Chronology: Date 1954

Chronology of the Bahá'í Faith

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Date 1954, descending — sort earliest first

date	event	tags	firsts
1954 16 Dec 195-	Shoghi Effendi announced the death of Avarih in Iran, "CONDEMNED POSTERITY MOST SHAMELESS, VICIOUS, RELENTLESS APOSTATE ANNALS FAITH, WHO THROUGH CEASELESS VITRIOLIC ATTACKS RECORDED VOLUMINOUS WRITINGS CLOSE ALLIANCE ITS TRADITIONAL ENEMIES, ASSIDUOUSLY SCHEMED BLACKEN ITS NAME SUBVERT FOUNDATIONS ITS INSTITUTIONS. In the same message he announced the death of Ameen Fareed in North America; "HISTORY WILL RECOGNIZE ONE MOST PERFIDIOUS AMONG KINSMEN INTERPRETERS CENTER COVENANT, WHO, DRIVEN BY UNGOVERNABLE CUPIDITY COMMITTED ACTS CAUSING AGONIES GRIEF DESTRESS BELOVED MASTER CULMINATING OPEN ASSOCIATION BREAKERS BAHA'U'LLAH'S COVENANT HOLY LAND." Likewise he announced the death of Falah in Turkey; "CHIEFLY REMEMBERED PRIDE, OBSTINACY INSATIABLE AMBITION IMPELLING HIM VIOLATE SPIRITUAL ADMINISTRATIVE PRECEPTS FAITH." Ne'matullah Falah had left Iran at the time of Baha'u'llah's exile and had finally settled in Iskenderun, Turkey, where he had become a successful businessman. He had been appointed Honorary Iranian Consul in that city, a post he had taken upon the explicit encouragement of the Master, 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Upon his accession to the Guardianship Shoghi Effendi had considered that it would serve the Cause better if Baha'is refrained from all political activities. He therefore asked Falah to resign his post. This Falah refused to do, especially as he had a letter from the Master urging him to take the post. This resulted in the expulsion of Falah and his family from the Cause. [Bahá'í History]	Covenant-breaking; `Abdu'l-Husayn Ávárih; Ameen Fareed (Amin Farid); Nematullah Falah; Iran; Turkey; United States (USA)
1954 8 Dec 195-	Bahá'ís in Ádharbáyján were dismissed from their employment in the Ministries of Health and Public Highways. [BW18p390]	Persecution, Adharbayjan; - Persecution, Other; - Persecution; Azerbaijan
1954 27 Nov 195-	Shoghi Effendi described the significance of the world administrative centre of the Faith and the 'structures, which will serve as the administrative seats of such divinely appointed institutions as the Guardianship, the Hands of the Cause, and the Universal House of Justice' to be ranged along a 'far-flung arc'. [MBW74]	Guardianship; - Hands of the Cause; Universal House of Justice, Seat of (Haifa); - Bahá'í World Centre buildings, monuments and gardens; - Bahá'í World Centre; * Shoghi Effendi (chronology); - Bahá'í World Centre; Mount Carmel; Haifa, Israel; Arc (World Centre)
1954 27 Nov 195-	Shoghi Effendi announced the commencement of "the excavation for the foundations of the International Archives heralding the rise of the first edifice destine to inaugurate the establishment of the seat of the World Baha'i Administrative order in the Holy Land". [MBW75]	- Bahá'í World Centre; International Archives Building (Haifa)
1954 20 Nov 195-	The first person to become a Bahá'í in Tonga, Harry Terepo, born in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, enrolled. He was a teacher, interpreter and guide living in Ohonua on the island of Eua.	- First Bahá'ís by country or area; Tonga	first Bahá’í in Tonga
1954 1 Nov 195-	The members of the Algerian National Liberation Front initiated an armed conflict on French targets to start the Algerian War, also known as the Algerian Revolution or the War of Independence which lasted until 1962 and lead to the independence of Algeria from France. This decolonization war was marked by guerrilla warfare, war crimes, and civil strife. The conflict ended with the signing of the Évian Accords. The war had a profound human cost, with estimates of Algerian casualties ranging from 400,000 to 1.5 million, alongside 25,600 French soldiers and 6,000 Europeans. The war also saw the perpetration of war crimes, including massacres, rape, torture, the destruction of villages, and the displacement of over 2 million Algerians. Upon independence, approximately 900,000 European-Algerians fled to France. The FLN targeted the Harkis, Algerian Muslims who served with the French army, for retribution, with many facing brutal violence. About 90,000 Harkis found refuge in France, where they and their descendants form a significant community. [Wikipedia]	Colonialism and imperialism; History (general); Algeria; France
1954 Nov 195-	A plot of land of slightly less than half an acre (1,300 metres) owned by Farah Sprague (Farahangiz Khanum), a Covenant-breaker, was purchased (after expropriation by the Finance Minister of the state of Israel on the recommendation of the mayor of Haifa), overcoming the final obstacle to beginning the construction of the International Bahá'í Archives. This concluded a thirty-year struggle in the acquisition of land on the Arc for the Guardian. [LI210-211; DH169; MBW73–4; CBN No 60 January 1955 p1] He said, in a letter dated the 27th of November 1955... "The truculence, greed and obstinacy, of this breaker of the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh, demonstrated by her persistent refusal to sell and by the exorbitant price subsequently demanded, raised, during more than thirty years, an almost insurmountable obstacle to the acquisition of an area, which, however circumscribed, occupies a central position amidst the extensive Baha'i domains in the heart of God's holy Mountain, is situated in the vicinity of the Báb's Sepulchre, overlooks the Tomb of the Greatest Holy Leaf, and adjoins the resting-places of the Brother and the Mother of Abdu'l-Bahá, and which, through deliberate neglect, has. been allowed to become an eyesore to all those who throng the embellished precincts of a Mausoleum rightly regarded as the second holiest Shrine in the Bahá'í world. The ownership of this plot will now enable us to locate the site, excavate the foundations, and erect the structure, of the International Bahá'í Archives, designed by the Hand of the Cause, Mason Remey, President of the International Bahá'í Council, which will serve as the permanent and befitting repository for the priceless and numerous relics associated with the Twin Founders of the Faith, with the Perfect Exemplar of its teachings and with its heroes, saints and martyrs, and the building of which constitutes one of the foremost objectives of the Ten-Year Plan. [CBN No 60 January 1955 p1]	Farah Sprague (Farahangiz Khanum); Covenant-breaking; Purchases and exchanges; Mount Carmel; - Bahá'í World Centre buildings, monuments and gardens; Haifa, Israel; International Archives Building (Haifa)
