circa 1934: The First Baha'i Group in Abyssinia (Ethiopia)

The First Baha'i Group in Abyssinia (Ethiopia), circa 1934

The Masjid in Amul, Mazindaran, Persia, where Baha'u'llah was confined and bastinadoed

The Masjid in Amul, Mazindaran, Persia, where Baha'u'llah was confined and bastinadoed. (The Baha'i World 1932-1934)

April 27, 1910: Baha'is invoking the Greatest Name at Chicago Temple grounds

Baha'is assembled at the geometrical center of the Temple grounds near Chicago, and invoking the Greatest Name as their faces are turned towards Akka, April 27, 1910. (The Baha'i World 1932-1934)

First National Spiritual Assembly of Congo and Gabon

Hand of the Cause Dr. Ali-Muhammad Varqa (front row, second right) and members of the first National Spiritual Assembly of Congo and Gabon, 1971. (Baha'i World News Service)

1936: First Baha'i Summer School in the Southern Hemisphere,

Friends present at the laying of the cornerstone of the first Baha'i Summer School in the Southern Hemisphere, at Yerrinbool, New South Wales, Australia, on October 11, 1936. (The Baha'i World 1936-1938)

The fate of the first person who arose to ill-treat the Báb

Husayn Khán, the governor of Shíráz, stigmatized as a “wine-bibber” and a “tyrant,” the first who arose to ill-treat the Báb, who publicly rebuked Him and bade his attendant strike Him violently in the face, was compelled not only to endure the dreadful calamity that so suddenly befell him, his family, his city and his province, but afterwards to witness the undoing of all his labors, and to lead in obscurity the remaining days of his life, till he tottered to his grave abandoned alike by his friends and his enemies. (Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By)

1936: First Baha'i Youth Group of Lyons, France

First Baha'i Youth Group of Lyons, France, photographed in the garden of Mr. Yazdi, Lyons, France, June 14, 1936 (The Baha'i World 1936-1938)

The Báb explains to Muhammad Shah some of the indignities that He experienced during the first four years of His Ministry before being sent to the Fortress of MáKu

I swear by God! Shouldst thou know the things which in the space of these four years have befallen Me at the hands of thy people and thine army, thou wouldst hold thy breath from fear of God, unless thou wouldst rise to obey the Cause of Him Who is the Testimony of God and make amends for thy shortcomings and failure.

While I was in Shíráz the indignities which befell Me at the hands of its wicked and depraved Governor waxed so grievous that if thou wert acquainted with but a tithe thereof, thou wouldst deal him retributive justice. For as a result of his unmitigated oppression, thy royal court hath become, until the Day of Resurrection, the object of the wrath of God. Moreover, his indulgence in alcohol had grown so excessive that he was never sober enough to make a sound judgement. Therefore, disquieted, I was obliged to set out from Shíráz with the aim of attaining the enlightened and exalted court of Your Majesty. The Mu’tamídu’d-Dawlih [the Governor of Isfahan who became an admirer of the Báb] then became aware of the truth of the Cause and manifested exemplary servitude and devotion to His chosen ones. When some of the ignorant people in his city arose to stir up sedition, he defended the divine Truth by affording Me protection for a while in the privacy of the Governor’s residence. At length, having attained the good-pleasure of God, he repaired to his habitation in the all-highest Paradise. May God reward him graciously...

Following his ascension to the eternal Kingdom, the vicious Gurgín, resorting to all manner of treachery, false oaths and coercion, sent Me away from isfáhán with an escort of five guards on a journey which lasted seven days, without providing the barest necessities for My travel (Alas! Alas! for the things which have touched Me!), until eventually Your Majesty’s order came, instructing Me to proceed to Mákú... (The Báb, extracts from an Epistle to Muhammad Shah, ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)

1937: First Baha'i Youth Group in America to be recognized as an official University activity

Baha'i Youth of the University of Illinois, 1937: The first Baha'i Youth Group in America to be recognized as an official University activity. (The Baha'i World 1936-1938)

