Chronology: Date 1917-0

date	event	tags	firsts	refs
1917 28 Jul	The National Association of the Advancement of Colored People's (NAACP) organized a Silent Protest Parade, also known as the Silent March, on 5th Avenue in New York City. This protest was a response to violence against African Americans, including the race riots, lynching, and outrages in Texas, Tennessee, Illinois, and other states. [Black Past] One incident in particular, the East St. Louis Race Riot, also called the East St. Louis Massacre, was a major catalyst of the silent parade. This horrific event drove close to six thousand blacks from their own burning homes and left several hundred dead. In response to the rioting, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) sent W.E.B. DuBois and Martha Gruening to investigate the incident. They compiled a report entitled Massacre at East St. Louis, which was published in the NAACP's magazine, The Crisis (Vol 14 # 5 p219-238). A year after the riot, a Special Committee formed by the United States House of Representatives launched an investigation into police actions during the East St. Louis Riot. Investigators found that the National Guard and also the East St. Louis police force had not acted adequately during the riots, revealing that the police often fled from the scenes of murder and arson. Some even fled from stationhouses and refused to answer calls for help. The investigation resulted in the indictment of several members of the East St. Louis police force.	National Association of the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); W.E.B. Du Bois; Martha Gruening; Race (general); Racism; New York, USA; New York, USA; St. Louis, MI; Michigan, USA
1917 13 Jun	Shoghi Effendi graduated from the Syrian Protestant College with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. [PG18; DH148; GBF9] For pictures of Shoghi Effendi at this time see BW13:131, GBF50-1 and PP88-9. See The Moore Collection for a collection of 80 photos of the campus taken by Dr Moore who was a professor at the college between 1892 and 1915. For more images of the college see The Blatchford Collection of Photographs, photos # 192 and 204 -> 221. An aerial view of the campustoday and live webcam views.	Shoghi Effendi, Life of; Syrian Protestant College; Shoghi Effendi, Basic timeline; - Basic timeline, Expanded; Beirut, Lebanon; Lebanon
1917 2 May	The martyrdom of Mírzá Muhammad-i-Bulúr-Furúsh in Yazd. [BBRXXX, BBR443]	Persecution, Iran; Persecution, Deaths; Persecution; Yazd, Iran; Iran
1917 (in the year)	A Bahá'í Reading Room was established in Chicago by Luella Kirchner in 1917 or perhaps earlier and became the scene of an incident that exemplified a stage of evolution in the North American Bahá'í community. Because communications with 'Abdu'l-Bahá had been severed due to the war, the community was free to develop as it might. The Reading Room had become host to the "Harmonite Bahá'ís" - those who subscribed to the metaphysical interpretations of the Bahá'í Writings by W. W. Harmon. The situation came to a head when both the House of Spirituality and the Reading Room sent delegates to the Boston convention in April 1917. In November, during an event to commemorate the Centenary of the birth of Bahá'u'lláh in Chicago, the national community took up the affair and appointed an investigative committee consisting of Mason Remey (chair) as well as Emogene Hoagg, George Latimer and Louis Gregory. Their report tabled on the 9th of December found that the Reading Room (now calling themselves the Chicago Bahá'í Assembly), had been in violation for "mingling human ideas with the Word of God". The victory over the "dissenters" was not complete however. In addition to those who were attracted by Harmon's interpretations there were those leading Bahá'ís like Agnes Parsons and Joseph Hannen who objected to the way the committee had conducted it's investigation. However, at the April 1918 convention the report was unanimously approved by the delegates albeit with several absent delegates. Thus the balance between liberalism and authoritarianism was shifted to the latter with firm ideas about what constituted the Bahá'í belief. As a result in 1918 there was a proposal to establish a review procedure for Bahá'í publications, both old and new as well as measures to ensure doctrinal control at Green Acre. [SBBH1p189-194]	Review; Chicago, IL; United States
1917 6 Apr	The United States entered World War I. See CF36 for Shoghi Effendi's opinion of its participation in the war.	World War I; War (general); History (general); Shoghi Effendi, Life of; Europe; United States
