazi. Standing, left to right: John Fozdar, Burhani'd-Din Afshin, Manuchihr Salmanpur, S.Nagaratnam, Zabihu'llah Gulmuhamadi, Chellie J.undram, Vicente Samaniego, Hideya Suzuki left the meeting before the photograph was taken. Aydin Guney and Masih Farhangi were unable to attend. Dr. Farhangi, imprisoned at that time in Iran, was executed in June 1981. 
(The Baha'i World 1979-1983)