17 July 1982: The first gathering held in the Permanent Seat of the Universal House of Justice on Mount Carmel

The first gathering ever held in the Permanent Seat of the Universal House of Justice on Mount Carmel was a seminar on the life of the Greatest Holy Leaf, held on 17 July 1982. Though not entirely ready for occupancy, the Seat was the venue for a memorable programme which, together with the midnight commemoration at the tomb, constituted the World Centre's observance of the fiftieth anniversary of the passing of Bahiyyih Khinum. (The Baha’i World 1979-1983)

September 1916: Four of the Fourteen Tablets of the Divine Plan were first published in the Star of the West magazine

Fourteen Tablets revealed by 'Abdu'l-Baha during the First World War, addressed to the Baha'is in North America and received by them in 1919, which Shoghi Effendi has called the 'mandate' and 'the supreme charter for teaching'. They are addressed either to the Baha'is of the United States and Canada as one body or to one of five regional areas of North America.

The 'mandate' was to carry the 'fame of the Cause of God' to the East and to the West and to spread the Glad Tidings of the coming of Baha'u'llah throughout the five continents of the world. In all, 'Abdu'l-Baha mentioned some 120 territories and islands to which the message of Baha'u'llah was to be carried.

The first eight Tablets were revealed between 26 March and 22 April 1916, and the final six between 2 February and 8 March 1917. Of the first group, five Tablets reached America and were published in the 8 September 1916 issue of Star of the West. After that, communication with the Holy Land was cut off and the rest of the Tablets remained in the vault under the Shrine of the Báb until the end of the war. They were dispatched to America and unveiled in a ceremony during the 'Convention of the Covenant' held at the Hotel McAlpin in New York in April 1919.

An immediate response to the Tablets was made by Martha Root who began her world travels, and by Mr. and Mrs. Hyde Dunn, who arose to move to Australia. However, it was not until 1837 when Shoghi Effendi gave the American believers the First Seven Year Plan that the Divine Plan began to be generally implemented. (Wendi Momen, A Basic Baha’i Dictionary)

Spring of 1938: First group of Baha'i pilgrims travel by air to Iran

The first group of pilgrims traveling by air to Iran via Baghdad in the spring of 1938. Taken at the Haifa Aerodrome with members of the Baha'i community. The trip from Tihran to 'Akka which took four months in the days of Baha'u'llah is now accomplished in seven hours' flying time. (The Baha'i World 1936-1938)

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)

1938: First Baha'i Community and Spiritual Assembly in Latin America

First Baha'i Community in Latin America, 1938. Mexico City has the First Spiritual Assembly to be formed in that part of the world and possesses a newly opened Baha'i Center and a reading room. (The Baha'i World 1938-1940)

First Baha'i Spiritual Assembly having representatives of the black, yellow and white races in its membership

The Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of San Francisco, California, 1935. (First Baha'i Spiritual Assembly having representatives of the black, yellow and white races in its membership) (The Baha'i World 1934-1936)

April 1990: The Spiritual Assembly of Ishqabad is reformed after 50 years

Pictured are members of the Spiritual Assembly of Ishqabad, Turkmen S.S.R., which has reformed after 50 years. Seated (left to right) Mihrangiz Muhandis Ali-Aqa, A'zamiyyih Nizami, Malikih Naji; standing (left to right) Suhayl Qadimi, Muzaffar Qadimi,Fu'ad Qadim, Mirza 'Ali-Akbar Naji, Hasan Pishraw, Muhandis 'Ali-Aqa. (Baha'i News April 1990)

March 1910: The first Bahá’i magazine is published in English

In March, 1910, the first Bahá’i magazine was published in English. This was a small 20-page booklet bearing the name Baha’i News. It was edited by Albert R. Windust and Gertrude Buikema. The editorial page read, in part: “The need for a Baha’i News Service is apparent throughout the Occident. To meet this need this humble publication has stepped forth from nonexistence into the court of existence . . .“ This magazine was published nineteen times a year. During the course of the first year a Persian section was added, in order to make more useful the circulation of the magazine among believers.