1917 3 Apr	'Abdu'l-Bahá's exhortation on China was published in the Star of the West on the 28th of April, 1917. "China, China, China, China-ward the Cause of Baha'o'llah must march! Where is that holy, sanctified Bahai to become the teacher of China! China has most great capability. The Chinese people are most simple-hearted and truth-seeking." and "China is the country of the future." [SotW_Vol-01 (Mar 1910)-Vol-10 (Mar 1919) p2127/2922] See as well PG99-100 for His Tablet to Chen Ting Mo.	Chen Ting Mo; `Abdu'l-Bahá, Life of (chronology); * `Abdu'l-Bahá, Writings and talks of; Pioneering; Travel Teaching; China
1917 17 Feb	A mob in Najafábád disintered the bodies from two Bahá'í graves. A general agitation against Bahá'ís followed. The Bahá'ís were boycotted in the bazaar and public baths and 32 are arrested. [BW18:387]	Persecution, Iran; Persecution, Arrests; Persecution, Destruction; Persecution; Persecution, Mobs; Najaf, Iranabad, Iran; Iran
1917 2 Feb-8 Mar	`Abdu'l-Bahá revealed six Tablets of the Divine Plan. [AB422; BBD219, Message 29 December 2015] As there was no communication with America at that time, the Tablets were stored in a vault under the Shrine of the Báb. [BBD219] The Tablets can be found at TDP on the pages indicated: 9th (Page 14)Tablet to the Bahá'ís of the Northeastern States. Revealed on February 2, 1917, in Ismá'íl Áqá's room at the house of 'Abdu'l‑Bahá in Haifa, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of the nine Northeastern States of the United States: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. 10th (Page 16)Tablet to the Bahá'ís of the Southern States. Revealed on February 3, 1917, in Haifa in Ismá'íl Áqá's room, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of the sixteen Southern States of the United States: Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. 11th (Page 18)Tablet to the Bahá'ís of the Central States. Revealed on February 8, 1917, in Bahá'u'lláh's room at the house of Abbúd in 'Akká, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of the twelve Central States of the United States: Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas. 12th (Page 20)Tablet to the Bahá'ís of the Western States. Revealed on February 15, 1917, in Bahá'u'lláh's room at the house of Abbúd in 'Akká, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of the eleven Western States of the United States: New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, California, Wyoming, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. 13th (Page 21)Tablet to the Bahá'ís of Canada and Greenland. Revealed on February 21, 1917, in Bahá'u'lláh's room at the house of Abbúd in 'Akká, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of Canada—Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon, Mackenzie, Keewatin, Ungava, Franklin Islands—and Greenland. 14th (Page 23)Tablet to the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada. Revealed on March 8, 1917, in the summerhouse (Ismá'íl Áqá's room) at 'Abdu'l‑Bahá's house in Haifa, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada.	* `Abdu'l-Bahá, Writings and talks of; `Abdu'l-Bahá, Life of (chronology); Báb, Shrine of; Tablets of the Divine Plan; - Basic timeline, Expanded; `Abdu'l-Bahá, Basic timeline; Haifa, Israel
1917 (In the year)	At this time there were eleven Persian Bahá'ís in Shanghai. Through the efforts of Aqa Mirza Ahmad and Ridi Tabrizi a Bahá'í pamphlet was published, probably the first Bahá'í publication in the Chinese language. It included 'Abdu'l-Bahá's twelve principles and passages from His explanation of the spiritual significance of the European War. The pamphlet include a picture of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and was also published in Persian. [PH31; Video Early history of the Bahá'í Faith in China 7 min 42 sec]	- Publications; Shanghai, China	first Bahá'í publication in China
1917 (In the year)	The publication of O Christians! Why do Ye Believe Not on Christ? by Ibrahim George Kheiralla. In the "Forward" of the book the author explains that "The purpose of this is to prove to the whole world the Infallibility of Beha 'U'llah, and that the attacks and accusations of S B Wilson, DD, and those of H H Hessup, DD, and Robert P Richarson, against Him and His teachings are not true." The "Dedicatory" reads: "To His Excellency Mohammed Ali Effendi, Gusn Akbar (the Mightiest Branch), who was chosen after Abbas Effendi as the Chief Head of the Behai movement in the last Will of Beha 'U'llah entitled the "Book of My Covenant," this work is dedicated by the author."
