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Search for tag "Knights of Bahaullah"

from the chronology

date event locations tags see also
1933 25 Nov The first Spiritual Assembly of Addis Ababa was formed. [BW6:70]
  • The community was established by Sabri Elias, and Fahima Elias, pioneers from Egypt who thus earned the title Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. Later Elias was asked to return home with other foreigners. [BW6:71]
  • Ethiopia was the only independent Kingdom in Africa at this date. [BW6:70]
  • Wikipedia says that the Assembly was formed in "late 1934".
    		• Addis Ababa; Ethiopia Local Spiritual Assembly; Sabri Elias; Fahima Elias; Knights of Bahaullah
    1951 25 Jan or 4 Feb Claire Gung arrived in Tanganyika aboard the Warwick Castle and obtained employment as a matron in a boys' boarding school in Lushoto. She was the second Bahá’í pioneer to the country. [CG160; CBN No 18 Mar 1951 p10]
  • She later pioneered to Uganda and Southern Rhodesia during the Ten Year Crusade.
  • An additional group of early arrivals in East Africa settled in Tanganyika in 1951. They included Hassan and Isobel Sabri who came from Egypt, and Jalal Nakhjavání and his family from Iran. By 1954, a Local Spiritual Assembly had been elected in Dar es Salaam including three native believers. Among them was Denis Dudley-Smith Kutendele, the first to accept the Faith in Tanzania. [A Brief Account of the Bahá'í Faith in Africa Since 1953 by Nance Ororo-Robarts and Selam Ahderrom p2]
      History of the Bahá’í Faith in Tanzania said that the first local spiritual assembly was elected in Dar es Salaam in 1952 and that it received civic registration later under Tanganyika’s Trustee’s Incorporation Ordinance.
    		• Tanzania; Dar-es-salaam Knights of Bahaullah; Claire Gung; Hassan Sabri; Isobel Sabri; Jalal Nakhjavani; Denis Dudley-Smith Kutendele, LSA, formation
    1953 (In the year) The arrival of Knights of Bahá'u'lláh Dr. Mihdi Samandari and Mrs. Ursula Samandari (Newman) in Mogadishu, Somalia [BWNS230] Mogadishu; Somalia Knights of Bahaullah; BWNS
    1953 19 Mar Suhayl Samandarí arrived in Mogadishu and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for Italian Somaliland. [BW13:452]
  • Within a short time, Sa‘íd ‘Alí Masqatí, a Somali from the port of Baraawe, became a Bahá’í, the first person to accept the Faith in Somalia.
    		• Mogadishu; Italian Somaliland Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 May Mary and Reginald (Rex) Collison, an elderly Canadian-American couple, arrived in Ruanda-Urundi (Burundi) from Uganda and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:455]
  • For the story of Mary Collison’s life see BW15:486–8 as well as Servants of the Glory page34.
  • Arriving in July was Dunduzu Chisza, a young Baha'i from Malawi, (then Nyasaland) The earliest Rwandan Bahá’í whose name is recorded was Alphonse Semanyenzi. [The Bahá'í Faith in Rwanda website; BWNS349]
  • The first Bahá’í to travel through Rwanda may have been Marthe Molitor c. 1947 after becoming a Bahá'í in Belgium. She moved on to the Belgian Congo. [Taarifa]
    		•  Ruanda-Urundi (Burundi) Knights of Bahaullah; Mary Collison; Rex Collison; Dunduzu Chisza; Alphonse Semanyenzi; Marthe Molitor
    1953. 28 May In a message addressed on the eve of the 61st anniversary of the passing of Bahá'u'lláh, at the opening of the Ten Year Crusade, Shoghi Effendi encouraged 70 pioneers to arise to fill the goals promising that a Roll of Honour with their names would be deposited at the entrance door of the inner Sanctuary of the Tomb of Bahá’u’lláh. [MBW48-49]
  • He further elaborated in a message addressed to the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada. See the message of the 8 June 1953. [MtC177]
  • See 1992 28 May.
    		•  Haifa; BWC Pioneers; Knights of Bahaullah; Roll of Honour; Bahaullah, Shrine of
    1953 Jun Ghulám ‘Alí Kurlawala arrived in Daman and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:451] Daman Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 Jun Dunduzu Chisiza, a Nyasaland student who had recently become a Bahá’í in Uganda, arrived in Ruanda-Urundi (Burundi) and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:455] Ruanda-Urundi (Burundi) Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 6 Jun ‘Izzatu’lláh Zahrá’í (Ezzat Zahrai) arrived in Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:456] Zimbabwe; Africa Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 Jul Rawshan Áftábí and Fírúzih Yigánigi arrived in Goa and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:452] Goa; India Knights of Bahaullah; Rawshan Aftabi; Firuzih Yiganigi
    1953 Jul Eskil Ljungberg of Sweden, aged 67, arrived in the Faroe Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:451]
  • He was the only Bahá’í on the islands for over a decade.
  • For the story of his life see BW19:658–61.
    		•  Faroe Islands Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1953 Jul Arthur and Ethel Crane arrived in Key West and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW16:453] Key West Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 Jul Sa‘íd Nahví arrived in Pondicherry and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:455] Pondicherry; India Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 Jul Jack Huffman and Rose Perkal arrived on the Kodiak Islands and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:453] Kodiak Islands Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1953 Jul Jenabe and Elaine Caldwell arrived in the Aleutian Islands and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:449] Aleutian Islands Jenabe Caldwell; Elaine Caldwell; Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1953 Aug Shawkat Nahví arrived in Pondicherry and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:455] Pondicherry; India Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 Aug 'Abbás Vakíl arrived in Cyprus and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:450] Cyprus Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 2 Aug Fred Schechter, an American, arrived in Djibouti and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for French Somaliland. [BW13:451]
  • Mr Schechter went on to pioneer to several Latin American countries, he spent thirteen year on the Continental Board of Councillors for the Americas and served on the International Teaching Centre. He passed away on 27 January 2017 in California, U.S.A. He was 89 years old. [BWNS1149]
  • See In Memoriam Fred Schechter: Bahá'í House of Worship Memorial Program.
    		•  French Somaliland (Djibouti); Djibouti Fred Schechter; Knights of Bahaullah; Counsellors; International Teaching Centre, Members of; In Memoriam; Births and deaths; BWNS
    1953 Aug Shiyam Behari arrived in Pondicherry and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:455] Pondicherry; India Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 Aug Amír Húshmand Manúchihrí arrived in Liechtenstein and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:453] Liechtenstein; Europe Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 Aug Salísa Kirmání and Shírín Núrání arrived in Karikal and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:452] Karikal Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 Jul - Aug Amín and Sheila Banání, a Persian-American couple, settled in Athens-Kifissia in August 1953 and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh for Greece. [BW452]
  • They were able to stay in Greece until 1958 when they were asked to leave by the government. [from an interview with Sheila Banani 10 November, 2022 on Thursday Night @7]
  • See Professor Amin Banani, 1926–2013: A Prominent Scholar of Iranian Studies by Ehsan Yarshater in Iranian Studies, 2014, Vol 47 No 2 p347-351 for an obituary of Amin Banani.
    		•  Athens; Greece Amin Banani; Sheila Banani; Knights of Bahaullah; In Memoriam
    1953 Aug Edythe MacArthur arrived in the Queen Charlotte Islands (now Haida Gwaii) and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:455; BWIM143-145] Queen Charlotte Islands Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1953 Aug Udai Narain Singh arrived in Sikkim and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:455; PH63] Sikkim; India Udai Narain Singh; Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 11 Aug Virginia Orbison arrived in the Balearic Islands from a pioneer post in Spain and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for the Balearic Islands. [BW13:449] Balearic Islands Virginia Orbison; Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1953 28 Aug Mildred Clark, a pioneer in Norway, and Loyce Lawrence (née Drugan), a nurse and hospital matron, arrived in the Lofoten Islands and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:453]
  • Mrs Lawrence began teaching the Saami.