1954 22 Oct 195-	Mr and Mrs Suleimani arrived in Keelung, Taiwan by ship. They spent the rest of their lives there. Ridvaniyyih Suleimani served on the Auxiliary Board and the National Spiritual Assembly. She passed away in Taiwan on the 18th of March 1981. [BW18p752-754] Suleiman Suleimani served on the National Spiritual Assembly of Taiwan from its formation in 1967 until 1978. He also served as a deputy of the institution of the Huqúqu'lláh for about two decades. [BW20p889-891] The Suleimanis, originally from Iran, had lived for about 28 years in Shanghai where Mrs Ridvaniyyih Suleimani's father, Mr Husayn Ouskouli Uskuli (or Uskui) had long resided and conducted a business. Mr and Mrs Suleimani had left Shanghai permanently in 1950 because of the difficult situations for foreigners in China but Mr Ouskouli decided to stay on and won the admiration of the Guardian. He died in Shanghai at the age of 86. [The Taiwan Bahá'í Chronicle by Barbara R. Sims p3; PH39; Video Early history of the Bahá'í Faith in China 7 min 57 sec]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Riḍvániyyih Ouskouli and Muhammad Suleimani Milani; Husayn Ouskouli Uskuli; Auxiliary board members; Keelung, Taiwan; Taiwan; Shanghai, China; China
1954 8 Oct 195-	Richard Nolen and his family, (Lois A. (Warner), Linda Jean, Cynthia and John), arrived in the Azores, for which he and his wife were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. Two more children,Christopher Lee and Sylvia Louise, were born to the Nolens during their time there. Due to Richards failing health, the family returned to the United States and settled in Tacoma, Washington in August of 1962. After a prolonged illness Richard passed away on the 5th of May 1964. [Bahaipedia]	Richard Nolen; Lois Nolen; Linda Jean Nolen; Cynthia Nolen; John Nolen; Azores; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh
1954 Oct 195-	The first person to become a Bahá'í in Nassau, Bahamas, Winfield Small, a young police officer from Barbados, enrolled. Mr Small opened Barbados to the Faith.	- First Bahá'ís by country or area; Nassau, Bahamas; Bahamas; Barbados	first Bahá’í in Nassau, Bahamas
1954 3 Oct 195-	Shoghi Effendi designated Martha Root as a Hand of the Cause of God posthumously. She had passed away on September 28, 1939 in Hawaii. Shoghi Effendi called her the 'archetype of Bahá'í itinerant teachers', the 'foremost Hand raised by Bahá'u'lláh since 'Abdu'l-Bahá's passing', 'Leading ambassadress of His Faith' and 'Pride of Bahá'í teachers'. [GPB386]	Hands of the Cause, Appointments; Martha Root
1954 1 - 3 Oct 195-	Bahá'ís of Germany and the European Hands of the Cause invited the Bahá'ís of Europe to the Haziratu'l-Quds in Frankfurt am Main to develop plans and to coordinate action in the work of the second phase of the Ten-Year Crusade. [BN No 285 Nov 1954 p5]	Conferences, Teaching; - Conferences; Frankfurt, Germany; Germany	first Bahá'í European Conference to meet in Germany
1954 1 Oct 195-	Shoghi Effendi announced that there were Bahá'ís in 235 countries and territories and over 3000 centres around the world. [MBW69–70]	Statistics; Growth; Ten Year Crusade (1953-1963); - Worldwide
1954 1 Oct 195-	Anthony and Mamie Seto arrived in Hong Kong.	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Anthony Seto; Mamie Seto; Hong Kong; - Asia
1954 1 Oct 195-	The title of the a parcel of land on Mount Carmel was transferred to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Canada, Israel Branch. The title deed was for Parcel No. 304, Block 10811 Mount Carmel, Haifa.	Purchases and exchanges; Mount Carmel; Haifa, Israel; Israel; - Bahá'í World Centre
1954 Oct 195-	A National Haziratu'l-Quds was established in Kabul. [MBW70; 81]	Haziratul-Quds (Bahá'í centres); Kabul, Afghanistan; Afghanistan
1954 26 Sep 195-	The first native Greek to become a Bahá'í, Emmanuel Petrakis, enrolled in Crete.	Emmanuel Petrakis; Crete, Greece	first native Greek Bahá’í
1954 17 - 24 Sep 195-	The first Italo-Swiss Joint Summer School was held September 17-24 in Bex les Bains in Switzerland, and was attended by as many as 75 friends. Dr. Ugo R. Giachery, Hand of the Cause, discussed the Ten-Year Crusade, and Prof. Zeine-Zeine of Beirut lectured on the Kitáb-i-Iqán. For these sessions all the friends were together. Smaller groups, by language, were formed for study of Bahá’í Administration. [Baha'i News Issue 286, December 1954 p4] For a photo see Bahá'í News Issue 291 May 1955 p14.		The first Italo-Swiss Joint Summer School
1954 6 Sep 195-	The first people to become Bahá'ís in Bechuanaland (Lesotho), Chadwick and 'Maselai (Mary) Mohapi, enrolled. [BW17:449–52]	Lesotho, South Africa; - Africa; Bechuanaland	first Bahá’ís in Bechuanaland (Lesotho)
1954 Sep 195-	Four people had become Bahá'ís in Zanzibar by this date.	Statistics; Zanzibar, Tanzania
1954 28 Aug 195-	Mihribán Suhaylí (Mehraban Sohaili) arrived on the Comoro Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:450]	Mihriban Suhayli (Mehraban Sohaili); - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Islands; Comoros Islands
1954 7 Aug 195-	Marcia Steward de Matamoros Atwater arrived in the Marshall Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:454]	Marcia Atwater; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Islands; Marshall Islands
1954 15 Jul 195-	The first person to become a Bahá'í in Macau, Harry P. F. Yim (Yim Pui Foung), a 45-year-old small business proprietor born in Canton, China, enrolled.	Harry P. F. Yim (Yim Pui Foung); Macau	first Bahá’í in Macau
1954 12 Jul 195-	The first South African to become a Bahá'í enrolled in the Faith on this day. [That Promising Continent 20]	- First Bahá'ís by country or area; Pretoria, South Africa; South Africa	first South African to become a Bahá'í
1954 12 Jul 195-	Dudley Moore Blakely, an artist, sculptor and designer, and his wife, Elsa ('Judy'), British citizens living in Maine, arrived on Tongatapu and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh for Tonga Islands. [BW13:456] They shared the honour with Dr. Stanley Bolton. [BWNS286]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Islands; Tonga
1954 Second half of the year 195-	The first Somali to become a Bahá'í in Djibouti, 'Alí 'Abdu'lláh, a 21-year old employee of a commercial firm, enrolled.	- First Bahá'ís by country or area; Djibouti, East Africa; Somalia; - Africa	first Somali Bahá’í
1954 5 Jul 195-	Violet Hoehnke, an Australian, arrived in Papua New Guinea and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for the Admiralty Islands. [BW13:449]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Papua New Guinea; Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea
1954 Jul 195-	Reginald Stone and Allan Delph became Bahá'ís in British Guiana, the first two people to accept the Faith in that country.	- First Bahá'ís by country or area; British Guiana; Latin America	first Bahá'ís in British Guiana
1954 Jul 195-	Dr John George Mitchell, an English physician who became a Bahá'í in 1950, arrived in Malta and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:454]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Islands; Malta
1954 Jul 195-	José Marques arrived in Portuguese Timor and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:455]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Portuguese Timor; East Timor
1954 Jul c. 195-	The first person to become a Bahá'í in Brunei, Daphne Hassan, enrolled.	Daphne Hassan; Brunei	first Bahá’í in Brunei
1954 24 Jun 195-	Shápúr Rawhání and Ardishír Furúdí, Iranian residents of India, arrived in Bhutan by foot and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. They spent about two months in Bhutan. However, circumstances did not permit them to remain longer and they had to return to India. [BW13:449] They were accompanied to the Bhutan border by the prime minister of Bhutan, Jigme Dorji. In about 1961 Dr. Anayat Soroosh Yaganagi, a Bahá'í of Zoroastrian background from Bangalore pioneered to Bhutan. See the brief history of his family and the development of the Faith in the country in "Bahá'í Recollections" written by one of his daughters, Geeti Yaganegi.	Shapur Rawhani; Ardishir Furudi; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Bhutan; India
1954 19 Jun 195-	The first Canary Islander to become a Bahá'í, Sr. José Jacinto Castillo y Gonzalez, enrolled.	- First Bahá'ís by country or area; Canary Islands, Spain	first Canary Islander Bahá’í
1954 18 Jun 195-	The first islander to become a Bahá'í in the Seychelles, Marshall Delcy, a local school teacher, enrolled.	- First Bahá'ís by country or area; - Islands; Seychelles	first islander Bahá'í in Seychelles
1954 9 Jun 195-	The passing of Alain LeRoy Locke (b. September 13, 1885, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.) in New York. He was laid to rest in Congressional Cemetery in Washington DC. Locke graduated from Harvard University and was the first African American to win a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship (1907). Despite his intellect and clear talent, Locke faced significant barriers as an African American. In spite of the fact that he had been selected as the first African-American Rhodes Scholar, Locke was denied admission to several colleges at the University of Oxford because of his race. He finally gained entry into Hertford College, where he studied from 1907 to 1910. Locke also studied philosophy at the University of Berlin during his years abroad. He subsequently received a doctorate in philosophy from Harvard and taught at Howard University. Locke declared his belief in the Bahá'í Faith in 1918. He is thus among a list of some 40 known African Americans to join the religion during the ministry of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. In 1925 he published The New Negro: An Interpretation of Negro Life. It was an anthology showcasing African American artists and is generally considered a seminal moment in the founding of the Harlem Renaissance and he became known as the "Dean of the Harlem Renaissance" which sought to advance African Americans through race relations, the arts, and social thought, leaving behind European and white American styles and celebrating the black experience. See Alain Locke: Four Talks Redefining Democracy, Education, and World Citizenship edited and introduced by Christoper Buck and Betty J Fisher in World Order Vol 38 No3 p21-41. [Uplifting Words; Wikipedia] [Uplifting Words; Wikipedia] See his article "Impressions of Haifa". [BW3p527-528] See also his article "The Orientation of Hope". [BW5p527-528] See Alain Locke: Bahá'í Philosopher by Christopher Buck. See Alain Locke: Faith & Philosophy by Christopher Buck See the review by Derik Smith in World Order Vol 38 No3 p42-48. See Bahá'í Chronicles. See Bahá'í Teachings. See Uplifting Words. The Bahá'í Faith and African American History: Creating Racial and Religious Diversity, Chapter 3: "Alain Locke on Race, Religion, and the Bahá'í Faith" by Christopher Buck. The US Postal Service issued a series of stamps entitles Great Literary Movement: The voices of the Harlem Renaissance Forever on 21 May 2020. Find a grave.	Alain Locke; - In Memoriam; * Philosophy; Race amity; Race unity; Harlem Renaissance; African Americans; Philadelphia, PA; New York, USA	the first African-American Rhodes Scholar,
1954 Jun 195-	Shawqí Riyád Rawhání (Shoghi Riaz Rouhani), an Iranian from Egypt, arrived in Las Palmas and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for the Canary Islands. [BW13:450]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Islands; Las Palmas, Canary Islands; Canary Islands, Spain
1954 Jun 195-	Louise Groger arrived on Chiloé Island and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:450]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Islands; Chiloé Island, Chile
1954 Jun 195-	Harold and Florence Fitzner arrived in Portuguese Timor and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:455]	Harold Fitzner; Florence Fitzner; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Portuguese Timor; East Timor
1954 29 May 195-	Haik (Haig) Kevorkian arrived in the Galápagos Islands and settled on the island of Santa Cruz. He was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. Haig had been present in Guayaquil as an itinerant pioneer-teacher in 1945 when the first local Assembly of that city was formed. He returned in 1954 to fill the virgin goal of the Galapagos. [BW13:452; Heroes of God: History of the Bahá'í Faith in Ecuador, 1940-1979 p24; 61] On March 8, 1955 on the island of Santa Cruz, Señor Moyses Mosquera Zevallos enrolled as the first believer of the Galapagos. He was a school teacher from the mainland of Ecuador working on the island. Later he was dismissed from his job and was forced to leave theGalapagos due to accusations made against him of immoral acts with some of his students in spite of the fact that the teaching space was such that his wife was constantly with him. He had been the victim of an attack by the parish priest[ibid p76] Haig returned to his home in Buenos Aires, Argentina in January 1956. His family came from Turkey but he was born in Syria on October 1, 1916 and came to Argentina as a youth with his family. He married his fiancée Miss Aurora de Eyto on October 19, 1957. His wife reported that he had colds continuously after returning from the islands, and on August 3, 1970 Haig passed away at .the age of 54. [ibid p75]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Islands; Haig Kevorkian; Galápagos Islands, Ecuador; Ecuador
1954 26 May 195-	Shoghi Effendi, Rúhíyyih Khánum and Leroy Ioas returned the visit of President Ben Zvi by visiting him in Jerusalem. [GBF140; PP293–4]	* Shoghi Effendi (chronology); Amatul-Bahá Ruhiyyih Khanum; Leroy Ioas; Ben Zvi; - Presidents; Jerusalem, Israel; Israel
1954 17 May 195-	The arrival of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Elise Lynelle (then Schreiber) in Bata, the capital of Rio Muni, Spanish Guinea, and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for a second time, this time for Spanish Guinea. [BW13:456; BWNS330]	Elise Schreiber (later Lynelle); - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Bata, Equatorial Guinea; Spanish Guinea; Equatorial Guinea
1954 2 May 195-	Mavis Nymon and Vivian Wesson, both Americans, arrived in French Togoland and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:451]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Togo; - Africa
1954 5 May 195-	Sabrí and Fahima (Ra'isa) Elias, an Egyptian couple with four children, arrived in Djibouti and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh for French Somaliland. [BW13:451]	Sabri Elias; Raissa Elias; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; French Somaliland; Djibouti, East Africa
1954 4 May 195-	Elizabeth Stamp, an Irish-American widow from New York City, arrived in St Helena and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:456]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; St. Helena
1954 4 May 195-	Shoghi Effendi closed the Roll of Honour, except for those pioneers who have already left for their posts and those first arriving in the remaining virgin territories inside and outside the Soviet Republics and satellites. [MBW69]	Roll of Honour; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Haifa, Israel; - Bahá'í World Centre
1954 2 May 195-	Cynthia R. Olson of Wilmington, Delaware, settled in Barrigada, the largest village in Guam, and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for the Mariana Islands. [BW13:454; BWNS303]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Barrigada, Guam; Guam; Mariana Islands; Oceania
1954 2 May 195-	The arrival of Knights of Bahá'u'lláh Mavis Nymon and Vivian Wesson in French Togoland (now called Togo). [BWNS329 ]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); French Togoland (Togo); Togo
1954 May 195-	Elinore Putney arrived in the Aleutian Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:449]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Aleutian Islands, AK; Alaska, USA; United States (USA); Russia
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]	Ben Zvi; - Presidents; Prominent visitors; Báb, Shrine of (Haifa); Firsts, other; Haifa, Israel; Mount Carmel	first official visit head of a sovereign state to Shrine of the Báb
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 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; Goose Bay, NL; Labrador, NL; Canada
1954 Ridván 195-	The first local spiritual assembly in Algeria was formed in Algiers. [BWIM114]	Local Spiritual Assembly; Algiers, Algeria; Algeria	first Local Spiritual Assembly Algeria
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]	Local Spiritual Assembly; Bujumbura, Burundi; Burundi	first Local Spiritual Assembly Ruanda-Urundi (Burundi)
1954 Ridván 195-	The first local spiritual assembly was formed in British Cameroons.	Local Spiritual Assembly; British Cameroon	first Local Spiritual Assembly British Cameroons
1954 Ridván 195-	The first all African local spiritual assembly in Tanganyika was formed in Bukoba.	Local Spiritual Assembly; Bukoba, Tanzania; Tanganyika, Tanzania	first all African Local Spiritual Assembly in Tanganyika
1954 Ridván 195-	The first local spiritual assembly in the Malay Peninsula was established in Seremban.	Local Spiritual Assembly; Seremban, Malaysia; British Malaya	first Local Spiritual Assembly Malay Peninsula
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; NSA; Firsts, other; Women; Iran	first woman elected NSA Iran
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]	Auxiliary board members; Assistants; Appointed arm
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 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 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.	Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Haifa; * Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (House of Worship); Obelisks; * Shoghi Effendi (chronology); Haifa, Israel; - Bahá'í World Centre; Pietrasanta, Italy; Tuscany, Italy; Italy
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 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]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Islands; Galápagos Islands, Ecuador; Ecuador
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]	Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Haifa; Funds; Amelia Collins; * Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (House of Worship); - Bahá'í World Centre; Mount Carmel; Haifa, Israel	the first Mashriqu'l-Adhkár of the Holy Land
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 (chronology); * Shoghi Effendi, Basic timeline; - Basic timeline, Expanded; Shoghi Effendi, Works of; - Bahá'í World Centre; Mount Carmel; Haifa, Israel; International Archives Building (Haifa)
1954 6 Apr 195-	Five Continental Bahá'í Funds were inaugurated by Shoghi Effendi. [MBW59, 63]	Funds; Funds, Continental; * Shoghi Effendi (chronology); - Bahá'í World Centre
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-	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.	Auxiliary board members; Appointed arm; - Hands of the Cause; Hands of the Cause, Activities; Ten Year Crusade (1953-1963); * Shoghi Effendi (chronology); * Shoghi Effendi, Basic timeline; Funds, Continental; Shoghi Effendi, Works of; - Bahá'í World Centre
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 Apr 195-	The site for the first Mashriqu'l-Adhkár of the Holy Land was selected. [DH175; MBW63]	Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Haifa; * Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (House of Worship); Haifa, Israel	first Mashriqu’l-Adhkár of the Holy Land
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. [BW13:454]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Islands; Guam; Mariana Islands
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; Tangier, Morocco; 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]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Islands; Magdalen Islands, QC
1954 Apr 195-	Habíb Isfahání arrived in Dakar and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for French West Africa. [BW13:452]	Habib Isfahani; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Dakar, Senegal; French West Africa
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-	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); Northern Territories Protectorate; 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; Edward Tabe; Albert Buapiah; British Togoland (Ghana); Ghana
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.	Meherangiz Munsiff; Samuel Njiki (Samuel Nyki); - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; French Cameroon; Cameroon; Douala, Cameroon	Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for Cameroons
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.	John Fozdar; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Brunei
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]	Pioneering; David Tanyi; Edward Tabe; Benedict Eballa; Martin Manga; Samuel Njiki (Samuel Nyki); Cameroon; British Togoland (Ghana); French Togoland (Togo); Ashanti Protectorate, Ghana; Northern Territories Protectorate
1954 Apr 195-	The arrival of future Knight of Bahá'u'lláh, Mr. Enoch Olinga, in British Cameroon. [BWNS291]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Enoch Olinga; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); British Cameroon; - Africa
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]	National Spiritual Assembly; Local Spiritual Assembly; Women; Equality; Iran
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 25 Mar 195-	Leland Jensen arrived on Réunion Island from the United States and ws named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:455] He was later declared a Covenant-breaker.	Leland Jensen; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Covenant-breaking; Reunion Island; France
1954 25 Mar 195-	The passing of Marion Jack (General Jack) (b. St. John, New Brunswick) at her pioneer post in Sofia, Bulgaria at the age of 87. She had been at her post since 1931. [BWNS385; Never be Afraid to Dare p. 227] Shoghi Effendi called her 'a shining example to pioneers of present and future generations of East and West'. [CF163] For her obituary see BW12:674–7. See also BFA2155; MC359. For a photo of her gravestone see CBNOct1972p.10. See Bahá'í Chronicles for a biography. For a photo by the Bahá'ís of Sofia see BW5p464. See also Marion Jack: Immortal Heroine by Jan Jasion See CBN October1979 for tributes as well as a photo of her gravesite. See The Early Years of the British Bahá'í Community (1898-1911) p128-129.	Marion Jack; Pioneers; - In Memoriam; - Births and deaths; Pioneers; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Sofia, Bulgaria; Bulgaria
1954 21 Mar 195-	Shoghi Effendi announced that there were Bahá'ís in 219 countries. [MBW57]	Statistics
1954 19 Mar 195-	Paul Haney was appointed Hand of the Cause of God following the death of Hand of the Cause of God Dorothy Baker. [GBF111; MBW57]	Paul Haney; Dorothy Baker; - Hands of the Cause; Hands of the Cause, Appointments
1954 Mar 195-	Olivia Kelsey and Florence Ullrich (later Ullrich-Kelley), a young college graduate, and Olivia Kelsey, an accomplished Bahá'í author and poet, arrived in Monaco from the United States and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:454; Collins 4.6 and 7.1359] A celebration to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the Bahá'í Faith in the Principality was held on 24-25 April 2004 at the Theatre des Varietes in Monte Carlo, and opened with the reading of a welcoming message from the National Council of the Principality. [Newspaper Archive on BLO] See Bahá'í Chronicles for the story of the life of Florence Maria Ullrich Kelley (b. November 3, 1932 d. February 17, 2016)	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Monaco
1954 4 Mar 195-	The arrival of Knights of Bahá'u'lláh Elena (Marsella) and Roy Fernie in Kiribati (Gilbert Islands). They had come from the National Spiritual Assembly of Panama. [BWNS301, BW13:452] They had left their home in Panama and their service on the National Spiritual Assembly of Panama to pioneer. They arrived on the island of Abaiang (aka Charlotte Island, of the Gilbert Islands), on March 4, 1954 and for this service they were named Knights of Baha'u'llah. About the first of June 1954, former Catholic seminarian and mission teacher Peter Kanere Koru became the first convert on the island. Their teaching work brought opposition from the Roman Catholic priest who told his congregation not to attend the Bahá'í meetings. He began to criticize them in the Roman Catholic newsletter and actually contributed to the knowledge of the Faith because the newsletter had a wide distribution. The priest persisted in his opposition by informing his bishop who asked the government to send the Fernies away and to send Peter Kanere, a native Bahá'í, back to his native island of Tabiteuea. At the time, to be a registered religious organization required a membership of at least 100 believers so the government-approved sending the Fernies away however, in a single night some 300 people registered. A certificate of registration was issued on the 24th of September, 1955, but not before they managed to exile Roy Fernie. Elena continued the teaching work on her own and was responsible for firmly establishing the Faith on Abaiang. Meanwhile, Peter Kanere, back on his home island, managed to teach a Protestant minister who was under discipline of his church at the time. Together they spread the Faith on Tabiteuea. [Island Churches: Challenge and Change by Makisi Finau page 101] For more details on the life of Roy Fernie see Bahaipedia. See also The Origins of the Bahá'í Faith in the Pacific Islands: The Case of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands by Graham Hassall. And Bahá'í Faith in the Asia Pacific: Issues and Prospects also by Graham Hassall. Elena Maria Marsella published The Quest for Eden in 1966.	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - First Bahá'ís by country or area; - Islands; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Tabiteuea, Kiribati; Kiribati; Gilbert and Ellice Islands	first Bahá'í on Kiribati (Gilbert Islands)