The magazine prospered, for the second year it increased in size and was named Star of the West. During this year, the contents included not only news of Baha’i activities, photographs, the Persian section, and translations of Tablets from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, but also occasional articles on various aspects of the teachings appeared. Volume three is of special historical interest because it chronicles so much of the talks and incidents of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit to America. Slowly the Star of the West changed from a magazine designed primarily for Bahá’is to a magazine for the general public as well.

When the National Spiritual Assembly began to publish Baha’i News Letters for all the believers in December, 1924, it was no longer necessary to publish news in the magazine. The name was changed to Baha’i Magazine, with Star of the West as a sub-title. After a few years, however, the sub-title was dropped entirely.

In 1935 the Baha’i Magazine was combined with World Unity magazine to make the present World Order magazine. And in this we find discussions of the relation of the Baha’i Faith to all aspects of modern life and world problems. 
(The Baha’i World 1938-1940)

Baha’u’llah visited Haifa four times

The Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith states that Bahá'u'lláh visited Haifa four times. The first visit was of short duration, when He disembarked in 1868 from the Lloyd-Triestino steamer. The second visit was for just a few days, and He stayed in Bayt-i-Fanduq, a house in the German colony, part of which still stands today. There is a dated Tablet, in the handwriting of Mirza Aqa Jan, which indicates that Bahá'u'lláh was in Haifa in August 1883, probably the date of this second visit. The third visit was in 1890, and when Edward Granville Browne reached 'Akká, Bahá'u'lláh was in Haifa. In the course of this visit, He stayed, at first, near Bayt-i-Zahlan, near the town, and then He moved to a house in the German colony which was known as the Oliphant house. His tent was pitched on a piece of land opposite that house. His fourth and last visit was in the year 1891. This sojourn was the longest, and it was here in Haifa that members of the Afnan family met him when they came in July, as described in a later chapter. Bahá'u'lláh was then in Haifa for three months, staying in the house of Ilyas Abyad near the German colony, and His tent stood nearby. 
(Balyuzi, ‘Baha'u'llah - The King of Glory’, pp. 373-374)

First time three Mapuche Indians elected to Chile National Spiritual Assembly

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Chile elected in April 1989. For the first time in its 29-year history it includes three Mapuche Indians. From left to right are Antonio Lizama, Felipe Jara (vice-chairman), Elena Velasquez de Reid (chairman), Robert Siegel (corresponding secretary), Doris Millalen, Nelson Sanchez, Fazael Youseffi (treasurer), Paula Seigel, and Roberto Jara (recording secretary) (Baha'i News, August 1989)

Radio Baha'i Chile was officially opened on December 20, 1986

This photograph of the main building of Radio Baha’i Chile in Labranzo, Commune of Temuco, was taken in February, 1988, shortly after the celebration of the station's first anniversary. Radio Baha’i operating on 1160 kHz and serving principally the indigenous, population of Mapuche Indian community was officially opened on December 20, 1986.

During February 1988, the group of young Baha’is shown here, from the communities of Las Condes and Temuco, Santiago, volunteered between one and two weeks each to Radio Baha’i Chile. Their project helped fulfill a youth ‘week of service, campaign launched by the National spiritual Assembly as a part of its goals for the Six year Plan directed specifically toward youth.(Baha’i News, October 1988).

1977: First Spiritual Assembly of the Maksi District, Shajapur (Madhya Pradesh), India

The members of the first Spiritual Assembly of the Maksi District, Shajapur (Madhya Pradesh), India, formed in February 1977 (Baha'i News, February 1987)

The International Teaching Center appointed by the Universal House of Justice in May 1988

Pictured with members of the recently appointed International Teaching Centre are the Hands of the Cause of God Amatu'l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum and Ali Akbar Furutan (front row, third and fourth from right). In the back row (left to right) are Hartmut Grossmann, Masud Khamsi, Magdalene Carney, Donald Rogers and Farzam Arbab. Others in the front row are (left to right) Joy Stevenson, Lauretta King, Peter Vuyiya and Isabel Sabri. (Baha'i News, September 1988)