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Chronology of the Bahá'í Faith

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Date 1954-04, sorted by firsts, ascending

date event tags firsts
1954 Apr
195-
The arrival of Knight Martin Manga to Northern Territories Protectorate (now part of Ghana). [BWNS249; BW13:455] - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Ghana; Northern Territories Protectorate
1954 Apr
195-
A mere eight months after settling in British Cameroons, Enoch Olinga, along with the community of new believers at his pioneering post received a cable from Shoghi Effendi asking for African believers to settle in British Togoland, French Togoland, the Ashanti Protectorate and in the Northern Territories Protectorate before the following Ridván.

Although Bahá'ís for only a few months, their response was instantaneous; the largest difficulty arose in limiting themselves to the four names required to fulfill the designated posts. This was determined by a vote. David Tanyi, Edward Tabe, Benedict Eballa, and Martin Manga were duly selected. Samuel Nyki was sent to French Cameroon. Each one established a Local Spiritual Assembly in their assigned posts within two years. [A Brief Account of the Progress of the Bahá'í Faith in Africa Since 1953 by Nancy Oloro-Robarts and Selam Ahderom p4; KoB71]

Ashanti Protectorate, Ghana; Benedict Eballa; British Togoland (Ghana); Cameroon; David Tanyi; Edward Tabe; French Togoland (Togo); Martin Manga; Northern Territories Protectorate; Pioneering; Samuel Njiki (Samuel Nyki)
1954 Ridván
195-
In Uganda, 2 years previous, there were no Bahá'ís. By this time there were over 700 Bahá'ís, with 24 Spiritual Assemblies. [That Promising Continent 18] Statistics; Uganda
1954 Ridván
195-
In his cablegram of October 8, 1952, Shoghi Effendi called upon all 15 "continental" Hands to appoint, during Ridván, 1954, five Auxiliary Boards, one on each continent, composed of nine members each to work as their deputies along with the National Assemblies to assist in the execution of the twelve teaching plans. [BW13p335, MBW44, 63] Appointed arm; Assistants; Auxiliary board members
1954 Apr
195-
Shoghi Effendi announced that there were Bahá'ís in 228 countries and that Bahá'í literature has been translated into 130 languages. [MBW61–2] Statistics
1954 6 Apr
195-
Shoghi Effendi announced that plans for the International Bahá'í Archives had been completed and that steps had been taken to begin its construction. [PP264BBD22–3; DH169; GBF117–8; MBW64] * Shoghi Effendi, Basic timeline; * Shoghi Effendi (chronology); - Bahá'í World Centre; - Basic timeline, Expanded; Haifa, Israel; International Archives Building (Haifa); Mount Carmel; Shoghi Effendi, Works of
1954 Apr
195-
John and Marjorie Kellberg of Oak Park, Illinois, arrived in the Dutch West Indies (Netherlands Antilles) and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:451] - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Lesser Antilles
1954 Apr
195-
Corporal Richard Walters and his wife, Evelyn, and Richard and Mary L. Suhm arrived in Tangier from the United States and were all named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh for Morocco (International Zone). BW13:454] - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Morocco; Tangier, Morocco
1954 Apr
195-
Howard Gilliland arrived in Labrador and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:453] - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Labrador, NL
1954 Apr
195-
Kay Zinky arrived in the Magdalen Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:453] - Islands; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Magdalen Islands, QC
1954 9 Apr
195-
Gayle Woolson and her companion, Rebecca Kaufman, arrived in the Galapagos Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:452] [Heroes of God p59] - Islands; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Ecuador; Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
1954 Apr
195-
Habíb Isfahání arrived in Dakar and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for French West Africa. [BW13:452] - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Dakar, Senegal; French West Africa; Habib Isfahani
1954 Apr
195-
Benedict Eballa arrived in Ashanti Protectorate (Now part of Ghana) and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:449; BWNS249] - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Ashanti Protectorate, Ghana; Ghana
1954 Apr
195-
Edward Tabe, a youth from Cameroon, no older than fourteen, and Albert Buapiah from the Gold Coast arrived in British Togoland and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:450; KoB78-79; BWNS249] - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Albert Buapiah; British Togoland (Ghana); Edward Tabe; Ghana
1954 Apr
195-
Dr John Fozdar arrived in Brunei in April 1954 and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:450]

See Remembering Dr John Fozdar.

- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Brunei; John Fozdar
1954 Apr
195-
Bahá'í women in Iran were accorded full rights to participate in membership of both national and local Bahá'í assemblies. [MBW65]
  • This removed 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'. [MBW65]
  • Equality; Iran; Local Spiritual Assembly; National Spiritual Assembly; Women
    18 Apr
    195-
    John and Valera Allen arrived in Swaziland and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:456] - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Swaziland
    1954 12 Apr
    195-
    Shoghi Effendi accepted the bid made by the firm of Enrico Pandolfini of Pietrasanta in Tuscany, Italy for the supply of the obelisk will mark the place of the first Mashriqu'l-Adhkar of the Holy Land. After the delivery of the materials circumstances did not allow for the obelisk to be erected. The Universal House of Justice completed the project in August, 1971. * Shoghi Effendi (chronology); - Bahá'í World Centre; - Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (House of Worship); Haifa, Israel; Italy; Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Haifa; Obelisks; Pietrasanta, Italy; Tuscany, Italy
    1954 Apr
    195-
    Suhráb Paymán, together with his five-year old-daughter Ghitty, arrived in San Marino from Tihrán to join his wife. He was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh in April. [BW13:455] - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; San Marino, Italy
    1954 6 Apr
    195-
    Shoghi Effendi announced the creation of five Auxiliary Boards with the following number of members: Asia 7; America 9; Europe 9; Africa 9; Australia 2. [BW13p335; CBN No 53 June 1954 p6; MBW44, 58-60]
  • Their function was to 'act as deputies of the Hands in their respective continents', to 'aid and advise them in the effective prosecution of the' and to assist them 'in the discharge of their dual and sacred task of safeguarding the Faith and of promoting its teaching activities'. [MBW63]
  • See also BBD26; BBRSM127; MC3.
  • These boards were mandated with the propagation of the Faith.
  • * Shoghi Effendi, Basic timeline; * Shoghi Effendi (chronology); - Bahá'í World Centre; - Hands of the Cause; Appointed arm; Auxiliary board members; Funds, Continental; Hands of the Cause, Activities; Shoghi Effendi, Works of; Ten Year Crusade (1953-1963)
    1954 (Prior to)
    195-
    The first native Fijian, the first Pygmy, the first Berber and the first Greenlander to accept the Bahá'í Faith enrolled. [MBWp62] - First Bahá'ís by country or area; - First believers by background; Greenland
    1954 6 Apr
    195-
    Five Continental Bahá'í Funds were inaugurated by Shoghi Effendi. [MBW59, 63] * Shoghi Effendi (chronology); - Bahá'í World Centre; Funds; Funds, Continental
    1954 11 Apr
    195-
    Bula Mott Stewart arrived in Swaziland and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:456] - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Swaziland
    1954 13 Apr
    195-
    David Tanyi, a tailor, arrived in French Togoland from British Cameroons and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:451] - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; French Togoland (Togo); Togo
    1954 Apr
    195-
    The arrival of future Knight of Bahá'u'lláh, Mr. Enoch Olinga, in British Cameroon. [BWNS291] - Africa; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); British Cameroon; Enoch Olinga
    1954 21 Apr
    195-
    Bruce Matthews arrived at Goose Bay and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for Labrador. [BW13:453]

    See Bruce Matthews, Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Goose Bay, Labrador by Lynn Wright and Susan Gammage.

    - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Canada; Goose Bay, NL; Labrador, NL
    1954 Ridván
    195-
    The first all African local spiritual assembly in Tanganyika was formed in Bukoba. Bukoba, Tanzania; Local Spiritual Assembly; Tanganyika, Tanzania first all African Local Spiritual Assembly in Tanganyika
    1954 Ridván
    195-
    The first local spiritual assembly in Algeria was formed in Algiers. [BWIM114] Algeria; Algiers, Algeria; Local Spiritual Assembly first Local Spiritual Assembly Algeria
    1954 Ridván
    195-
    The first local spiritual assembly was formed in British Cameroons. British Cameroon; Local Spiritual Assembly first Local Spiritual Assembly British Cameroons
    1954 Ridván
    195-
    The first local spiritual assembly in the Malay Peninsula was established in Seremban. British Malaya; Local Spiritual Assembly; Seremban, Malaysia first Local Spiritual Assembly Malay Peninsula
    1954 Ridván
    195-
    The first local spiritual assembly was formed in in Usumbura (later Bujumbura, Burundi) and it composed entirely of Congolese. At that time the area was called Ruanda-Urundi. In 1962 Ruanda-Urundi became the two independent states of Rwanda and Burundi. [A Remarkable Response Film 26:55] Bujumbura, Burundi; Burundi; Local Spiritual Assembly first Local Spiritual Assembly Ruanda-Urundi (Burundi)
    1954 Apr
    195-
    The site for the first Mashriqu'l-Adhkár of the Holy Land was selected. [DH175; MBW63] - Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (House of Worship); Haifa, Israel; Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Haifa first Mashriqu’l-Adhkár of the Holy Land
    26 Apr
    195-
    President of Israel Ben Zvi and his wife visit the Shrines on Mount Carmel, the first official visit paid by a head of a sovereign state to the Shrines of the Báb and 'Abdu'l-Bahá. [GBF139–140; MBW68; PP2923] - Presidents; Báb, Shrine of (Haifa); Ben Zvi; Firsts, other; Haifa, Israel; Mount Carmel; Prominent visitors first official visit head of a sovereign state to Shrine of the Báb
    1954 Ridván
    195-
    Adelaide Sharp, who had been in Iran since 1929, was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran, the first woman elected to that body. [BFA2:361] Adelaide Sharp; Firsts, other; Iran; NSA; Women first woman elected NSA Iran
    1954 Apr
    195-
    Mrs Mehrangiz Munsiff pioneered to the city of Douala in the French Cameroons (later Cameroon). Both she and Mr Samuel Njiki were honoured as Knights of Bahá'u'lláh for this territory. [Bahá'í Journal UK Vol 20, No 5 Jan/Feb 2004, BW13:451; BWNS249]
  • For a photo see Bahá'í Media Bank.
  • - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Cameroon; Douala, Cameroon; French Cameroon; Meherangiz Munsiff; Samuel Njiki (Samuel Nyki) Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for Cameroons
    1954 Apr
    195-
    Robert B. Powers, Jr., a member of the U.S. armed forces at the Navy Air Station, arrived in Guam and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for the Mariana Islands.

    On May 2, 1954, Cynthia R. Olson arrived on Guam in response to the call from Shoghi Effendi; becoming the first permanent Bahá’í Settler in the Mariana Islands.

    Antonio Alfonso, the first Filipino national to embrace the Faith, became a Bahá’í on 19 March 1956, and Joe Erie Ilengelkei of Palau, Western Caroline Island became the first Micronesian to accept Bahá’u’lláh when he became a member of the Bahá’í Faith on 7 April 1956. [BW13:454; Marianas Bahá'í Community website]

    - Islands; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Guam; Mariana Islands the first Bahá’í in the Mariana Islands; the first Filipino national to embrace the Faith; the first Micronesian to accept the Bahá’í Faith.
    1954 6 Apr
    195-
    In his Ridván Message Shoghi Efffendi announced that: The site for the first Mashriqu'l-Adhkár of the Holy Land has been selected--an area of approximately twenty thousand square meters--situated at the head of the Mountain of God, in close proximity to the Spot hallowed by the footsteps of Bahá'u'lláh, near the time-honoured Cave of Elijah, and associated with the revelation of the Tablet of Carmel, the Charter of the World Spiritual and Administrative Centres of the Faith on that mountain. Funds totalling one hundred thousand dollars have, moreover, been contributed by one of the Hands of the Cause*, residing in the Holy Land, and negotiations have been initiated with the Israeli authorities for the purpose of effecting the immediate purchase of the selected site. (*Hand of the Cause Milly Collins) [MBW63; DoH175]

    In another message about a year later he provided further details. [MBW78-79]

    - Bahá'í World Centre; - Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (House of Worship); Amelia Collins; Funds; Haifa, Israel; Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Haifa; Mount Carmel the first Mashriqu'l-Adhkár of the Holy Land
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