1954 Mar 195-	Qudratu'lláh Rawhání and Khudárahm Muzhgání arrived in Mahé and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:454]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Mahé, India
1954 1 Mar 195-	Shirin Fozdar visited Cambodia to receive the first medallion and Certificate of Satrei Vatthana (Champion of Women) from His Majesty King Norodom Sihanouk. She was the first Bahá'í to enter the country. She was not able to teach the Faith openly but she did speak about it to the king's parents.	Shirin Fozdar; King Norodom Sihanouk; Cambodia	first medallion and Certificate of Satrei Vatthana (Champion of Women) recipient; first Bahá’í in Cambodia
1954 1 Mar 195-	Alvin J. Blum and his wife, Gertrude (née Gewertz), arrived in Honiara and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh for the Solomon Islands. They were accompanied by their eight-year-old daughter Keithie. [BW13:456; BWNS291]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Islands; Solomon Islands
1954 Mar 195-	Greta Jankko arrived in the Marquesas Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:454]	Greta Jankko; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Islands; Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia
1954 spring 195-	The Síyáh-Chál and some surrounding property was acquired by the Bahá'ís. [BW12:64–5; SE153; SS45] The purchase cost was $400,000 which was contributed by a Persian believer Habib Sabet. [BW12:65; CBN No 53 June 1954 Insert p2] iiiii	Síyáh-Chál (Black Pit, Tehran); Purchases and exchanges; Tehran, Iran; Iran
1954 21 Feb 195-	Charles ('Chuck') and Mary Dayton from the United States, settled in Charlotte Amalie, on St Thomas, and wre named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh for the Leeward Islands. [BW13:453]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Islands; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; St. Thomas Island; Leeward Islands
1954 Feb 195-	Shirin Fozdar arrived in Saigon, the first pioneer to Vietnam. In June 1954, her daughter-in-law, Parvati Fozdar (wife of Jamshed Fozdar's) and their young son, Vilay, came to Saigon from the United States to help Ms. Shirin Fozdar. Jamshed Fozdar arrived on July 18, 1954. A month later. In August Ms. Shirin Fozdar returned to New Zealand. Mr. Jamshed Fozdar found employment and the family lived for a long time in a small apartment at 88 Le Loi Street (the old Bonard). Pham Huu Chu was the first person to accept the Bahá'í Faith in Vietnam. [Bahá'í Religion in Community Education in Vietnam by Vu Van Chung]	Shirin Fozdar; Pioneer; Saigon, Vietnam; Vietnam	first pioneer to Vietnam. first person to become a beliver in Viet Nam
1954 15 Feb 195-	Charles Duncan (a musician and composer) and Harry Clark, both Americans, arrived in Brunei from Kota Kinabalu (Jesselton) in Sabah, where they had been waiting for several weeks, and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:451; PH63] Later he pioneered to Thailand where he learned the language. See Servants of the Glory page 19	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Charles Duncan; Harry Clark; Brunei; Thailand
1954 Feb 195-	Husayn Halabi arrived in Hadhramaut and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:452]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Hadhramaut, Arabian Peninsula; Yemen
1954 Feb 195-	Elise Schreiber (later Lynelle) arrived on St Thomas Island and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:456]	Elise Schreiber (later Lynelle); - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Islands; Sao Tome and Principe
1954 10 Feb 195-	John Leonard arrived in the Falkland Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:451]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Falkland Islands
1954 Feb 195-	Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir and Irán Muhájir arrived the Mentawai Islands and received the accolade "Knight of Bahá'u'lláh".[BS13p454]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Hands of the Cause; Mentawai Islands; Indonesia
1954 Feb 195-	Faríburz Rúzbihyán (Feriborz Roozbehyan) arrived in The Gambia and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:452]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Gambia, The
1954 Feb 195-	David Schreiber, an American, arrived in Antigua and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for the Leeward Islands. [BW13:453]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Antigua; Leeward Islands
1954 Feb 195-	John and Audrey Robarts their son Patrick and young daughter Tina arrived in Mafikeng and the three adults were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh for Bechuanaland (Botswana). [BW13:449] Before the end of the year Dr Molema became the first declarant in the country. He gave the Robarts letters of introduction to six chiefs in the regions which opened many doors for teaching. [KoBp111]	John Robarts; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Mafikeng, Botswana; Botswana; Dr Molema
1954 Feb 195-	Gail Avery arrived in the Baranof Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:449]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Baranof Island, AK
1954 Feb 195-	Bernard H. Guhrke arrived on the Kodiak Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:453]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Islands; Kodiak Islands, AK
1954 Feb 195-	Joan Powis arrived in Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:456]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Southern Rhodesia; Zimbabwe
1954 Feb 195-	'Azízu'lláh and Shamsí Navídí with their daughters Vida and Giuilda arrived in Monaco and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:455] A celebration to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the Bahá'í Faith in the Principality was held on 24-25 April 2004 at the Theatre des Varietes in Monte Carlo, and opened with the reading of a welcoming message from the National Council of the Principality. [Newspaper Archive on BLO]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Monaco
1954 Feb 195-	Rahmatu'lláh and Írán Muhájir arrived in Mentawai Islands and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:454] For the story of their pioneering activity see Muhájir, Dr Muhajir, Hand of the Cause of God, Knight of Bahá'u'lláh.	Rahmatullah Muhajir; Iran Muhajir; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Islands; Mentawai Islands; Indonesia
