As of Ridvan 1972 there were 113 National Spiritual Assemblies throughout the world

Although the dissolution of the National Spiritual Assembly of 'Iraq has, unhappily, resulted from the persecution of the Faith in that land, the thirteen new National Spiritual Assemblies which will come into being this Ridvan will bring the total number of these pillars of the Universal House of Justice to 113. 

(The Universal House of Justice, from a message dated Ridvan 1972; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986) 

circa 1944: National Haziratu'l-Quds of the Baha'is of Iran was completed

National Haziratu'l-Quds of the Baha'is of Iran, circa 1944 (The Baha'i World 1940-1944)

March 1972: The Mother Temple of Latin America is dedicated in Panama

Message from the Universal House of Justice:

19 March 1972

To the Beloved of God gathered in the Conference called on the occasion of the Dedication of the Mother Temple of Latin America

Dear Bahá'í friends,

With praise and gratitude to God the whole Bahá'í world acclaims the dedication of the Mother Temple of Latin America, an edifice which glorifies the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh at that point where, the beloved Master asserted, "the Occident and the Orient find each other united through the Panama Canal," where "The teachings, once established ..., will unite the East and the West, the North and the South."

This historic project, in a hemisphere of infinite spiritual potentiality, fulfils one of the most important goals of the Nine Year Plan, and brings untold joy to the hearts of the friends in every land. Privileged are they who share in the raising of this glorious Silent Teacher with deeds of loving generosity and sacrifice. A crown to the labours of all those who have striven to establish the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh in Latin America, this Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, the rallying point for the Bahá'ís of those lands, whether they are of the blessed Indian peoples or represent the other races whose diversity enriches the nations of that hemisphere, will be a fountainhead of spiritual confirmations, and this mighty achievement will endow the Bahá'í Community with new and greater capacities, enabling the friends in Latin America, and particularly in this privileged land of Panama, to win victories that will eclipse all their past achievements.

circa 1941: Baha'i Youth Conference in Hamadan, Iran

Baha'i Youth Conference in Hamadan, Iran, circa 1941 (Andalib 2002)

Baha’u’llah during His youthful prime – explained by ‘Abdu’l-Baha

…from the beginning of the manifestation of the Báb there was in Tihrán (which the Báb called the Holy Land) a Youth of the family of one of the ministers and of noble lineage, gifted in every way, and adorned with purity and nobility. Although He combined lofty lineage with high connection, and although His ancestors were men of note in Persia and universally sought after, yet He was not of a race of doctors or a family of scholars. Now this Youth was from His earliest adolescence celebrated amongst those of the ministerial class, both relatives and strangers, for single-mindedness, and was from childhood pointed out as remarkable for sagacity, and held in regard in the eyes of the wise. He did not, however, after the fashion of His ancestors, desire elevation to lofty ranks nor seek advancement to splendid but transient positions. His extreme aptitude was nevertheless admitted by all, and His excessive acuteness and intelligence were universally avowed. In the eyes of the common folk He enjoyed a wonderful esteem, and in all gatherings and assemblies He had a marvelous speech and delivery. Notwithstanding lack of instruction and education such was the keenness of His penetration and the readiness of His apprehension that when during His youthful prime He appeared in assemblies where questions of divinity and points of metaphysic were being discussed, and, in presence of a great concourse of doctors and scholars loosed His tongue, all those present were amazed, accounting this as a sort of prodigy beyond the discernment natural to the human race. From His early years He was the hope of His kindred and the unique one of His family and race, nay, their refuge and shelter. 

(‘Abdu’l-Baha, ‘A traveler’s Narrative’)

1944: First Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Bogota, Columbia

First Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Bogota, Columbia, 1944, with Dorothy Baker, representing the Inter-America Committee. (The Baha'i World 1940-1944)

1924: The Faith is introduced to Reykjavík, Iceland

From a message of the Universal House of Justice to the “Friends assembled in the North Atlantic Conference in Reykjavik”, September 1971:

“The famous island in which you are now gathered, so strategically placed between the two great continents flanking the vast oceanic area which surrounds it, to which the Teachings of Christ were brought a millennium ago, and which, in this Dispensation, was mentioned by the Centre of the Covenant in His Tablets of the Divine Plan, first heard the Name of Bahá'u'lláh in 1924 when the Hand of the Cause Amelia Collins stopped briefly in Reykjavik and made the acquaintance of Holmfridur Arnadottir who subsequently became the first Bahá'í of Iceland. Eleven years later the beloved Martha Root spent a month in this land which she loved so well. On that occasion, with the help of Holmfridur, the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh was widely proclaimed in the press, on the radio and from the lecture platform.” 

