Bahá’í Chronology
The timeline below follows the history of the Bahá'í Faith from its birth in Persia (modern-day Iran) in the mid-19th century to its emergence as a world religion with over five million members from just about every nation and ethnic group on earth.
The beginnings of the Bahá'í Faith in Iran created an immense upheaval throughout the country. Many in the centers of power felt threatened and considered the new Faith a heresy to be eliminated by any means necessary. This oppression continues to this day.
May 23, 1844 - Siyyid Ali-Muhammad, a 25-year-old merchant from Shiraz, Persia, announces that He has been sent by God to prepare mankind for a new age and the imminent appearance of another Messenger even greater than Himself. He adopted the title of Báb, the Gate in Arabic.
1844-1850 - The Báb's religious teachings spread rapidly and were considered heretical by the clergy and government of the time. The Báb was imprisoned and over 20,000 of his followers, known as bábis, perished in a series of violent massacres across the country.
July 9, 1850 - The Báb is publicly executed in Tabriz, Persia. Some 10,000 citizens are present to observe the execution.
Bahá'ís recognize the Báb as an independent Messenger of God and the precursor of Bahá'u'lláh (whose name means "Glory of God" in Arabic), the Founder of the Bahá'í religion. Born in Tehran on November 12, 1817, Bahá'u'lláh belonged to a noble family dating back to the Sassanid dynasty of imperial Persia. In his mid-twenties, he rejected a life of prosperity and privilege to pursue humanitarian goals. Bahá'u'lláh soon accepted the Bábic religion and became one of the Báb's principal disciples.
1852 - Bahá'u'lláh is arrested, beaten and thrown into a pestilential dungeon known as the Black Pit. During his stay in the darkness of the dungeon, Bahá'u'lláh receives the Revelation that He is the Messenger foretold by the Báb. After four months, Bahá'u'lláh was released and exiled to Baghdad.
1863 – Bahá’u’lláh is banished a second time, to Constantinople (Istanbul). On the eve of His departure from Baghdad, Bahá’u’lláh announces that He is the long-awaited Messenger of God promised by the Bab. Thereafter, the religion is known as the Bahá’í Faith. Bahá’ís recognize Bahá’u’lláh as the most recent in a line of Messengers of God that includes Abraham, Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Zoroaster, Christ, Muhammad and the Bab.
1863-1892 – Bahá’u’lláh reveals numerous volumes of Sacred Scripture, outlining His Teachings, answering difficult theological questions, and establishing the laws and institutions of His faith. Bahá’u’lláh is a unique world religious figure in that He establishes in writing the future pattern of the organization of His faith. He also writes letters to the kings and rulers of His day, informing them of the advent of His Revelation.
1868 – Bahá’u’lláh arrives in the Holy Land with about 70 family members and followers, sentenced by the Ottoman authorities to perpetual confinement in the penal colony of Acre. The order of strict confinement was never lifted, but due to the growing recognition of the eminence of His character, He eventually moves outside the walls of the Old City of Acre to a nearby estate called Bahji.
29 May 1892 – Bahá’u’lláh passes away and is interred at Bahji. For Bahá’ís, His Shrine is the holiest place on earth and a place of pilgrimage. At His instruction, the spiritual and administrative center of His Faith is permanently fixed in the Haifa/Acre area.
For the first time in history, a world religion founder leaves a written Will. Bahá’u’lláh appoints His eldest son, ‘Abdu'l-Bahá (1844-1921), as the head of the Faith and authorized interpreter of His Teachings. The name, ‘Abdu'l-Bahá, means “Servant of Baha.”
1893 – The first public mention of the Bahá’í Faith in North America is made at the World Parliament of Religions held in Chicago.
9 July 1907 – The Chicago Bahá’í Assembly incorporates, becoming the first local Baha’i community in the world to acquire legal status. The American Bahá’í community, then numbering about 1,000 members, begins building the first Baha’i House of Worship in the West on the shores of Lake Michigan.
1911-1913 – Following the Young Turk Revolution, ‘Abdu'l-Bahá’s imprisonment under the Ottoman Turks is ended. He then journeys throughout Europe and North America to encourage nascent Bahá’í communities and to proclaim Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings to the general public.
1921 – ‘Abdu'l-Bahá passes away, leaving a will designating His eldest grandson, Shoghi Effendi (1896-1957), as His successor and conferring upon him the title of Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith.
1927 – The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada is incorporated. Its charter document, the Declaration of Trust and Bylaws, subsequently serves as the model for the formation of more than 180 National Spiritual Assemblies throughout the world.
1953 – The Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, IL is dedicated for public worship.
1957 – Shoghi Effendi passes away. During his ministry, the Faith spread around the world and its local and national administrative institutions were established. The Guardian translated Bahá’í scriptures from Arabic and Persian into English, wrote several major works, carried on a voluminous correspondence, and gave great impetus to the development of the Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa. With the passing of Shoghi Effendi in 1957, the line of hereditary leaders of the Bahá’í Faith came to an end.
1963 – Following Bahá’u’lláh’s instructions, Bahá’ís elect for the first time the Universal House of Justice, the world governing body of the Baha’i Faith. Elections for the Universal House of Justice are held every five years. Endowed by Bahá’u’lláh with the authority to legislate on all matters not specifically laid down in the Bahá’í scriptures, the Universal House of Justice keeps the Bahá’í community unified and responsive to the needs and conditions of an evolving world.
Today – The Bahá’í community now has more than five million members from over 2000 ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Bahá’í communities are established in more than 230 countries and dependent territories, with elected national administrative institutions in 182 countries.