    		•  Lofoten Islands; Norway Knights of Bahaullah; Sami people
    1953 Sep Brigitte Hasselblatt arrived in Shetland and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:455] Shetland Islands; Scotland; United Kingdom Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1953 Sep Gertrude Eisenberg arrived in Las Palmas and is named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for the Canary Islands. [BW13:450] Las Palmas; Canary Islands Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1953 Sep Evelyn Baxter arrived in the Channel Islands and was named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:450] Channel Islands Evelyn Baxter; Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 Sep Ada Schott, Elizabeth Hopper, Sara Kenny and Ella Duffield arrived in the Madeira Islands and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. BW13:453] Madeira; Portugal; Europe Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1953 Sep Brigitte Lundblade (nee Hasselblatt), (b. 1923 - d. 17 May 2008) arrived in the Shetland Islands and was later honoured with being named as Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [Bahaipedia] Shetland Islands; Scotland; United Kingdom Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1953 Sep The arrival of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Enayat Sohaili in Nyasaland (now known as Malawi) [BWNS240] Nyasaland (Malawi); Africa Knights of Bahaullah; BWNS
    1953 Sep Kathleen Weston arrived in the Magdalen Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:453] Magdalen Islands Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1953 Sep Julius Edwards arrived in the Northern Territories Protectorate (now part of Ghana) and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:455] Northern Territories Protectorate (Ghana); Ghana Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 Sep Doris Richardson arrived on Grand Manan Island and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:452] Grand Manan Island Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1953 8 Sep Jameson and Gale Bond arrived in Arctic Bay in the District of Franklin and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:451, SDSC127] Arctic Bay; Franklin; Canada Jameson Bond; Gale Bond; Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 9 Sep José (d. 1985) and Hilda (née Summers) Xavier Rodrigues, a Portuguese-English couple, arrived in Bissau from Portugal as the first Bahá’í pioneers to Portuguese Guinea (Guinea Bissau) and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:455] Bissau; Portuguese Guinea (Guinea Bissau); Guinea Bissau Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 Sep Cora Oliver arrived in British Honduras (Belize) and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:449] British Honduras (Belize); Belize Cora Oliver; Knights of Bahaullah
    1953. 12 Sep Nellie French arrived in Monaco and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:454] Monaco Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 Sep Dick Stanton arrived in Keewatin and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:453] Keewatin Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 Sep Howard Snider arrived in Key West and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:453] Key West Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 Sep Diá’i’lláh Asgharzádih arrived in the Channel Islands and was named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:450] Channel Islands Knights of Bahaullah; Diaillah Asgharzadih
    1953 Sep Elsa Grossman arrived in the Frisian Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:452] Frisian Islands Elsa Grossmann; Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1953 Sep Hugh McKinley and his mother, Violet, arrived in Cyprus and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:450]
  • Violet passed away in 1959 and she was laid to rest in Famagusta. Hugh remained in Cyprus until 1963. He died in Suffolk in 1999 was was buried in Lawshall, Suffolk. He had been born on the 18th of February, 1924.
  • See Ismael Velasco's paper entitled In Memoriam: Hugh McKinley.
  • See Life of Hugh McKinley, Knight of Bahá'u'lláh by Olive McKinley.
