Chronology: Date 1940-0

date	event	tags	firsts
1940 Sep	William Sears, Hand of the Cause of God, became a Bahá'í in Salt Lake City, Utah.	William Sears; - Hands of the Cause; Salt Lake City, UT; Utah, USA; USA
1940 1 Aug	The first four people to become Bahá'ís in Costa Rica accepted the Faith after Gayle Woolson and Amelia Ford from the United States arrived in Puerto Limón on 29 March 1940. The first to enrol was Raul Contreras, followed by his cousin Guido Contreras, and by José Joaquin Ulloa and then Felipe Madrigal.	First Bahá'ís by country or area; Costa Rica; Central America	first four Bahá’ís in Costa Rica
1940 Aug	Daoud Toeg, then resident in Baghdad, made a trip to the district of Sulaymáníyyih in Kurdistán to try to determine where Bahá'u'lláh took refuge during His time there 1854 10 April - 1856 19 March. He photographed four possible sites. The story of his trip was published by Newsletter of the Haifa Spiritual Assembly and reprinted in Bahá'í News No 145 p11 and 12. Also see BW16:528 for a brief account of the trip. iiiii	Bahá'u'lláh, Life of (chronology); Daoud Toeg; Caves; Sar Galu Mountain; Sulaymaniyyih, Iraq; Kurdistan; Iraq
1940 28 Jul	Shoghi Effendi, Rúhíyyih Khánum and Sutherland Maxwell left England for South Africa aboard the SS Capetown Castle. It was Mr Maxwell's close friendship with the Canadian High Commissioner in London, Vincent Massey, that helped them secure the sea passage. [PP180] They departed Southhampton just three days before the German High Command issued an order to the Luftwaffe to establish air superiority along the British Channel coast in preparation for the invasion of England. This resulted in the bombing and strafing of all civilian shipping out of British Channel ports. Risking U-Boat attacks the ship took them to Durban where they found that all flights to Khartoum had been booked by the military. They left Mr. Maxwell in Durban to await a flight to Khartoum while Shoghi Effendi and Rúhíyyih Khánum tried to make their way to Khartoum overland. The trip across Africa took them to Stanleyville, Congo; Juba in the Sudan; down the Nile to Khartoum and back to Palestine through Cairo. [PP180–1, TG159] They arrived in Kisangani then Stanleyville a few weeks later (July 28, 1940), stayed for a week at the Stanley Hotel and made an excursion in the virgin forest. On the way to Juba, the Guardian also stayed in the village of Nia-Nia. [bahai.org]	Shoghi Effendi, Life of; Shoghi Effendi, Travels of; Amatul-Bahá Ruhiyyih Khanum; Amatul-Bahá Ruhiyyih Khanum, Journeys of; Sutherland Maxwell; World War II; Shoghi Effendi, Basic timeline; - Basic timeline, Expanded; United Kingdom; Africa; South Africa; Congo, Democratic Republic of (Zaire); Sudan; Egypt
1940 Jul	Gerrard Sluter, a German with Canadian citizenship and previously a pioneer in Guatemala, arrived in Colombia, the first Bahá'í to settle in the country. He later became a Covenant-breaker and caused much difficulty to the Bahá'ís in many South American countries.	Gerrard Sluter-Schlutius; Covenant-breakers; Colombia	first Bahá’í to settle in Colombia
1940 30 Jun	George Townshend preached a sermon in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, proclaiming the Bahá'í Faith to the congregation. [GT171]	George Townshend; - Christianity; - Interfaith dialogue; Dublin, Ireland; Ireland
1940 2 Jun	Shoghi Effendi, Rúhíyyih Khánum and Sutherland Maxwell left St Malo, France, for England and arrived the next morning In Southhampton. The following day St. Malo was occupied by the Nazis. Shoghi Effendi seemed acutely aware of the danger to himself and to the Faith should he fall into the hands of the Nazis because the Cause had already been banned in Germany and his inveterate enemy, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, was allied with them. [PP 179–80] Their passage from St Malo to Southhampton took place on the same day as the history troop evacuation from Dunkirk was in full swing when every available vessel was involved in moving troops from France to England.	Shoghi Effendi, Life of; Shoghi Effendi, Travels of; Amatul-Bahá Ruhiyyih Khanum; World War II; St. Malo; France
