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Chronology of the Bahá'í Faith

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Date 1969, descending sort earliest first

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1969 29 Dec - 1970 2 Jan
196-
The First Pacific Area Bahá'í Youth Conference took place in Apia, Western Samoa. [BW15:329–30]
  • For picture see BW15:330.
  • Conferences, Bahá'í; Conferences, Youth; - Conferences, International; - First conferences; Youth; Apia, Samoa; Samoa; Oceania First Pacific Area Bahá’í Youth Conference
    1969 12 Nov
    196-
    The world premiere of the film A New Wind, written and directed by George C Stoney and distributed by the Public Information Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States. The National Spiritual Assembly approved an initial showing of the film in forty cities and ten colleges across the United States. A second premiere showing of the film was on World Religion Day, January 18th, 1970, in forty different cities and ten different colleges.
    The film shows scenes from the Holy Land, as well as Bahá'í communities in India, Japan and in the United States, depicting Bahá'ís in their gatherings and firesides, in their daily lives and personal activities. It demonstrates the unity in diversity so characteristic of the Faith and portrays, in twenty- eight minutes of screen time, the spirit and scope of a fast-growing worldwide religious community. [National Bahá'í Review Issue 21 September 1969 p10; National Bahá'í Review Issue 23 November 1961 p13; National Bahá'í Review Issue 47 November 1972 p2]
  • See National Bahá'í Review Issue 22 October 1969 p14 for a resumé of the work of George Stoney.
  • YouTube.
  • - Film; A New Wind (film); George Stoney; United States (USA)
    1969 29 Oct
    196-
    A mechanism of world inter-communication will be devised, embracing the whole planet, freed from national hindrances and restrictions, and functioning with marvellous swiftness and perfect regularity. WOB203

    1844 May 24 Samuel F.B. Morse sent the first telegraphic message over an experimental line from Washington D.C. to Baltimore; the message said: "What hath God wrought?" which is a verse from The Book of Numbers 23:23. Also see The Book of Job 38:35 where it says Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go and say unto thee, Here we are?

    1858 Aug 16 the first transatlantic telegraph cable was an undersea cable running under the Atlantic Ocean used for telegraph communications was laid across the floor of the Atlantic from Telegraph Field, Foilhommerum Bay, Valentia Island in western Ireland to Heart's Content in eastern Newfoundland. The first communications occurred August 16, 1858, reducing the communication time between North America and Europe from ten days.

    1894 May 10 Marconi sent a radio wave 3/4 mile, the first "wireless" transmission.

    1897 Marconi Co sent the first ship-to-shore message 12 miles. 1899 Mar 3 the ship "East Goodwin" was saved after sending the distress signal "HELP". This system of HF radio for safety at sea communications as replaced globally by geostationary satellites with the launch of the INMARSAT system (International Marine Satellite) on the 1st of February 1982. [International Journal of Maritime History]

    1969 October 29 The birth of the Internet. First message from computer to computer in different locations. UCLA student Charley Kline attempts to transmit the text "login" to a computer at the Stanford Research Institute over the first link on the ARPANET, which was the precursor to the modern Internet. After the letters "l" and "o" are sent the system crashed, making the first message ever sent on the Internet "lo" and the first crash of the system.