    		•  Cyprus; Famagusta Knights of Bahaullah; Hugh McKinley; Violet McKinley; Ismael Velasco; Olive McKinley
    1953 18 Sep Dwight and Carole Allen arrived in Athens and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh for Greece. [BW13:452] Athens; Greece Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 20 Sep The arrival of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Mr. Max Kanyerezi in Middle Congo (now called Republic of Congo). At this time the country was, together with the Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, and Gabon, part of a much larger French territory called the Federation of French Equatorial Africa which was dissolved in 1958. [BWNS246; A Brief Account of the Progress of the Bahá'í Faith in Africa Since 1953 by Nancy Oloro-Robarts and Selam Ahderom p8]
  • Max and his wife Florence later moved back to Uganda where he had been raised. [CG106-107]
    		•  Republic of Congo; Africa Knights of Bahaullah; BWNS
    1953 23 Sep Ted and Joan Anderson arrived in Whitehorse, Canada, and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh for the Yukon. [BW13:457] Whitehorse; Canada Knights of Bahaullah; Ted Anderson; Joan Anderson
    1953 30 Sep Manúchihr Hizárí and Hurmuz Zindih arrived in Tangier and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh for Morocco (International Zone). [BW13:454] Tangier; Morocco Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 Oct Mrs (Alexandra) Ola Pawlowska arrived in St Pierre and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for Miquelon Island and St Pierre Island. [BW13:454] St Pierre and Miquelon Ola Pawlowska; Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1953 Oct Claire Gung arrived in Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. She spent 18 months in Salisbury (Harare) where she was a member of the first local spiritual assembly. [CG161] Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe); Zimbabwe Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 Oct Muhammad Mustafá Sulaymán, an Egyptian, arrived in Spanish Sahara (Western Sahara) and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. BW13:456]
  • For the story of his life see BW18:768–71.
    		•  Spanish Sahara (Western Sahara) Knights of Bahaullah; Muhammad Mustafa Sulayman
    1953 Oct The arrival of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Edith Danielson in the Cook Islands. [BWNS265] Cook Islands; Pacific Knights of Bahaullah; BWNS
    1953 Oct Katharine Meyer arrived on Margarita Island and was named Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:454] Margarita Island Knights of Bahaullah; Islands; Katharine Meyer
    1953 Oct Helen Robinson arrived on Baranof Island and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:449] Baranof Islands Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1953 Oct Ursula von Brunn arrived in the Frisian Islands and was named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:452] Frisian Islands Ursula von Brunn; Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 Oct The arrival of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Emma Rice, followed one week later by Knights Stanley and Florence Bagley and their three teenage children, Susan, Gerrold and Carol in Palermo, Sicily. [BWNS254] Sicily; Italy Knights of Bahaullah; BWNS
    1953 Oct Lionel Peraji arrived in Mahé and is named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:454] Mahe Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 Oct Charles Dunning arrived in the Orkney Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:455] ul>
  • In probably it was October of 1954 Harold and Marzieh Gail depart from St Matthew's Quay in Aberdeen destined to pay a visit to Charles Dunning in Kirkwall. On the island the diminutive Charles Dunning is referred to as "a wee chappie". [OPOP55-59]
    		•  Orkney Islands Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1953 Oct Geraldine Graney arrived in the Hebrides and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:452] Hebrides Knights of Bahaullah; Islands; Geraldine Graney
    1953 Oct Marie Ciocca Holmlund arrived on Sardinia and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:455] Sardinia Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1953 7 Oct William Danjon Dieudonné arrived in Andorra and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW12:449]
  • He continued to live in the country.
  • By 1979 Andorra had a Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly in Andorra-la-Vella and three localities. [BN No 581 August 1979 p11]
    		•  Andorra; Europe Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 Oct Earle Render arrived in the Leeward Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:453] Leeward Islands Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1953 Oct Richard and Lois Nolen and children Linda Jean, Cynthia and John arrived in the Azores and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13p449; Bahaipedia] Azores Knights of Bahaullah; Islands; Richard Nolan; Lois Nolen
    1953 Oct Salvador and Adela Tormo arrived on the Juan Fernandez Islands and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:452] Juan Fernandez Islands; Chile Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1953 Oct Elly Becking arrived in Dutch New Guinea and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:451] Dutch New Guinea; Indonesia Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 11 Oct Fawzí Zaynu’l-‘Ábidín and his wife, Bahíyyih ‘Alí Sa‘di’d-Dín, and their sons Kamál and Sharíf arrived in Tetuán from Egypt and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh for Spanish Morocco. [BW13:456]
  • For the story of Fawzí Zaynu’l-‘Ábidín’s life see BW16:544–6.