1940 25 May	After having obtained a visa for Britain in Rome, Shoghi Effendi and Rúhíyyih Khánum left for England. They entered France at Menton and then travelled to Marseilles and eventually to St. Malo. A few days later the Italians enter the war against the Allies. [PP179]	Shoghi Effendi, Life of; Shoghi Effendi, Travels of; Amatul-Bahá Ruhiyyih Khanum; World War II; Rome, Italy; Italy; Menton, France; Marseilles, France; France; United Kingdom
1940 14 or 15 May	Shoghi Effendi determined to go to England; he and Rúhíyyih Khánum left Haifa for Italy via aquaplane en route to London. [PP 178] For the difficulties and dangers of this journey that took them from Haifa to Heraklion on Crete and then on to Reggio and then a further 700km to Rome and another 500km to Genoa see PP178–80. After the passing of his wife, Mr. Maxwell had been invited by Shoghi Effendi to come and live in Haifa. On the same day that Shoghi Effendi and Rúhíyyih Khánum left the Holy Land, Sutherland Maxwell left Montreal to meet up with them in Europe. A few days after their arrival in Italy, Rúhíyyih Khánum travelled to Genoa to meet her father who had arrived on the Italian vessel, the S.S. Rex, that had departed New York. [PP178]	Shoghi Effendi, Life of; Shoghi Effendi, Travels of; Amatul-Bahá Ruhiyyih Khanum; Shoghi Effendi, Basic timeline; World War II; - Basic timeline, Expanded; Haifa, Israel; Genoa, Italy; Italy; London, England; United Kingdom
1940 13 May	American Baha'i John Stearns sailed from Los Angeles to Guayaquil, Ecuador to take up his pioneer post. He took up residence in Quito and became the first established pioneer in Ecuador. [Heroes of God: History of the Bahá'í Faith in Ecuador, 1940-1979 p.vii; p1]	Pioneer; John Stearns; Guayaquil; Ecuador	first established pioneer to Ecuador.
1940 Ridván	Annual Report of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Australia and New Zealand 1838-1940.	Annual Report, National Spiritual Assembly; Sydney, Australia; Australia
1940 Ridván	Annual Report National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of India and Burma 1938-1940	Annual Report, National Spiritual Assembly
1940 Ridván	Annual Report National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Iran	Annual Report, National Spiritual Assembly; Tehran, Iran; Iran
1940 Ridván	Annual Report of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada 1939-1940 Supplementary Report	Annual Report, National Spiritual Assembly; USA; Canada
1940 Ridván	Annual Report National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Iraq 1938-1940	Annual Report, National Spiritual Assembly; Baghdad, Iraq; Iraq
1940 Apr	The first local spiritual assembly of Argentina was established in Buenos Aires.	Local Spiritual Assembly; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Argentina	first LSA in Argentina
1940 Mar	Emeric and Rosemary Sala of St. Lambert, Quebec arrived in Venezuela, the first pioneers to that country. During their eleven month stay in Caracas they made an eight-day trip by car over the Andes to visit a pioneer in Bogota, Columbia. [TG76-82]	Emeric Sala; Rosemary Sala; Venezuela	first pioneers to Venezuela