    Internet; Communication; Telegraph; Morse code; Firsts, other; History (general); Technology; Inventions first Morse Code message, first radio message, first transatlantic cable message, first Internet message....
    1969 5 Aug - 1970 11 Mar
    196-
    The itinerary for the first leg of the Great African Safari was as follows:
  • Aug 4 - 14, 1969, Uganda
  • Aug 15 - Sept 1,1969, Kenya
  • Sept 2 - 26, 1969, Tanzania (and Mafia Island)
  • Sept 28 - Oct 14, 1969, Kenya
  • Oct 15 - Nov 17, 1969, Ethiopia. See BW15p186-187 where it is reported that over a thousand new Bahá'ís joined the ranks.
  • Nov 17 - Dec 2, 1969, Kenya
  • Dec 3, 1969 - Jan 2,1970, Uganda
  • Jan 3 - 12, 1970, Zaire (now Central African Republic)
  • Jan 13 - 24, 1970, Zaire (now Central African Republic)
  • Jan 25 - Feb 7, 1970, Chad
  • Feb 8 - 10, 1970, Nigeria
  • Feb 11 - 18, 1970, Niger
  • Feb 19 - 26, 1970, Dahomey (now Benin)
  • Feb 27 - Mar 1, 1970, Togo
  • Mar 2 - 11, 1970, Ghana [BW15p606]
  • Amatul-Bahá Ruhiyyih Khanum; Amatul-Bahá Ruhiyyih Khanum, Journeys of; Violette Nakhjavani; Great African Safari; Uganda; Kenya; Tanzania; Mafia Island; Ethiopia; Central African Republic; Chad; Nigeria; Niger; Benin; Togo; Ghana
    1969 4 Aug
    196-
    Hand of the Cause Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum and her companion, Violette Nakhjavání, arrived in Kampala, Uganda, at the start of the 'Great African Safari'. [BN No 468 March 1970 p2-12]

      On August 5, 1969, the wheels of our plane touched down at Entebbe airport, Kampala, Uganda—at last the long-promised visit of Amatu'l-Bahá to the believers of Africa was commencing. In 1961, at the time when she dedicated the Mother Temple of Africa for public worship, Rúḥíyyih Khánum promised the friends to come back and really visit them, touring as many Centres as possible. After nine years, this has now been fulfilled. [BW15p594]

    It was the start of a four-leg journey that took the Hand of the Cause to 34 African countries, travelling 36,000 miles, addressing 40,000 people including 19 heads of state in some 400 gatherings. Beginning her Safari in East Africa, she crossed the whole breadth of the continent to the Gambia, turned back to the center of the Congo, and went down to the tip of South Africa in Cape Town before returning to East Africa. She met nineteen Heads of State among them Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, President Hamani Diori of Niger, President Dr. William V.S Tubman of Liberia, King Motlotletlehi Sobhuza II of Swaziland, President Gregoire Kayibanda of Rwanda, and President Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia.

  • For a map and details of the safari as well as pictures see BW15:593–607.
  • See The Great African Safari: The travels of Rúhíyyih Khánum in Africa, 1969-73 by Violette Nakhjavani published by George Ronald in 2003.
  • A diary of Rúhíyyih Khánum's travels through Africa was serialized in Bahá'í News in 26 issues (468-513) from 1970 through 1973. These travels lead to significant exposure of the Faith in the public domain, from governments to civil leaders to mass media, propelling the development of national institutions across the continent in a new dimension of work. One can say these events greatly contributed to the emergence of the Faith from obscurity in Africa. [A Brief Account of the Progress of the Bahá'í Faith in Africa Since 1953 by Nancy Oloro-Robarts and Selam Ahderom p9]
  • Amatul-Bahá Ruhiyyih Khanum; Amatul-Bahá Ruhiyyih Khanum, Journeys of; Violette Nakhjavani; Great African Safari; George Ronald; Kampala, Uganda; Uganda
    1969 Aug
    196-
    The Bahá'í Faith was legally recognized in Lebanon when the Local Spiritual Assembly of Beirut was incorporated. [BW15:173]
  • This was the first time any Arab government has granted the Faith recognition. [BW15:173]
  • Local Spiritual Assembly; Recognition (legal); Beirut, Lebanon; Lebanon first time an Arab government recognized Bahá'í Faith
    1969 Aug
    196-
    The first 12 new Bahá'ís enrolled on Union Island in the Grenadines during a visit of Patricia Paccassi and her daughter Judith. First Bahá'ís by country or area; Union Island; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines first Bahá’ís in the Grenadines
    1969 Aug
    196-
    New Statistics based on information received from the Universal House of Justice:
    Countries Opened to the Faith: Independent countries ..... 139
    Significant territories and islands .................. 173
    Totals ................. 312