    		•  Tetuan; Spanish Morocco Knights of Bahaullah; Fawzi Zaynul-Abidin; Bahiyyih Ali Sadid-Din; Kamal Zaynul-Abidin; Sharif Zaynul-Abidin
    1953 13 Oct Esther Evans and Lillian Middlemast arrived in Castries, St Lucia, and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh for the Windward Islands. BW13:457] Castries; St Lucia; Windward Islands Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1953 13 Oct Frederick and Elizabeth Laws arrived in Basutoland (Lesotho) and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:449, BWNS262 ]
  • For the story of the life of Elizabeth Laws see BW17:459–60.
  • Chadwick Mohapi and his wife became the first Bahá'ís in Basutoland (Lesotho). [TG166]
    		•  Basutoland (Lesotho) Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 13 Oct Una Townshend arrived in Malta and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:454, BWNS234] Malta Una Townshend; Knights of Bahaullah; Islands; BWNS
    1953 14 Oct Shoghi Effendi announced the settling of 13 further Knights of Bahá’u’lláh, with 178 territories now open to the Faith. [MBW173] Worldwide Knights of Bahaullah; Shoghi Effendi, Life of; Statistics; Growth; Ten Year Crusade
    1953 14 Oct Robert and Elinor Wolff arrived in Dutch Guiana and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:451] Dutch Guiana (Suriname); Suriname Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 14 Oct Edith M. Danielsen arrived on Aitutaki Island, 150 miles north of Rarotonga, before leaving for Avarua, Rarotonga, five days later and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for the Cook Islands. [BW13:450]
  • For the story of her life see BW19:625–6.
    		•  Cook Islands Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1953 Oct Enoch Olinga arrived in Victoria (Limbé) and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for the British Cameroons. [BW13:449]
  • The first Cameroonian to become a Bahá’í in British Cameroon was a youth, Jacob Tabot Awo.
  • The first Cameroonian adult to become a Bahá’í was Enoch Ngompek of the Bassa tribe.
  • The first Cameroonian woman to become a Bahá’í was Esther Obeu, the wife of David Tanyi.
    		• Victoria (Limbe); British Cameroon; Cameroon; Nigeria Enoch Olinga; Knights of Bahaullah; First Bahais by country or area
    1953 15 Oct Eberhard Friedland arrived in French Guiana from the United States and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:451] French Guiana Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 16 Oct Benjamin Dunham Weeden and his wife Gladys (née Anderson) arrived in Antigua and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh for the Leeward Islands. [BW13:453]
  • For the story of Ben Weeden’s life see BW15:478–9.
  • For the story of Gladys Weeden’s life see BW18:692–6.
    		•  Antigua; Leeward Islands Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1953 17 Oct The arrival of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Bertha Dobbins in Vanuatu. [BWNS256] Vanuatu; Oceania Knights of Bahaullah; Islands; BWNS
    1953 18 Oct George and Marguerite (Peggy) True arrived on Tenerif with their 12-year-old son Barry and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh for the Canary Islands. [BW13:450; BW19p634] Tenerif; Canary Islands Knights of Bahaullah; Islands; George True; Peggy True; Margarite True; Barry True
    1953 20 Oct Frances Heller arrived in Macau and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for the island. [BW13:453; PH73]
  • She was the first Knight of Bahá’u’lláh to settle in Chinese territory.
    		•  Macau Knights of Bahaullah; Frances Heller
    1953 24 Oct Elsie Austin arrived in Tangier from the United States and Muhammad-‘Alí Jalálí, an Iranian, also arrived. They were both named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh for Morocco (International Zone). [BW13:454] Tangier; Morocco Elsie Austin; Muhammad-Ali Jalali; Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 24 Oct Luella McKay, John and Erleta Fleming, and Alyce Janssen arrived in Spanish Morocco and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:456] Morocco Knights of Bahaullah; Luella McKay; John Fleming; Erleta Fleming; Alyce Janssen
    1953 29 Oct Opal Jensen arrived on Réunion Island from the United States and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:455]
  • She was later declared a Covenant-breaker.
