A Brief History of the Bahá'í Faith

Second Epoch of the Formative Age: 1947 - 1963

• 7 Mar 1948  Shoghi Effendi decides to commence work on the Shrine of the Báb superstructure.
• April 1948  The name Bahá'í International Community is used for the first time for the global non-governmental organization involving the eight National Spiritual Assemblies existing at that time.
• 1948  Distinct National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Canada formed.
• 1949  Special Act of Canadian Parliament is the first official recognition of the Bahá'í Faith by any government.
• 9 July 1950  Completion of the Arcade and Parapet of the Shrine of the Báb.
• 16 Dec 1950  Mazra'ih leased from Israeli authorities.
• 1951   The Guardian begins appointing Hands of the Cause of God (distinguished believers who were assigned tasks to teach the Faith and protect its institutions).
• 2 Aug 1951  First Bahá'í pioneers to Uganda: Musa Banani (later a Hand of the Cause) and Ali Nakhjavani (later a member of the Universal House of Justice) with family, and Philip Hainsworth.
• 24 Dec 1951  Shoghi Effendi announces the first 12 Hands of the Cause of God, including Amelia Collins, the first living Bahá'í to be appointed by him.
• Apr 1953  Formal dedication of the house of worship at Wilmette, Illinois, designed by French-Canadian architect Jean-Louis Bourgeois.
• 12-18 Feb 1953  Ten Year World Crusade launched at the first Intercontinental Teaching Conference in Kampala, Uganda. The Crusade would conclude in 1963 with the election of the first Universal House of Justice:  the centenary of Bahá'u'lláh's declaration in the Garden of Ridván. The goal was to extend the Faith to 132 more countries and the existing 120 countries and territories were to be expanded.
• 1-6 May 1953  Dedication of the House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois.

The Baha'i House of Worship (Mashriqu'l-Adhkár) for North America at Wilmette, Illinois.

• 21-26 July 1953  14 Hands of the Cause attended the European Intercontinental Teaching Conference, one of the conferences launching the 10 Year Crusade.
• Oct 1953  The Shrine of the Báb is completed.

Shrine of the Báb, Haifa, Israel

• 7-15 Oct 1953 The Asian Intercontinental Teaching Conference was held in New Delhi, India, the first international Bahá'í gathering in the East.
• 4 Nov 1957  The Guardian dies in England of Asian flu while on a visit to purchase furnishings for the Bahá'í archives building on Mt. Carmel. Although provisions permitted successive Guardians, Shoghi Effendi had not appointed one (no living direct descendants of Bahá'u'lláh were faithful to His Covenant). The Guardian had indicated that at the completion of the Crusade, conditions were ripe for the election of the Universal House of Justice. The Hands of the Cause of God, collaborating with the national spiritual assemblies, worked to complete the goals of the Ten Year World Crusade.
• 9 Nov 1957  The funeral of Shoghi Effendi is held in London.

Resting place of Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá'i Faith.

• 19 Nov 1957  The Hands of the Cause of God declare that no will had been left by the Guardian and no successor was, or could be, named. The Hands of the Cause become the chief custodians of the Bahá'í Faith until the election of the Universal House of Justice.
• 12 June 1958  The central body of the Hands of the Cause of God released a definitive statement explaining that second Guardian could not be named because Shoghi Effendi had not left a will nor designated a successor.
• 1 Feb 1959  Completion of the Bahá'í Home for the Aged in Wilmette, Illinois.
• 15 Jan 1961  Dedication of the House of Worship in Kampala, Uganda.
• 16 Sep 1961  Dedication of the House of Worship in Sydney, Australia by 'Amatu'l-Bahá Ruhíyyih Khánum..

The Baha'i House of Worship at Kampala, Uganda.

Bahá'í House of worship near Sydney, Australia.

A Brief History of the Bahá'í Faith
The Heroic Age: The first epoch: the Báb  The second epoch: Bahá'u'lláh  The third epoch: 'Abdu'l-Bahá
The Formative Age:  The first epoch: 1921 to 1947  The second epoch: 1947 to 1963  The third epoch: 1963 to 1986  The fourth epoch: 1986 to 2001 The fifth epoch: 2001 to present
Further Information:  The Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith