Chronology: Date 1939

Chronology of the Bahá'í Faith

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Date 1939, descending — sort earliest first

date	event	tags	firsts
1939 31 Dec 193-	Lady Sara Louisa Blomfield, entitled Sitárih Khánum, (b. 1859) passed away in London. She was buried in Hampstead Cemetery, Borough of Camden, London. [BW8:651; SEBW109] For details of her life see SEBW101–110, Daily Note from Bahá'í History and Bahá'í Chronicles. For her obituary see BW8:651–6. See Wikipedia. See First Obligation-Lady Blomfield and the Save the Children Fund by Rob Weinberg on the UK Bahá'í Heritage site. Find a grave.	Lady Sarah Louisa Blomfield; - In Memoriam; London, England; United Kingdom
1939 30 Dec 193-	The passing of Grace Crossman Krug (b. 1870 Brooklyn, d. 30 December 1939 Chester, NY). [Find a Grave] She had been predeceased by her husband, Dr Florian Drug in 1924. ["Abdu'l-Bahá in America 1912-1912] After speaking in the Krug home 'Abdu'l-Bahá summoned their son Carl Krug to ride home with Him. Seated in the taxicab, He instructed Carl to write what He was about to say. Then 'Abdu'l-Bahá said: "You must be very grateful to your mother—you must appreciate her greatly—you do not realize her station now or what a great honour she has bestowed on your household. She will be one of the famous women of America. You must appreciate and love her very much. All will know of her servitude." [BW8p676]	- In Memoriam; Grace Krug; Florian Krug; Carl Krug; Brooklyn, NY; New York, USA; Chester, NY
1939 24 Dec 193-	Shoghi Effendi reinterred the remains of Navváb and the Purest Branch. [DH162; GBF116; GPB347–8] Two vaults were cut into the solid rock in the garden area near the monument of the Greatest Holy Leaf. [DH162] For Shoghi Effendi's cable announcing this see DH162 and PP262. For Shoghi Effendi's letters and cables concerning this see BW8:245–53, DH162 and PP261. For a description of the reinterment see BW8:253–8. For the prayer of visitation to the resting place of Navváb see BW8:251 and DH166.	Navvab (Asiyih Khanum); Mírzá Mihdi (Purest Branch); Bahiyyih Khanum (Greatest Holy Leaf); Tablets of Visitation; Monument Gardens (Haifa); * Bahá'í World Centre; Cemeteries and graves; - Bahá'í World Centre buildings, monuments and gardens; * Shoghi Effendi (chronology); * Shoghi Effendi, Basic timeline; - Basic timeline, Expanded; Shoghi Effendi, Works of; Mount Carmel; * Bahá'í World Centre
1939 12 Dec 193-	The Bahá'ís of Caracas, Venezuela, held their first Nineteen Day Feast and afterwards elected a 'Provisional Assembly'.	Local Spiritual Assembly; Caracas, Venezuela; Venezuela	first Nineteen Day Feast in Caracas, Venezuela
1939 8 Dec 193-	Margaret Lentz, a German stenographer, arrived in the Dominican Republic from Geneva, the first Bahá'í to settle in that country.	Margaret Lentz; Dominican Republic	first Bahá’í to settle in Dominican Republic
1939 5 Dec 193-	Shoghi Effendi disintered the remains of Navváb and the Purest Branch. [DH162; PP260] He went to the 'Akká cemetery at daybreak to and removed the remains of Navváb to a new coffin. [DH162; PP260] He then went to the Nabí Sálib cemetery and transfered the remains of the Purest Branch to a second new coffin. [DH162; PP260] He transported them both to Mount Carmel, near the grave of the Greatest Holy Leaf. [DH162; PP260]	Navvab (Asiyih Khanum); Mírzá Mihdi (Purest Branch); Monument Gardens (Haifa); Cemeteries and graves; * Shoghi Effendi (chronology); Akka, Israel; Mount Carmel
1939 3 Dec 193-	Shoghi Effendi obtained permission from the British authorities in Palestine to reinter the bodies of Navváb and the Purest Branch on Mount Carmel. [DH162; PP260] For the report of the Haifa District Commissioner see BBR460–1.	Navvab (Asiyih Khanum); Mírzá Mihdi (Purest Branch); Mount Carmel; Monument Gardens (Haifa); * Shoghi Effendi (chronology); * Bahá'í World Centre