    		•  Reunion; France Knights of Bahaullah; Covenant-breakers
    1953 29 Oct Gladys (‘Glad’) Irene Parke and Gretta Stevens Lamprill arrived in Papeete from Australia and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh for the Society Islands, French Polynesia. [BW13:455]
  • For the story of Gladys Parke’s life see BW15:457–8.
  • For the story of Gretta Lamprill’s life see BW15:534–5. She was the inaugural secretary of the Hobart LSA, a secretary of the NSA of Australia and New Zealand and a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for the Society Islands. She was known as the "Mother of Tasmania".
    		• Papeete; Society Islands; French Polynesia Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1953 Oct Zunilda de Palacios arrived on Chiloé Island and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:450] Chiloe Island; Chile; Latin America Knights of Bahaullah; Islands; Zunilda de Palacios
    1953 Oct Geertrui Ankersmidt arrived in the Frisian Islands and was named Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:452] Frisian Islands; Netherlands Knights of Bahaullah; Gertrud Ankersmidt
    1953 Oct Frederick and Jean Allen and Irving and Grace Geary arrived on Cape Breton Island and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:450] Cape Breton Island Knights of Bahaullah; Islands; Frederick Allen; Jean Allen; Irving Geary; Grace Geary
    1953 Oct Shirley Warde arrived in British Honduras (Belize) and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:449] British Honduras (Belize); Belize Knights of Bahaullah; Shirley Warde
    1953 Oct Dr Malcolm King, an American pioneer in Jamaica, arrived in British Guiana (now Guyana) and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:449] British Guiana Knights of Bahaullah; Malcolm King
    1953 Oct Rolf Haug settled in Crete and iwa named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for that island. [BW13:450] Crete Knights of Bahaullah; Islands; Rolf Haug
    1953 Oct Max Kanyerezi, a Ugandan, was brought to Brazzaville by Violette and ‘Alí Nakhjavání and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for French Equatorial Africa. [BW13:451] Brazzaville; French Equatorial Africa Violette Nakhjavani; Ali Nakhjavani; Knights of Bahaullah; Max Kanyerezi
    1953 Oct ‘Amín Battáh, an Egyptian, arrived in Río de Oro (Western Sahara) and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:455] Western Sahara; Africa Knights of Bahaullah; Amin Battah
    1953 Oct Bertha Dobbins arrived in Port Vila on the island of Efate from Adelaide, Australia, and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for the New Hebrides Islands (Vanuatu). [BW13:454] Port Vila; Efate; New Hebrides Islands (Vanuatu) Bertha Dobbins; Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1953 Oct Gail and Gerald Curwin with their daughter Leeanna and Maurice and Ethel Holmes arrived in Nassau and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh for the Bahamas Islands. [BW13:449] Nassau; Bahamas Knights of Bahaullah; Islands; Gail Curwin; Ethel Holmes; Gerald Curwin; Maurice Holmes
    1953 Oct Edmund (‘Ted’) Cardell arrived in Windhoek and wss named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for South West Africa (Namibia). [BW13:456]
  • He was later joined by his wife Alicia and the first German Bahá’ís to pioneer to Africa, Martin and Gerda Aiff and their children.
  • In 1955 Hilifa Andreas Nekundi, (also known as Tate Hilifa), was the first Namibian to become a Bahá'í. Mr. Nekundi later served on the first Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Windhoek, and the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Namibia. [BWNS280]
    		•  Windhoek; West Africa (Namibia); Namibia Knights of Bahaullah; Ted Cardell; Alicia Cardell; Martin Aiff; Gerda Aiff; Hilifa Andreas Nekundi; Tate Hilifa)
    1953 Nov The arrival of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Dr. K. M. Fozdar on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. [PH57; BWNS271] Andaman and Nicobar Islands Knights of Bahaullah; BWNS
    1953 Nov Tábandih Paymán arrived in San Marino and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh in November. [BW13:455] San Marino Knights of Bahaullah; Tabandih Payman
    1953 Nov Mary Olga Katherine Mills (née Bieymann) arrived in Malta and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:454] Malta Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1953 Nov Samíra Vakíl arrived in Cyprus and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:450] Cyprus Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1953 Nov Dr Mihdí Samandarí arrived in Italian Somaliland and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:452]
  • His wife Ursula (née Newman) arrived in 1954 and was also named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh.