(The Universal House of Justice, ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986) (To read the entire message please visit: Messages to the Baha’i World Community – by the Universal House of Justice)

November 1957: Hands of the Cause of God

Hands of the Cause of God shortly after the passing of Shoghi Effendi

November 28, 1921: The Ascension of 'Abdu'l-Baha

April 1942: First Spiritual Assembly in the Province of Manitoba, Canada

Members of the first Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, 1942 (Baha'i News, August, 1942)

1943: First Spiritual Assembly in Alaska

First Alaskan Spiritual Assembly was formed in Anchorage, 1943 (The Baha'i World 1940-1944)

Baha'u'llah's Passport

Baha'u'llah's Passport

At the time of His exile from Persia, in 1269 A.H., this passport, made out in the name of Mirza Husayn 'Aliy-i-Nuri, was issued to Bahau'llah and His Family. (The Baha'i World 1940-1944)

Badi (Wonderful): Pride of Martyrs, Apostle of Baha’u’llah

Born Aqa Buzurg-i-Nishapuri, the son of a devoted Babi, he was later given the title Badi' (unique, wonderful) by Baha’u’llah. Reputed to be a wild, unruly youth, he had no interest in his father's affairs until, during the visit to his home of a traveling teacher, Mulla Muhammadi-Zarandi (Nabil-i-A'zam), he listened to some verses from a long poem by Baha’u’llah and was so entranced that he devoted the balance of his life to serving Him. After his conversion he set out to visit Him, traveling on foot from Mosul to 'Akka. It was during this visit that he was chosen to deliver a letter (Tablet) from Baha’u’llah to Nasiri'd-Din Shah . (The A to Z of the Baha’i Faith by Hugh Adamson)

Shoghi Effendi describes these events in the following passage:

Aqa Buzurg of Khurasan, the illustrious "Badi" (Wonderful); converted to the Faith by Nabil; surnamed the "Pride of Martyrs"; the seventeen year old bearer of the Tablet addressed to Nisiri'd-Din Shah; in whom, as affirmed by Baha’u’llah, "the spirit of might and power was breathed," was arrested, branded for three successive days, his head beaten to a pulp with the butt of a rifle, after which his body was thrown into a pit and earth and stones heaped upon it. After visiting Baha’u’llah in the barracks, during the second year of His confinement, he had arisen with amazing alacrity to carry that Tablet, alone and on foot, to Tihran and deliver it into the hands of the sovereign. A four months' journey had taken him to that city, and, after passing three days in fasting and vigilance, he had met the Shah proceeding on a hunting expedition to Shimiran. He had calmly and respectfully approached His Majesty, calling out, "O King! I have come to thee from Sheba with a weighty message"; whereupon at the Sovereign's order, the Tablet was taken from him and delivered to the mujtahids of Tihran who were commanded to reply to that Epistle - a command which they evaded, recommending instead that the messenger should be put to death. That Tablet was subsequently forwarded by the Shah to the Persian Ambassador in Constantinople, in the hope that its perusal by the Sultan's ministers might serve to further inflame their animosity. For a space of three years Baha'u'llah continued to extol in His writings the heroism of that youth, characterizing the references made by Him to that sublime sacrifice as the "salt of My Tablets." 

(Shoghi Effendi, 'God Passes By')

Baha'u'llah's prison cell in 'Akka

Baha'u'llah's incarceration in the prison of 'Akka, Nabil attests, extended from 31 August 1863 to 13 October 1870, a period of two years, two months and five days. After nine years He was permitted to move beyond the walls of the city. (The Baha'i World 1976-1979)

On the left is entrance to Baha'u'llah's room in the prison

A view of the interior of Baha'u'llah's room in the prison.

1954: Baha’i women in Iran “became eligible for service as members of Local and National Spiritual Assemblies.”

The progressive clarification of the details of the laws concerning membership of the Houses of Justice has been accompanied by a gradual implementation of their provisions. For example, based on the texts available to the believers at the time, membership of local Houses of Justice was initially confined to men. When the Master began to elaborate on the difference between the levels of this Institution, He clarified that the exclusion of women applied only to the Universal House of Justice. Thereafter, women became eligible for service as members of Local and National Spiritual Assemblies. Women in the West, who already enjoyed the benefits of education and opportunities for social involvement, participated in this form of service much sooner than, for instance, their Bahá'í sisters in Iran who were accorded this right only in 1954, "removing thereby the last remaining obstacle to the enjoyment of complete equality of rights in the conduct of the administrative affairs of the Persian Bahá'í Community". It is important to note that the timing of the introduction of the provisions called for by the interpretations of 'Abdu'l Baha and the Guardian in relation to the Local and National Spiritual Assemblies, rather than constituting a response to some external condition or pressure, was dictated by the principle of progressive implementation of the laws, as enjoined by Bahá'u'lláh Himself. 

(The Universal House of Justice, from a letter dated 31 May 1988) 

The ruins of the House of the Báb

The House of the Báb in Shiraz, the holiest Baha'i shrine in Iran, was demolished in 1981.

House of 'Abdu'l-Baha in Akka between 1897 to 1908

The House of 'Abdu'l-Baha in Akka, which was His official residence from 1897 to 1908, was acquired in 1975. The building, known locally as the house of 'Abdu'llah Pasha, was the birthplace of Shoghi Effendi. Restoration of the house began in December 1977. (The Baha'i World 1976-1979)

The “primary reason why the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh chose to appear in Persia” – the Guardian explains

… the primary reason why the Bab and Bahá'u'lláh chose to appear in Persia, and to make it the first repository of their Revelation, was because, of all the peoples and nations of the civilized world, that race and nation had, as so often depicted by 'Abdu'l-Bahá, sunk to such ignominious depths, and manifested so great a perversity, as to find no parallel among its contemporaries. For no more convincing proof could be adduced demonstrating the regenerating spirit animating the Revelations proclaimed by the Bab and Bahá'u'lláh than their power to transform what can be truly regarded as one of the most backward, the most cowardly, and perverse of peoples into a race of heroes, fit to effect in turn a similar revolution in the life of mankind. To have appeared among a race or nation which by its intrinsic worth and high attainments seemed to warrant the inestimable privilege of being made the receptacle of such a Revelation would in the eyes of an unbelieving world greatly reduce the efficacy of that Message, and detract from the self-sufficiency of its omnipotent power. 

(Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Justice)

Fort Tabarsi: The well used by the Bábís

The well used by the Bábís in the fortress of Shaykh Tabarsi in Mazindaran, Iran. (The Baha'i World 1938-1940)

As of November of 1934, the Kitab-i-Iqan was translated into 8 languages

I am directed by the Guardian to request you to kindly mail to his address five copies of the Urdu translation of the “Kitab-i-Iqan” (Book of Certitude). You will certainly be interested to know that the Iqan has already been translated and published into Russian, English, French, German, Chinese, Albanian, Urdu and Braille. Steps have also been taken for its rendering and publication into Arabic, Armenian, Swedish and Danish. 
(From a letter dated November 27, 1934, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi; ‘Dawn of a New Day’)

The incredible volume of the Verses of God revealed by Baha’u’llah during His time in Baghdad -- “in a single day and night, the equivalent of the Qur’án!”

The enormous expansion in the scope and volume of Bahá’u’lláh’s writings, after His return from Sulaymáníyyih, is yet another distinguishing feature of the period under review. The verses that streamed during those years from His pen, described as “a copious rain” by Himself, whether in the form of epistles, exhortations, commentaries, apologies, dissertations, prophecies, prayers, odes or specific Tablets, contributed, to a marked degree, to the reformation and progressive unfoldment of the Bábí community, to the broadening of its outlook, to the expansion of its activities and to the enlightenment of the minds of its members. So prolific was this period, that during the first two years after His return from His retirement, according to the testimony of Nabíl, who was at that time living in Baghdád, the unrecorded verses that streamed from His lips averaged, in a single day and night, the equivalent of the Qur’án! As to those verses which He either dictated or wrote Himself, their number was no less remarkable than either the wealth of material they contained, or the diversity of subjects to which they referred. A vast, and indeed the greater, proportion of these writings were, alas, lost irretrievably to posterity. No less an authority than Mírzá Áqá Ján, Bahá’u’lláh’s amanuensis, affirms, as reported by Nabíl, that by the express order of Bahá’u’lláh, hundreds of thousands of verses, mostly written by His own hand, were obliterated and cast into the river. “Finding me reluctant to execute His orders,” Mírzá Áqá Ján has related to Nabíl, “Bahá’u’lláh would reassure me saying: ‘None is to be found at this time worthy to hear these melodies.’ ...Not once, or twice, but innumerable times, was I commanded to repeat this act.” 
(Shoghi Effendi, ‘God Passes By’)

circa 1920's: City of Ishqabad, Russia, and the Baha'i Temple in the background

circa 1920's: A view of a portion of the city of Ishqabad, Russia, and the Baha'i Temple in the background

1st Newspaper Mentions Baha'u'llah's Words at World's Fair in Sept. 1893 -- The Inter Ocean (Chicago, Illinois) • Sun, Sept. 24, 1893 • Page 2

1st Newspaper that mentioned Baha'u'llah's Words at World's Fair in Sept. 1893 -- The Inter Ocean (Chicago, Illinois) · Sun, Sept. 24, 1893 · Page 2

1941: First Canadian Baha'i Summer Conference

First Canadian Baha'i Summer Conference, Montreal, 1941 (The Baha'i World 1940-1944)

1967: First National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Cameroon

First National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Cameroon, 1967 (Baha'i World News Service)