1939 (Late in the year) 193-	Sr. Perfecto Perez Toledo, the first Cuban Bahá'í, accepted the Faith.	First Bahá'ís by country or area; Cuba	first Cuban Bahá’í
1939 4 Nov 193-	The first Nineteen Day Feast was held in San Salvador with four Bahá'ís in attendance.	Nineteen Day Feast; San Salvador, El Savador; El Salvador	first Nineteen Day Feast in San Salvador
1939 2 Nov 193-	The first people to become Bahá'ís in El Salvador, Luis O. Pérez, Emilio Bermudez and José Manuel Vela, accepted the Faith in San Salvador.	First Bahá'ís by country or area; San Salvador, El Savador; El Salvador	first to become Bahá’ís in El Salvador
1939 1 Nov 193-	Mathew Kaszab, arrived in Nicaragua, the first Bahá'í pioneer to that country. In March 1942 he was arrested and imprisoned for 23 days; he was again arrested in September 1942; he was sent back to the United States very ill, where he died in January 1943 from the effects of his imprisonment. [BW9:614–16]	Mathew Kaszab; Nicaragua	first pioneer to Nicaragua
1939 Nov 193-	F. Ferrari became a Bahá'í, the first to accept the Faith in Honduras.	First Bahá'ís by country or area; Honduras	first to accept Faith in Honduras
1939 25 Oct 193-	John Eichenauer, the first pioneer to El Salvador, arrived in San Salvador from Phoenix, Arizona. He was just 17 years old, the youngest pioneer sent out in the First Seven Year Plan.	John Eichenauer; San Salvador, El Savador; El Salvador; Phoenix, AZ; Arizona, USA; United States (USA)	first pioneer to El Salvador
1939 1 Oct 193-	The national Bahá'í office of the United States was established at 536 Sheridan Road, Wilmette, Illinois. [BW10:181] Horace Holley, the full-time secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada, transfered his office from New York to the Hazíratu'l-Quds in Wilmette. [SBR238]	Horace Holley; Haziratul-Quds (Bahá'í centres); Wilmette, IL; United States (USA)
1939 Oct 193-	Antonio Roca, the first Bahá'í in Honduras, entered the country.	First Bahá'ís by country or area; Honduras	first Bahá’í in Honduras
1939 28 Sep 193-	Martha Root, 'foremost Hand raised by Bahá'u'lláh', passed away in Honolulu. (b. 10 August,1872 Richwood Union County Ohio, USA) [BBD198–9; GPB388; MRHK486; PP105] Photos of her gravesite 1, 2 and 3. Directions to her gravesite. For Shoghi Effendi's tribute to her see GPB386–9 and MA30. 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] From the Guardian...her "acts shed imperishable lustre American Bahá'í Community". [PP106] For her obituary see BW8:643–8. She was buried in the Nuuanu Cemetery, Honolulu. See also Garis, Martha Root: Lioness at the Threshold and Martha Root: Herald of The Kingdom. See Other People Other Places by Marzieh Gail (pages 170-175) for a pen-portrait of Martha Root. She was designated a Hand of the Cause of God on the 3rd of October, 1954. [MoCxxii] iiiii	Martha Root; * Hands of the Cause; Hands of the Cause, Births and deaths; Births and deaths; Hands of the Cause, Activities; Hands appointed posthumously by Shoghi Effendi; Cemeteries and graves; - In Memoriam; Honolulu, HI; Hawaii, USA
1939 22 Sep 193-	The State of Illinois issued the first Bahá'í marriage licence, authorizing the Spiritual Assembly of Chicago to solemnize Bahá'í marriages and issue Bahá'í marriage certificates. [GPB373]	Marriage; Weddings; Recognition (legal); Firsts, other; Illinois, USA; United States (USA)	first Bahá’í marriage licence
1939 18 Sep 193-	John and Rosa Shaw arrived in Kingston, Jamaica, from San Francisco, the first Bahá'ís to visit the country.	First travel teachers and pioneers; Kingston, ON; Jamaica	first to visit Jamaica
1939 3 Sep 193-	World War II began with Britain and France declaring war on Germany after Germany invaded Poland.	World War II; History (general); War; - Europe; Germany; United Kingdom; France; Poland