c. 1917	The publication of the booklet entitled Some Vital Bahai Principles by Charles Mason Remey.	- Publications; Charles Mason Remey; East Lansing, MI
1917 (In the year)	A Children's Savings Company, which later was registered as Šerkat-e Now-nahālān, (literally `saplings) was founded in Qazvīn. The Nownahalan Company was founded as a thrift club for Bahá'í children in Iran. [BI13] See BI13 for its non-profit and charitable activities. On 23 November 1919 ʿAbdu'l-Bahá wrote a prayer in which He sought God's blessing for its success and durability. He also donated two gold coins of five rubles each to its capital. The company had about 9,000 shareholders with approximately 120 million rials (about $1,700,000) in assets in 1967, half a century after its establishment. [BAHAISM v. The Bahai Community in Iran by V. Rafati]	Serkete-Nownahalan (Childrens Savings Company); Charity and relief work; Children; Qazvin, Iran; Iran
1917 (in the year)	The news magazine, Khurshid-i khavar (Sun of the East) commenced publication. [BWNS1289]	Khurshid-i khavar (Sun of the East); - Periodicals; - First publications; - Publications; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Ishqabad; Turkmenistan
1917 (in the year)	Foreign troops occupied nearly all of neutral Iran. [AB416; BBRSM:87]	War (general); History (general); Iran, General history; Iran
1917 (in the year)	By this year at least a hundred Bahá'í books and pamphlets had been produced in English. [BBRSM:103-4]	Publishing; - Publications; Statistics
1917 (in the year)	The passing of Hand of the Cause of God Hájí Mírzá Muhammad-Taqíy-i-Abharí (Ibn-i-Abhar). He was born in 1853/4 in Abhar. For four years he suffered in Síyáh-Chál wearing the very same chains as Bahá'u'lláh had worn in 1852. On being informed that the friends in Tihrán had arranged to observe the commandment of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Bahá'u'lláh revealed, in one of His Tablets to Ibn-i-Asdaq (later named as a Hand of the Cause), the following well known Words: Blessed is the spot, and the house, and the place, and the city, and the heart, and the mountain, and the refuge, and the cave, and the valley, and the land, and the sea, and the island, and the meadow where mention of God hath been made, and His praise glorified. -Bahá'u'lláh [Some Bahai Sacred Spaces for Community, Slide presentation by the UK Community, Slide #74] His services during the time of the Master included teaching journeys through Persia, the Caucasus and India. He also made some eleven journeys to the Holy Land with the permission of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. A special service rendered by Ibn-i-Abhar was the promotion of the education of women. He and his wife played an important part in the advancement of women in Persian society. In 1886 Bahá'u'lláh appointed him a Hand of the Cause. He died in 1917. [LoF13-16, BBD114, EB268; Bahaipedia] Shoghi Effendi designated him as an Apostle of Bahá'u'lláh. [LoF12]	Hands appointed by Bahá'u'lláh; Hands of the Cause; Hands of the Cause, Activities; Hands of the Cause, Births and deaths; Births and deaths; In Memoriam; Ibn-i-Abhar (Mulla Muhammad Taqi); Siyah Chal (Black Pit); Chains; Women; Blessed Is the Spot; Apostles of Bahá'u'lláh; Abhar; Tehran, Iran; Iran; Caucasus; India
Try also a shorter date like or 1917 or 191 try also the Chronology Canada — 1917-0 or 1917 or 191

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