1954 Feb 195-	Grace Bahovec arrived in the Baranof Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:449]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Islands; Baranof Island, AK
1954 25 Jan 195-	Stanley P. Bolton, Jr. arrived in Nuku'alofa, on Tongatapu Island, from Australia and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for Tonga Islands. [BW13:456, BWNS286]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Islands; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Tonga
1954 18 Jan 195-	Mrs Dulcie Burns Dive arrived in the Cook Islands from Australia and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:450, 925]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Islands; Cook Islands
1954 15 Jan 195-	'Abdu'l-Rahmán Zarqání, from India, arrived in the Seychelles and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:455]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Seychelles; - Africa; India
1954 14 Jan 195-	Lilian E. Wyss arrived in Apia from Australia and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for the Samoa Islands. [BW13:455]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Islands; Apia, Samoa; Samoa
1954 Jan 195-	John and Audrey Robarts with their two younger children, Patrick and Tina, left Toronto for their pioneer post in Mafeking (later Mafikeng), Buchuanaland (later Botswana and formerly Bophuthatswana). Older children Aldham and Gerald pioneered to Nigeria and a homefront post respectively. [LOF485-6; CBN No48 January 1954 p11] Later the same year he was appointed to the newly established Auxiliary Board by Hand of the Cause of God Músá Banání. They returned to Canada some 13 years later. [LOF486, 491]	John Robarts; Auxiliary board members; Canada; Botswana; Nigeria; - Africa
1954 10 Jan 195-	Dorothy Baker, (b. Montclair, Essex County, New Jersey, USA 21 December, 1898) Hand of the Cause of God, was killed in a plane crash in the Mediterranean Sea, near the island of Elba. BOAC Flight 781 departed Rome, Italy on a flight to London, England. While climbing through 27,000 feet, the plane experienced a sudden in-flight break-up and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea near the Island of Elba. All 35 passengers and crew on board were killed. Following this accident, the Comet fleet was taken from service and subjected to numerous modifications in areas believed to have been the origin of the yet-unknown failure. The fleet was returned to service in late March 1954. [BW12:670; FAA Website] In 1921 she married Frank Baker who had two motherless children. They had a girl and a boy of their own. [FMH73] She was the granddaughter of Ellen "Mother" Beecher who took her to see 'Abdu'l-Bahá in New York in 1912. An early teacher (unnamed), after seeing the young girl, had a vision and asked Jináb-i-Fazil for an explanation. He replied that "someday she will become on of the great teachers of the Cause" and Mother Beecher began to pray that this would be fulfilled. [FMH73] See FMH76-77 for the story of how Doris McKay was able to help Dorothy deal with her depression in 1929. For the Guardian's cable see BW12:670, CF161. Shoghi Effendi had appointed her among the first contingent on the 24th of December, 1951. [MoCxxiii] For her obituary see BW12:670–4. See also Freeman, From Copper To Gold. See TG229 for a short story about her and a comment from her on the Long Obligatory Prayer. See Remembering Dorthy Baker at Bahá'í Blog. See Bahá'í Chronicles. See article in the Canadian Bahá'í News No 46 February 1954 p1. Find a grave.	Dorothy Baker; - Hands of the Cause; Hands of the Cause, Births and deaths; - Births and deaths; - In Memoriam; Hands of the Cause, First Contingent; Mediterranean Sea; Elba, Italy; Italy
1954 Jan 195-	Andrew and Mina Matthisen arrived in the Bahamas and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:449]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Islands; Bahamas; Caribbean
1954 Jan 195-	Kenneth and Roberta Christian arrived in Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:456]	Kenneth Christian; Roberta Christian; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Southern Rhodesia; Zimbabwe
1954 Jan 195-	Virginia Breaks arrived on the island of Truk and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for the Caroline Islands. [BW13:450; MBW57]	Virginia Breaks; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Islands; Truk, Caroline Islands; Caroline Islands
1954 Jan 195-	Elizabeth Bevan (later Mrs Golmohammed) arrived in Rhodes and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:455]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Islands; Rhodes, Greece
1954 Jan 195-	Munír Vakíl, a former general in the Iraqi army, settled on one of the Kuria-Muria Islands in the Arabian Sea and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:453] For the story of the hardships of his pioneering post see ZK99–101.	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Islands; Khuriya Muriya Islands, Oman; Oman
1954 Jan 195-	The arrival of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Abdu'l Rahman Zarqani, in the Seychelles. [BWNS272]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Islands; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Seychelles; - Africa
1954 3 Jan 195-	The passing of Helen "Nellie" Stevison French (b.19 Oct 1868 Peoria, Illinois) in Monaco. She was buried in the Rosehill Cemetery and Mausoleum in Chicago. In September 1953 Nellie French, 85, became the first Bahá'í to arrive in Monaco, but she passed away a few months later. For her act of service in bringing the Faith to the country, she received the accolade Knight of Baha'u'llah from Shoghi Effendi. A celebration to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the Bahá'í Faith in the Principality was held on 24-25 April 2004 at the Theatre des Varietes in Monte Carlo, and opened with the reading of a welcoming message from the National Council of the Principality. [Newspaper Archive on BLO] Evincing a marked talent for singing, Nellie left in 1888 for Naples, Italy, to develop that interest. The four-year residence abroad gave her the opportunity to learn the French and Italian languages, to acquire an appreciation of the Latin fine arts, and to master a strenuous course in training for the operatic stage. She suffered a case of typhoid fever in 1892 and returned to the United States to recuperate; but her recovery was followed by scarlet fever which impaired her vocal chords irreparably. Her