1939 27 Aug 193-	The first Bahá'í resident in Guatemala, Gerrard Sluter-Schlutius, arrived in the country from Toronto. [OBCC228]	First Bahá'ís by country or area; Guatemala	first resident in Guatemala
1939 Aug 193-	The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the British Isles incorporated as an unlimited non-profit company under the Companies Act of 1929. GPB336	National Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom; Incorporation; National Spiritual Assembly, recognition; Recognition (legal); United Kingdom; British Isles
1939 4 Jun 193-	In a letter addressed to the National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles written on behalf of the Guardian he urged them to "appeal to the government for exemption from active military service in a combatant capacity, stressing the fact that in doing so they are not prompted by any selfish considerations but by the sole and supreme motive of upholding the Teachings of their Faith, which make it a moral obligation for them to desist from any act that would involve them in direct warfare with their fellow-humans or any other race or nation." [UD128] See other correspondence on this theme: UD122; UD134; UD259	Military (armed forces); Military; Weapons; War; United Kingdom
1939 18 May 193-	Mathew Kaszab arrived in Panama and immediately launched a vigorous proclamation campaign through the press, radio and public talks. By October the first permanent pioneers, Louise Caswell and Cora Oliver, arrived along with John Eichenaur (enroute to El Salvador). [Historical Background of the Panama Temple by Ruth Pringle]	Mathew Kaszab; Louise Caswell; Cora Oliver; John Eichenauer; Panama	first pioneers in Panama
1939 8 May 193-	Philip and Laili June Marangella arrived in Cuba, the first Bahá'í pioneers to the country.	First travel teachers and pioneers; Cuba	first pioneers to Cuba
1939 Ridván 193-	The first Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Budapest was elected. There were about 14 believers in the community, mostly of Jewish ancestry. This caused difficulty for the community in the Nazi persecutions that followed. [Rebirth: Memoirs of Renée Szanto-Felbermann p108] According to the description of Renée Szántó-Felbermann, they could not even meet in Budapest: „It was at their (the Sugárs) house in Alag (today part of Budakeszi) that we elected the first Spiritual Assembly in the history of Hungary, Ridvan 1939. When we boarded the train for Alag, in order to avoid suspicion, we Bahá'ís did not remain together, but went by twos and threes. The same procedure was repeated on our arrival to Alag. It was a memorable, unforgettable evening, that Feast of Ridván in the small house at Alag fragrant with spring flowers. We were all deeply moved. And our dear Bertha Matthiesen was radiant. … Jenő Sugár was elected chairman, Mária Kleinberger became treasurer and I continued as secretary." [www.bahai.hu] See www.bahai.hu for a list of community members. Ms Bertha Matthiesen spent a lot of time in Hungary between 1937 and 1939 when most declarations took place and the first spiritual assembly was formed. [www.bahai.hu] Mr Emeric Sala (Imre Szalavetz) a Canadian Bahá'í who was born in Hungary visited Budapest in 1933 and in 1937. [www.bahai.hu] Canadian travel teacher Ms Lorol Schopflocher visited Budapest in March-April 1937. [www.bahai.hu]	Local Spiritual Assembly; World War II; War; Persecution, Hungary; - Persecution, Other; - Persecution; Jews; Budapest, Hungary; Hungary	First Spiritual Assembly in Budapest
1939 Apr 193-	The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the British Isles incorporated after a long and difficult struggle. [BW8:161–2; UD127]	National Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom; National Spiritual Assembly, incorporation; Recognition (legal); United Kingdom; British Isles
1939 28 Feb 193-	The passing of Louis Alphonse Daniel Nicolas, signing A.L.M. Nicolas , (b. March 27 , 1864 in Rasht, Iran) in Paris. He was an historian and French orientalist, official interpreter of the Legation French abroad, and France's consul general in Tabriz. After reading Gobineau's Trois ans en Asie, 1855-1858 he checked all the information Gobineau had written in his book, corrected some of it, and then began to translate the writings of the Báb. Attracted by this young doctrine, he converted to Bábism and thus became the first Western Bábí. He was the first to translate works of the Báb into French: The Arabic Bayán and the Persian Bayán, and wrote various works, including Seyyed Ali Mohamed dit le Báb (1905), an Essai sur le Chéikhisme (1911) and several articles in newspapers such as Review of the Muslim World. Nicolas became knight of the Legion of Honour in 1909. Moojan Momen says of him, "No European scholar has contributed so much to our knowledge of the life and teachings of the Báb as Nicholas. His study of the life of the Báb and his translations of several of the most important books of the Báb remain of unsurpassed value." [BBR36] His important collection of manuscripts were auctioned and the items relevant to the Bahá'í and Bábí Faiths were purchased by the Bahá'í World Centre. See BW8p885-887 for An Interview with A. L. M. Nicolas of Paris by Edith Sanderson. See a short biography by Nader Nasiri Moghaddam in Encyclopaedia Iranica Online. A chronological list of his publications: Le Livre des Sept Preuves [Dalá'il-i-Sab'ih translated from Persian into French], Paris, 1902, 68 pp. A propos de deux manuscrits 'Bábís' de la Bibliothèque Nationale, Revue de l'Histoire des Religions, Paris, volume 47, 1903, pp. 58-73 Le Béyan Arabe [Bayán al-'arabiyya translated from Arabic into French], Paris, 1905, 235 pp. Seyyed Ali Mohammed dit le Báb [biography of the Báb, selections translated into English in this volume], Paris, 1905, 458 pp. En Perse: Constitution [translation by A.L.M. Nicolas], Revue du Monde Musulman, Paris, volume 1, 1907 (décembre 1906), p. 86-100 Sur la Volonté Primitive et l'Essence Divine d'après le Báb, Revue de l'Histoire des Religions, Paris, volume 55, 1907, pp. 208-212 Essais sur le Chéïkhisme, 4 volumes : Cheïkh Ahmed Lahçahi, Paris, volume 1, 1910 Séyyèd Kazem Rechti, Paris, volume 2, 1914 Le Chéïkhisme. La Doctine, Paris, volume 3, 1911 [extract from Revue du Monde Musulman] La Science de Dieu, Paris, volume 4, 1911 Le Club de la fraternité [translation of an article by Atrpet by A.L.M. Nicolas], Revue du Monde Musulman, Paris, volume 13, 1911, pp. 180-184 Le Dossier russo-anglais de Seyyed Ali Mohammed dit le Báb, Revue du Monde Musulman, Paris, volume 14, 1911, pp. 357-363 Le Béyan Persan [Bayán-i-fársí translated from Persian into French], four volumes, 1911-1914 Abdoul-Béha et la situation, Revue du Monde Musulman, Paris, volume 21, 1912, pp. 261-267 Le Béhahis et le Báb, Journal Asiatique, Paris, volume 222, 1933, pp. 257-264 Qui est le successeur du Báb? Paris, 1933, 16 pp. Quelques Documents relatifs au Babisme, Journal Asiatique, Paris, volume 224, 1934, pp. 107-142 Le Báb astronome, Revue de l'Histoire des Religions, Paris, volume 114, 1936, pp. 99-101 Massacres de Babis en Perse, Paris, 1936, 42 pp. [A Short Biography of A. L. M. Nicholas by Peter Terry 2008]	A.L.M. Nicolas; - In Memoriam; Births and deaths; * Translation; First believers; Nader Nasiri Moghaddam; Edith Sanderson; Rasht, Iran; Iran; Paris, France; France	the first Western Bábí; the first to translate a work of the Báb into French