    Number of Localities where Bahá'ís Reside:
    United States ............. 2,533
    Worldwide ................ 33,326

    Number of Administrative Bodies:
    National spiritual assemblies ................ 83
    Local spiritual assemblies worldwide .............. 6,828
    Local spiritual assemblies in the United States ............ 440

    Number of languages into which Bahá'í literature has been translated ..... 428

    Bahá'í schools and institutes-worldwide ........ 109

    Sites acquired for future houses of worship ....... 51

    Number of tribes and minority groups representedworldwide .............. 1,136 [Bahá'í National Review Issue 20 August 1969 p16]

    Statistics
    1969 Jul - Aug
    196-
    The European Dawnbreakers' Show, ''A Plea for One World," was conceived at a Swiss winter school by four young Baha'is from four countries. The original idea of a singing group blossomed into thirty-two Baha'is from ten countries presenting the message of Baha'u'lláh through mime, songs, Baha'i scripture, and documented narrations. A total of eighteen performances were given in The Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium. The five-week tour was organized by the Baha'i youth in Europe and supported by the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany [BN No 466 January 1970 p14] Proclamation; Teaching; European Dawnbreakers Show; - Drama; Winter schools; Netherlands; Germany; Belgium; Switzerland
    1969 10 Jul
    196-
    The Universal House of Justice announced an increase in the total number of members of the Continental Boards of Counsellors for the Protection and Propagation of the Faith to thirty-eight. [MUHJ63-86] Counsellors; Statistics; * Bahá'í World Centre
    1969 Jul
    196-
    With regard to the classification of Bahá'í books, in most libraries the listing is according to the Dewey Decimal Classification system employed by the National Library of Congress. While the classification is not yet satisfactory from the Bahá'í standpoint, considerable improvement has been made since the early days of the Faith. The National Spiritual Assembly advised its community that it will continue to follow up with the National Library of Congress for further improvement.

    The proper call number of Bahá'í literature is 297.89. The number 297 is given to Islam, and religions under that parentage are listed in that same general sequence. While the Bahá'í Faith is not a branch of Islam, our roots are in that faith, as the roots of Christianity were within Judaism. Most Bahá'í books published in North America under Bahá'í auspices will have the proper call number along with the copyright information inside the front cover.

    It was recognized that the changing classifications of library listings is a very serious matter and once any change is made it must remain in effect a very long time in order to avoid the tremendous confusion that frequent changes and revisions would create in the library system involving thousands of local public libraries throughout the country. For this reason they asked that the community not make an issue of this, but can be helpful by calling the attention of local librarians to the proper classification of Baha'i books with the above given number. [Bahá'í National Review Issue 19 July 1969 p4-5]

    Dewey Decimal Classification; Libraries; United States (USA)
    1969 15 Jun - 15 Sep
    196-
    Hand of the Cause Ali-Akbar Furutan travelled throughout the width and breadth of North America. This was part of an eight-month world teaching trip during which he visited New York, Dallas, Fort Worth, Memphis, Washington DC, and the National Centre in Wilmette while he was in the United States. In addition he taught at Baha'i Schools at Green Acre, Camp Dorothy Walls in Black Mountain, North Carolina as well as Davison in Michigan and Geyserville in California and he attended three deepening conferences, two in Juneau and Anchorage, Alaska and one in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    While in Canada he visited St. Johns, Newfoundland, Vancouver, British Columbia and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and he taught at summer schools at Laurentian, Sylvan Lake, the Pacific Youth Institutes and he attended the Continental Indian Conference held at Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan. [BN No 466 January 1970 p3-4]

