The Third Epoch
Significant Milestones, Anniversaries, and Events
Milestones
| Riḍván 1963 | First Election of the Universal House of Justice |
| April 28–May 2 1963 | First Bahá’í World Congress commemorating Bahá’u’lláh’s declaration of His mission and the victorious consummation of the Ten Year World Crusade |
| Riḍván 1964 | Inauguration of the Third Epoch with the launching of the Nine Year Plan |
| Riḍván 1973 | End of the Nine Year Plan |
| Naw-Rúz 1974 | Beginning of the Five Year Plan |
| Riḍván 1979 | End of the Five Year Plan Beginning of the Seven Year Plan |
| January 1986 | Inauguration of the Fourth Epoch |
| Riḍván 1986 | End of the Seven Year Plan Beginning of the Six Year Plan |
Significant Anniversaries
| 26 March 1966 | Fiftieth anniversary of the revelation of the first Tablets of the Divine Plan |
| April 1963 | Centenary of Bahá’u’lláh’s public declaration of His Mission |
| September/October 1967 | Celebration of the centenary of Bahá’u’lláh’s proclamation to the Kings |
| 27 September 1967 | Celebration of the centenary of the revelation of the Súriy-i-Mulúk |
| 12 November 1967 | Sesquicentennial of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh |
| 31 August 1968 | Centenary of the arrival of Bahá’u’lláh in the Holy Land |
| 23 June 1968 | Centenary of the passing of Mírzá Mihdí, the Purest Branch |
| [Page xliv]28 November 1971 | Fiftieth anniversary of the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá |
| 1973 | Centenary of the revelation of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas |
| June 1977 | Centenary of the termination of Bahá’u’lláh’s confinement in ‘Akká |
| July 1982 | Fiftieth anniversary of the passing of the Greatest Holy Leaf |
| 4 November 1982 | Twenty-fifth anniversary of the passing of Shoghi Effendi |
Significant Events
| Riḍván 1963 | Convening of 1st International Bahá’í Convention, Haifa, and election of the Universal House of Justice |
| Riḍván 1964 | Launching of the Nine Year Plan |
| July 1964 | Dedication of the Mother Temple of Europe, Langenhain, near Frankfurt am Main, Germany |
| November 1964 | Purification of the Most Holy Tomb |
| October 1967 | Opening of a period of proclamation inaugurated by the presentation by the Universal House of Justice to 140 heads of state of a special edition of The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh |
| Commemoration of the centenary of Bahá’u’lláh’s proclamation to the kings with the holding of six intercontinental conferences in Panama City, Panama; Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.A.; Sydney, Australia; Kampala, Uganda; Frankfurt am Main, Germany; and New Delhi, India | |
| Assumption by the Universal House of Justice of representation of the Bahá’í International Community at the United Nations | |
| October 1967 | Laying of the foundation stone of the Mother Temple of Latin America, Panama City, Panama |
| February 1968 | Embracing of the Faith by His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II of Western Samoa |
| Riḍván 1968 | Convening of the 2nd International Bahá’í Convention, Haifa, and election of the Universal House of Justice |
| June 1968 | Establishment of the Continental Boards of Counselors |
| August 1968 | Commemoration of the centenary of Bahá’u’lláh’s arrival in the Holy Land with the holding of First Oceanic Conference, Palermo, Sicily |
| [Page xlv]February 1970 | Bahá’í International Community’s attainment of consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council |
| August 1970‒ September 1971 |
Holding of eight oceanic and continental conferences in La Paz, Bolivia; Rose Hill, Mauritius; Monrovia, Liberia; Djakarta, Indonesia; Suva, Fiji; Kingston, Jamaica; Sapporo, Japan; Reykjavik, Iceland |
| April 28‒May 2 1972 | Dedication of the Mother Temple of Latin America, Panama City, Panama |
| June 1972 | Announcement of the decision to build the Seat of the Universal House of Justice |
| September 1972 | Murder of three Iranian Bahá’í students in the Philippine Islands |
| November 1972 | Adoption of the Constitution of the Universal House of Justice |
| March 1973 | Purchase of the Mazra‘ih Mansion |
| Riḍván 1973 | Convening of the 3rd International Bahá’í Convention, Haifa, and election of the Universal House of Justice
Publication of A Synopsis and Codification of the Laws and Ordinances of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas |
| May 1973 | Announcement of the embracing of the Bahá’í Faith by His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II of Western Samoa |
| June 1973 | Establishment of the International Teaching Center |
| February 1974 | Acceptance of the design for the seat of the Universal House of Justice |
| Riḍván 1974 | Launching of the Five Year Plan |
| January 1975 | Acquisition of the House of ‘Abdu’lláh Páshá in ‘Akká |
| April 1975 | Excavation of the site of the seat of the Universal House of Justice |
| July 1976‒January 1977 | Holding of eight international teaching conferences in Helsinki, Finland; Anchorage, Alaska; Paris, France; Nairobi, Kenya; Hong Kong; Auckland, New Zealand; Bahia, Brazil; and Merida, Mexico. |
| September 1976 | Visit of His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II to the resting-place of Shoghi Effendi in London, England |
| May 1977 | Murder of Rúḥu’lláh Taymúr’í-Muqaddam, an Iranian homefront pioneer, in his home by fanatics |
| [Page xlvi]October 1977 | Laying of foundation stone for Mother Temple of Indian subcontinent, New Delhi, India |
| December 1977 | Initiation of broadcasting by the first Bahá’í radio station, Otavalo, Ecuador |