aspirations for a musical career were ended. In 1894 she married Stuart Whitney French, a childhood companion. About 1896, accompanied by her mother, she attended a few meetings at the home of Dr. Khayru'lláh. The spiritual seeds were sown. Moving to Arizona in 1900, Nellie French lived in Bisbee until 1904 and in Douglas until 1917. Her visits to Chicago and New York furnished a few Bahá'í contacts with meager information; the Bahá'í messages. Mrs. Isabella Brittingham went to Arizona in 1917 to teach the spiritual significance of the Bahá'í Faith offered Nellie a rare privilege. That experience confirmed Nellie who became the first resident Bahá'í teacher in Arizona. Mr. and Mrs. French moved to Pasadena in 1918. During Riḍván, in April, 1921, Mr. and Mrs. French visited Haifa and 'Akká; that pilgrimage became the fulfillment of all her hopes. She contributed to the literature of the Faith by her work from 1930 to 1946 as Chairman of the Bahá'í World Editorial Committee, during which time she assembled material for volumes IV—X. She translated into French and Italian the "Blue Book" and the brochure "Number 9," and for several years she wrote "Loom of Reality," a column published in the Pasadena Star-News. In 1931 she made permanent Braille plates for Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era and for the Kitdb-i-iqan. She served on the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada 1929 - 1938. As an administrator, she served as Chairman of the Pasadena Spiritual Assembly from 1928 to 1938. For four years, ending in 1944 she was Chairman of the InterAmerica Committee, and in this capacity she presided at a session of the Centenary Celebration in 1944. Later she was a member of the European Teaching Committee. She helped support the work of the International Bureau at Geneva and the All-Indian project at Macy, Nebraska, undertaken by her sister-in-law, Mary Farley Stevison. In April, 1952, thirty-one years to the day, Nellie French returned Mt. Carmel to meet the beloved Guardian in person. During the Holy Year which was also the first year of the World Spiritual Crusade, Nellie French settled in the principality of Monaco to win the accolade, "Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW12p700] Find a grave.	Nellie French; - In Memoriam; Peoria, IL; United States (USA); Monaco; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh
1954 3 Jan 195-	Howard and Joanne Menking arrived in the Cape Verde Islands and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:450]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Islands; Cape Verde
1954 Jan 195-	Charles M. Ioas arrived in the Balearic Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:449]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Islands; Balearic Islands, Spain
1954 Jan 195-	Jean Sevin arrived in Tuamotu Archipelago and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:457]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Islands; Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia
1954 Jan 195-	The arrival of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Dulcie Dive in the Cook Islands. [BWNS265]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Islands; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Cook Islands
1954 or 1955 195-	"The sacred dust of the Báb's infant son, extolled in the Qayyum-i-Asma, was respectfully and ceremoniously transferred on the anniversary of his Father's martyrdom, in the presence of pilgrims and resident believers to the Bahá'í cemetery in Shiraz, the prelude to the translation to the same spot of the remains of the Báb's beloved and long-suffering consort." [CBN No 65 June, 1955 p1] The timing of the event is unclear. From the article, "the second year, second decade of the second century", it can be assumed that it took place on July 9th, 1955, however, the publication date was June, 1955.	Ahmad (son of the Báb); Shíráz, Iran; Iran
1954 (In the year) 195-	The arrival of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Ted Cardell in South West Africa (now called Namibia). [BWNS280]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Namibia
1954 (In the year) 195-	The arrival of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Violet Noehnke on the Admiralty Islands, now Manus Province in Papua New Guinea. [BWNS307, BWNS312]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea
1954 (In the year) 195-	The arrival in Zimbabwe (formerly Southern Rhodesia) of Knights of Bahá'u'lláh Izzat'u'llah Zahrai, Douglas Kadenhe, Nura Faridian (now Steiner), Enayat and Iran Sohaili, Shidan Fat'he-Aazam (later member of the Continental Board of Counsellors for Africa) and his wife Florence. [BWNS275]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Zimbabwe; - Africa
1954 (In the year) 195-	Mehraban Isfandiar Sohaili arrived on Mayotte and stayed for two months, the first Bahá'í to visit the island.	Mihriban Suhayli (Mehraban Sohaili); Mayotte	first Bahá’í to visit Mayotte
1954 (In the year) 195-	Khodadad Irani settled in Zanzibar, the first Bahá'í to do so.	Khodadad Irani; Zanzibar, Tanzania	first Bahá’í pioneer in Zanzibar
1954 (In the year) 195-	José Mingorance Fernandez and his wife, Carmen Tost, a Spanish couple, accepted the Bahá'í Faith; they were the first to enrol in Andorra.	- First Bahá'ís by country or area; Andorra	first Bahá’ís in Andorra
1954 (In the year) 195-	Mr and Mrs Sandikonda, Eliam Chisengalumbwe, Mr Musonda, Peter Chitindi and Elias Kanayenda became Bahá'ís, the first African Bahá'ís to enrol in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia). BANANI BULLETIN, 1 AUG 1954]	- First Bahá'ís by country or area; Zambia	first African Bahá’ís in Northern Rhodesia (Zambia)
1954 (In the year) 195-	'Aynu'd-Dín and Táhirih 'Alá'í arrived in Southern Rhodesia and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:456]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Zimbabwe
1954 (In the year) 195-	The first person to become a Bahá'í in the Balearic Islands, C. Miguel, enrolled.	- First Bahá'ís by country or area; - Islands; Balearic Islands, Spain	first Bahá’í in Balearic Islands
1954 (In the year) 195-	The first Tlinget from Alaska to become a Bahá'í, Eugene King, enrolled.	- First Bahá'ís by country or area; Alaska, USA; United States (USA)	first Tlinget Bahá'í
1954 (In the year) 195-	The purchase of the House of Bahá'u'lláh in Istanbul was concluded. [SS38]	House of Bahá'u'lláh (Istanbul); Purchases and exchanges; Istanbul, Turkey; Turkey


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