    Hands of the Cause, Activities; `Alí-Akbar Furútan; United States (USA); Canada
    1969 Jun
    196-
    For the Bahá'í position on military service see War, Governance, and Conscience in This Age of Transition by National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States published by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States in the National Bahá'í Review. Military (armed forces); Military; Weapons; War; United States (USA)
    1969 24 – 25 May
    196-
    The first Bahá'í Youth Conference of Japan opened on Jogashima Island. [BW15:329] Conferences, Bahá'í; Conferences, Youth; - Conferences, National; - First conferences; Jogashima Island, Japan; Japan first Bahá’í Youth Conference of Japan
    1969 Ridván
    196-
    The National Spiritual Assembly of Papua New Guinea was formed with its seat in Lae. [BW15:265]
  • For picture see BW15:142.
  • National Spiritual Assembly, formation; Lae, Papua New Guinea; Papua New Guinea first NSA Papua New Guinea
    1969 Ridván
    196-
    The first local spiritual assembly of Upper Volta was formed in Ouagadougou. Local Spiritual Assembly; Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; Upper Volta, Burkina Faso first Local Spiritual Assembly in Upper Volta
    1969 Ridván
    196-
    The National Spiritual Assembly of Burundi and Rwanda was formed. They had previously been under the jurisdiction of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Uganda and Central Africa. [BW15:205]
  • For picture see BW15:142.
  • National Spiritual Assembly, formation; Burundi; Rwanda first NSA Burundi and Rwanda
    1969 4 – 6 Apr
    196-
    The first National Youth Conference of Australia opened at Bolton Place summer School. [BW15:329]
  • For picture see BW15:328.
  • Conferences, Bahá'í; Conferences, Youth; - Conferences, National; - First conferences; Bolton Place, Australia; Australia first National Youth Conference of Australia
    1969 3 – 6 Apr
    196-
    The first European Youth Conference opened in Madrid, Spain. [BW15:329] Conferences, Bahá'í; Conferences, Youth; - Conferences, International; Madrid, Spain; Spain; - Europe first European Youth Conference
    1969 Apr
    196-
    The Bahá'í Faith was banned in Algeria by official decree, all Bahá'í institutions were disbanded and the National Spiritual Assembly dissolved. [BW15:189; BW19:41]
  • Algeria has a long history of repression and persecution of religious minorities. Bahá'í activities have been banned by law in Algeria since this time. The government has made little progress on its 2014 commitment to reopen synagogues that had been converted to mosques or churches. In 2006, Algeria adopted Ordinance 06-03 requiring non-Muslim organizations to register with the National Commission governing worship by non-Muslim groups, housed under the Ministry of Religious Affairs. This commission rarely meets and often fails to respond to registration requests by non-Muslim groups in the time required by the ordinance. [US Commission on International Freligious Freedom - Annual Report 2021 p57]
  • Persecution, Algeria; - Persecution, Other; - Persecution; NSA; - Persecution, Bans; National Spiritual Assembly, formation; Algeria
    1969 1 Jan
    196-
    The Fredericton Bahá'í community became a registered charitable organization. Charitable organizations; Fredericton, NB; New Brunswick, Canada; Canada
    1969 (In the year)
    196-
    The Italian Bahá'í Publishing Trust was formed fulfilling one of the goals of the Nine Year Plan. By that time a great number of Bahá'í Sacred Writings and books had been translated into Italian, old translations were revised and commentaries on the Faith were written by Italian believers. [BN No 468 March 1970 p16] - Publishing Trusts; Italy
    1969 (In the year)
    196-
    Owing to the increased flow of pilgrims, the pilgrim house in Haifa was converted to a pilgrim centre and the decision was taken to accommodate pilgrims in hotels. [DH178] Pilgrim Houses; Pilgrim House, Eastern; Pilgrimage; Pilgrims; Haifa, Israel; * Bahá'í World Centre
    1969 (In the year)
    196-
    Fifteen youth enrolled at Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, the beginning of a process in which over 300 people become Bahá'ís. [BW15:218] Mayaguez, Puerto Rico; Puerto Rico
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