| Riḍván 1978 | Convening of the 4th International Bahá’í Convention, Haifa, and election of the Universal House of Justice |
| August 1978 | Inauguration of Radio Bahá’í Ecuador |
| December 1978‒ January 1979 |
Intensification of the persecution of the Bahá’ís in Iran |
| January 1979 | Laying of the foundation stone of the Mother Temple of the Pacific Islands |
| Naw-Rúz 1979 | Launching of the Seven Year Plan |
| June 1979 | Fixing of Counselors’ term of service at five years |
| June‒July 1979 | Numerous appeals made by Local Spiritual Assemblies around the world to Ayatollah Khomeini, asking him to stop the persecution of the Bahá’ís of Iran |
| June‒August 1979 | Addresses by H. Borrah Kavelin, representative of the Universal House of Justice, at a series of significant meetings in North America and Europe about the importance of redeeming the Iranian Bahá’ís sacrifices through service to the Faith |
| September 1979 | Demolition of the House of the Báb in Shiraz |
| November 1979 | Arrest of a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Iran |
| December 1979 | Commencement of excavation of the site of the Mother Temple of the Pacific Islands, Apia, Western Samoa |
| July 1980 | Commencement of construction of Mother Temple of the Indian Subcontinent, New Delhi, India |
| August 1980 | Arrest of all nine members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran and two Auxiliary Board members |
| November 1980 | Appointment of a new contingent of Continental Counselors to a five-year term of service |
| January 1981 | Execution of chairman of National Spiritual Assembly of Iran |
| May 1981 | Establishment of a European Branch Office of the Bahá’í International Community |
| August 1981 | Increase in the severity of the persecution of the Bahá’ís of Iran |
| [Page xlvii]November 1981 | Arrest of six members of National Spiritual Assembly of Iran Inauguration of Radio Bahá’í Peru |
| December 1981 | Demolition of the House of Bahá’u’lláh in Tákur Arrest and execution of eight members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran |
| May-September 1982 | Holding of five international conferences in Lagos, Nigeria; Montreal, Canada; Quito, Ecuador; Dublin, Ireland; and Canberra, Australia |
| July 1982 | By-election to replace one member of the Universal House of Justice |
| December 1982 | Establishment of first Bahá’í radio station in North America |
| January 1983 | Occupation by the Universal House of Justice of its permanent seat |
| April 1983 | Opening of the House of ‘Abdu’lláh Páshá to pilgrims |
| Riḍván 1983 | Convening of the 5th International Bahá’í Convention, Haifa, and election of the Universal House of Justice |
| May 1983 | Increase in the responsibilities of the International Teaching Center |
| Public defense of the Bahá’ís of Iran by the President of the United States | |
| June 1983 | Execution of seventeen Bahá’ís in Shiraz, including ten women |
| Call for the youth of the world to vindicate the martyred youth of Shiraz | |
| August 1983 | Banning of Bahá’í administration in Iran |
| September 1983 | Sending of an open letter from the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran to the authorities responding to the false charges made against the Bahá’í community |
| October 1983 | Call for Bahá’í involvement in social and economic development activities |
| April 1984 | Attempt to achieve false confessions from the Bahá’ís of Iran by use of torture |
| Inauguration of Radio Bahá’í Bolivia | |
| August 1984 | Dedication of the Mother Temple of the Pacific Islands, Apia, Western Samoa |
| [Page xlviii]July 1985 | Release of compilation on the Law of Ḥuqúqu’lláh |
| Establishment of Public Information Office at the Bahá’í World Center | |
| October 1985 | Release by the Universal House of Justice of a statement on peace addressed to the peoples of the world |
| Appointment of a new and expanded contingent of members of the Continental Boards of Counselors | |
| November 1985 | Presentation of the peace statement to the Secretary General of the United Nations |
| December 1985 | Emergence of the Bahá’í Faith from obscurity signaled by adoption of a resolution by the United Nations General Assembly supporting the Iranian Bahá’í community |
| December 1985‒January 1986 | Conference of the Continental Boards of Counselors in the Holy Land with Hands of the Cause of God, members of the Universal House of Justice, and the International Teaching Center |
| January 1986 | Announcement of the beginning of the Fourth Epoch of the Formative Age by the Universal House of Justice in a letter to the Bahá’ís of the world |
| Inauguration of Radio Bahá’í Panama | |
| February 1986 | Setting of date for dedication of Mother Temple of the Indian Subcontinent, New Delhi, India |
| Invitation from the Universal House of Justice to National Spiritual Assemblies and Continental Counselors to consult about national goals within the framework of the major objectives of the Six Year Plan set by the Universal House of Justice | |
| Riḍván 1986 | Review by the Universal House of Justice of achievements of the Seven Year Plan, comments on the Faith’s emergence from obscurity and the maturation of the institutions of the Cause and announcement of World Center goals of publishing an English translation of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, education of the Bahá’ís about the law of Ḥuqúqu’lláh, planning for the completion of the remaining buildings on the Arc, and broadening the basis of the international relations of the Faith |
| Launching of the Six Year Plan |