1939 21 Feb 193-	Situation in Egypt: Background Information "riots which broke out with exceptional fury in Ismá'ílíyyih, when angry crowds surrounded the funeral cortege of Muhammad Sulaymán, a prominent Bahá'í resident of that town, creating such an uproar that the police had to intervene, and having rescued the body and brought it back to the home of the deceased, they were forced to carry it without escort, at night, to the edge of the desert and inter it in the wilderness." [GPB367-368] The National Spiritual Assembly of Egypt had, in respect to the decision of the 10th of May, 1925 declaring the Báhá'í Faith to be non-Muslim, petitioned the government for the right to administer laws of personal status to the Bahá'í community according to its Bahá'í Laws affecting Matters of Personal Status. On the 29th of February, 1939, the Grand Muftí ruled that the Bahá'ís were not to be considered Muslims and had no right to be buried in Muslim cemeteries. Four plots of land were allocated to serve as cemeteries for the Bahá'í community in Cairo, Alexandria, Port Said and in Ismá'ílíyyih. Immediately following this decision the remains of Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl were transferred followed by the exhumation from a Christian cemetery in Cairo the remains of Lua Getsinger and subsequent re-interment in an adjacent plot. [GPB368-369]	Lua Getsinger; Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl Gulpaygani; Cairo, Egypt; Alexandria, Egypt; Port Said, Egypt; Ismailia, Egypt; Egypt	first Bahá'í cemetery
1939 7 Feb 193-	In a letter to the National Spiritual Assembly of India the Guardian encouraged the concept of expansion by settlement to which he applied the name "pioneering". [MSEIp179]	Pioneering; * Bahá'í World Centre	first known use of the term "pioneering" in official correspondence.
1939 (In the year) 193-	Emeric Sala gave a talk in Regina proclaiming the Faith for the first time in Saskatchewan. Regina is one of five cities he visited on this business trip. [TG104]	Emeric Sala; Regina, SK; Saskatchewan, Canada; Canada	first public mention of the Faith in Saskatchewan
1939 (In the year) 193-	Shoghi Effendi ordered twin monuments from Italy similar in style to that of the Greatest Holy Leaf and sought permission from the British authorities to reintere the remains of Navváb and the Purest Branch on Mount Carmel near those of Bahíyyih Khánum and the Holy Mother. Marble for the monuments came from Chiampo, Italy as for the Archives Building, the Shine of the Báb, the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, The Terraces project, and the Houses of Worship in India and Samoa. It was cut and chiseled by a firm called Margraf, formerly known as Industria Marmi Vincentini. [DH162; PP259]	Navvab (Asiyih Khanum); Mírzá Mihdi (Purest Branch); Mount Carmel; Bahiyyih Khanum (Greatest Holy Leaf); Monument Gardens (Haifa); * Bahá'í World Centre; Marble; Cemeteries and graves; * Shoghi Effendi (chronology); Margraf; * Bahá'í World Centre
1939 (In the year) 193-	The first Bahá'í of Paraguay, Maria Casati, of Formosa, Paraguay, became a Bahá'í in Buenos Aires.	Maria Casati; Argentina	first Bahá’í of Paraguay
1939 Date uncertain 193-	Miss Janet Whitenack, relocated from New York to Alaska, became the first person to declare in Alaska. She had studied the Cause previously in New York. The young woman was a graduate of Syracuse University. [Bahá'í News No 131 November 1939 p4]	Fairbanks, AK; Alaska, USA	First Alaskan Baha'i
1939 Date approximate 193-	Honor Kempton opened a bookshop lending library, calling it "The Book Cache". [Bahá'í News No 131 November 1939 pg3]	Anchorage, AK; Alaska, USA
1939 (In the year) 193-	Amelia Collins continued to support the spread of the religion in Iceland as she supported the publication of the first translation of Baháʼí literature, John Esslemont's Baháʼu'lláh and the New Era, in Icelandic in 1939. [CBN No 93 Oct 1957 p2Collins, Amelia: The Fulfilled Hope of 'Abdu'l-Bahá by Richard Francis]	Amelia Collins; * Publications; - Publishing; Iceland


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