1940 1 Mar	May Bolles Maxwell (b. 14 January 1940 in Englewood, NJ) passed away in Buenos Aires. [BBD153; TG49] Shoghi Effendi called her "the spiritual mother of Canada" and Montreal the "mother city of Canada". [OBCC35] Shoghi Effendi awarded her the honour of a 'martyr's death' and designated her as a Disciple of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. [BW8:631; MA38] She was the first Bahá'í on European soil and the "mother" of both the French and the Canadian Bahá'í communities. [PP149] For her "In Memoriam" and tribute written by Marion Holley see BW8p631-642. Hooper Dunbar quoted Shoghi Effendi in his cable to the friends in Iran announcing her passing: May Maxwell, the severed teacher firebrand of the love of God and spreader of the fragrances of God Mrs Maxwell, forsook her native land and hastened to the most distant countries out of love for her Master and yearning to sound the call to the Cause of her Lord and her inspiration, until she ascended to the highest summit attaining the rank of martyrdom in the capital of the Argentine. The furthermost boundary the countenances of paradise invoke blessings upon her in the glorious apex saying, may she enjoy with healthy relish the cup that is full and brimming over with the wine of the love of God for the like of this should the travaillers travail. Inform all the friends of the announcement of this mighty victory. [A talk] given by Mr Dunbar 28:08] Shoghi Effendi asked her husband, Sutherland Maxwell, to design her tomb, which was to be a 'historic centre' for 'pioneer Bahá'í activity'. [BW8:642] For an account of the erection of the monument to her see PSBW83–6. Haik Kevorkian's family had come to Argentina from Syria in 1937. When Mrs Maxwell arrived he contacted her by phone just before her fatal heart attack. After her passing, he devoted himself to caring for her grave. [KoB225]	May Maxwell (Bolles); Births and deaths; Names and titles; Sutherland Maxwell; Architecture; - Disciples of `Abdu'l-Bahá; First Bahá'ís by country or area; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Argentina	First Bahá'í on European soil.
1940 9 Feb	The monuments of Navváb and the Purest Branch were dedicated at a ceremony in Haifa. [ZK293] For details of the ceremony, see ZK293–6. Marble* for the Monument Gardens came from Chiampo, Italy as did marble for the Archives Building, the Resting Place of Shoghi Effendi, the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, the Terraces Project, and the Houses of Worship in India and Samoa. [BWNS1223] Edward Keith-Roach OBE (Born 1885 Gloucester, England— died 1954) was the British Colonial administrator during the British mandate on Palestine, who also served as the governor of Jerusalem from 1926 to 1945 (excluding a period in the 1930s when he was governor of the Galilee). He was nicknamed "Páshá of Jerusalem". He approved exemption from duties and established a policy that was continued by Israel that allowed materials for the BWC to enter duty free, such as the marble for the buildings on the Arc. [Shoghi Effendi, Uncompiled Published Letters*]	Navvab (Asiyih Khanum); Mírzá Mihdi (Purest Branch); Monument Gardens; Marble; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Shoghi Effendi, Life of; Edward Keith-Roach; Mount Carmel MERGE; - Bahá'í World Centre; Chiampo, Italy; Italy
1940 13 Jan	María Teressa Martín de López (Irizarry), from Puerto Rico, became a Bahá'í in the Dominican Republic while on a visit. She was the first Puerto Rican Bahá'í and the first person to become a Bahá'í in the Dominican Republic. For the story of her life see BW8:631–42.	First Bahá'ís by country or area; Dominican Republic	first Puerto Rican Bahá’í; first declaration Dominican Republic
1940 (In the year)	Ruth and Ellsworth Blackwell were the first Bahá'í pioneers to move to Haiti, where they spent more than half of the next thirty-five years. The book, White and Negro Alike. Stories of Baha'i Pioneers Ellsworth and Ruth Blackwell tells the story of the victories and the challenges they experienced in Haiti and in periods when they returned to Chicago between 1940 and 1975. It was written by Audrey Mike and published by Our Life Words. See the story of Ellsworth Blackwell, NSA member, ABM, pioneer to Madagascar and to Zaire (DRC) where he passed away in 1978. [Bahaipedia]	Ellsworth Blackwell; Ruth Blackwell; Haiti; Madagascar; Congo, Democratic Republic of (Zaire)	first pioneers to settle in Haiti
1940 (In the year)	An institution for Bahá'í orphans was founded which served the community for many years. [BW9p251] On a more general level, an achievement of the Bahá'í communities in Iran was the establishment of modern public baths in most of the major populated towns and villages throughout the country to replace the unhygienic traditional baths. Some of the baths were built and donated to the community by individual Bahá'ís and some were established through the collective financial participation of the members of the community. [BAHAISM v. The Bahai Community in Iran by V. Rafati]	Orphanages; Property; Endowments; Public baths (bathhouses); Iran
1940 (In the year)	ʿAbd-al-Mīṯāq Mīṯāqīya, ( 'Abdu'l-Missagh Missaghiyeh) a well-known Bahá'í of Tehran, built a hospital and donated it to the Bahá'í community. The hospital rapidly developed to employ highly respected physicians, and to obtain advanced equipment. It became known as one of the best medical centres in Tehran. In the early 1970s a nursing school, affiliated with the hospital, was inaugurated and the hospital itself opened medical clinics in Boir Aḥmad [BW16p264; BAHAISM v. The Bahai Community in Iran by V. Rafati]	Abd-al-Mitaq Mitaqiya; `Abdu'l-Missagh Missaghiyeh; Tehran, Iran; Iran
1940 (In the year)	The first local spiritual assembly in Brazil was established in Bahia, with the assistance of Leonora Holsapple Armstrong. The second Local Spiritual Assembly was formed in Rio de Janeiro and, in 1946 the third, in São Paulo. [Biographical Profile]	Leonora Holsapple Armstrong; Local Spiritual Assembly, formation; Bahia, Brazil; Brazil; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Brazil; Sao Paulo, Brazil	first LSA in Brazil
1940 (In the year)	The Canadian Department of National Defence exempted Bahá'ís from combatant military duty.	Exemption; Recognition (legal); Armed Forces; Military; Canada
1940 (In the year)	A Bahá'í centre was opened in Havana, Cuba, and an organized group was formed.	Haziratul-Quds (Bahá'í centres); Havana, Cuba; Cuba
1940 (In the year)	The publication of I, Mary Magdalen by Juliet Thompson. It was a novel with a semi-autobiographical account of her contact with 'Abdu'l-Bahá. [Collins7.2554]	Juliet Thompson; I, Mary Magdalen; New York, USA; USA
1940 (In the year)	Narayenrao Rangnath Shethji, a Bahá'í from India surnamed Vakíl, visited Nepal, the first Bahá'í to do so.	Narayenrao Rangnath Shethji; Nepal	first Bahá’í to visit Nepal
1940 (In the year)	Marcia Atwater, from the United States, arrived in Santiago, Chile, as the first long-term pioneer.	Marcia Atwater; First travel teachers and pioneers; Santiago, Chile; Chile	first long-term pioneer
1940 (In the year)	Eleanor Smith Adler, a new Bahá'í from Los Angeles, settled in La Paz, the first pioneer to Bolivia.	Eleanor Smith Adler; La Paz, Bolivia; Bolivia	first pioneer to Bolivia
1940 (in the decade)	Bahá'ís in Argentina faced opposition throughout the decade with both the police and nationalists intimidating them.	Persecution, Argentina; - Persecution, Other; - Persecution; Argentina
1940 (in the decade)	The first Egyptian Bahá'í summer school was held in the mid-1940s.	Summer schools; First summer and winter schools; Egypt	first Egyptian Bahá’í summer school
1940 (in the decade)	The first Bahá'ís to reside in the Belgian Congo (Zaire) were Mr Rajah Ali Vahdat and Mme Marthe Molitor.	First travel teachers and pioneers; Congo, Democratic Republic of (Zaire)	first resident Bahá’ís in Belgian Congo
1940 (In the decade)	By the mid-1940s Corporal Thomas Bereford Macauley became a Bahá'í in Nigeria, the first Bahá'í in the country.	First Bahá'ís by country or area; Nigeria	first Bahá’í in Nigeria
Try also a shorter date like or 1940 or 194 try also the Chronology Canada — 1940-0 or 1940 or 194

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