    		• Somalia Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 Nov Dr Khodadad M. Fozdar, an Indian of Parsi background, arrived in the Andaman Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:449]
  • For the story of his life see BW13:892–3.
    		•  Andaman and Nicobar Islands; India Khodadad M. Fozdar; Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 Nov Husayn Rawhání Ardikání and his wife, Nusrat, arrived in Tangier with their daughter, Shahlá, and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh for Morocco (International Zone). [BW13:454] Tangier; Morocco Knights of Bahaullah; Husayn Rawhani Ardikani; Nusrat Ardikani; Sahla Ardikani
    1953 Nov ‘Alí Akbar Rafí‘í (Rafsanjání) and his wife, Sháyistih, and their 19-year-old son, ‘Abbás, arrived in Tangier and all were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh for Morocco (International Zone). [BW13:454] Morocco Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 Nov Matthew W. Bullock of Boston, Massachusetts, arrived in the Dutch West Indies (Netherlands Antilles) and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:451] Dutch West Indies (Lesser Antilles); Lesser Antilles Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1953 11 Nov Shoghi Effendi announced the settling of a further contingent of Knights of Bahá’u’lláh in 21 virgin areas, bringing the number of territories open to the Faith to 200. [MBW52–3] Worldwide Knights of Bahaullah; Shoghi Effendi, Life of; Statistics; Growth; Ten Year Crusade
    1953 11 Nov Ottilie Rhein (1903-79), an American of German origin, arrived in Mauritius and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for the island. [BW13:454]
  • For the story of her life see BW18:703–5.
  • On her first expedition to provide necessities for living, she met the proprietor of a shop, Mr. Yim Lim, who became the first resident of the country to join the Faith. [BWNS274]
    		• Mauritius Knights of Bahaullah; Islands; BWNS; Ottilie Rhein; Yim Lim
    1953 13 Nov Kámil ‘Abbás arrived in the Seychelles from Iraq and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:455; BWNS272]
  • For the story of his life see BW18:722–3.
    		•  Seychelles Knights of Bahaullah
    1953 Dec Jean and Tove Deleuran arrived in the Balearic Islands and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh in December. [BW13:449] Balearic Islands Knights of Bahaullah; Islands; Jean Deleuran; Tove Deleuran
    1953 Dec Kay Khusraw Dahamobedi, Bahíyyih Rawhání and Gulbár Áftábí arrived on Diu Island and are named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:451] Diu Island; India Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1953 Dec Adíb Baghdádí arrived in Hadhramaut and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:452] Hadhramaut; Yemen Knights of Bahaullah
    1953. Nov or Dec The arrival, from Egypt, of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Labib Isfahani in Dakar, Senegal. He was followed by his brother Habib Isfahani in April of 1954 who also received the honour. [BW13:452, BWNS283] Egypt; Dakar; Senegal Knights of Bahaullah; Labib Isfahani; Habib Isfahani; BWNS
    1953 8 Dec Loretta and Carl Scherer arrived in Macau from Milwaukee and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh for that island. [BW13:453; PH73]
  • For the stories of their lives see BW18:738–40.
    		•  Macau Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 (In the year) ‘Aynu’d-Dín and Táhirih ‘Alá’í arrived in Southern Rhodesia and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:456] Zimbabwe Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 (In the year) 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] Zimbabwe; Africa Knights of Bahaullah; BWNS
    1954 (In the year) The arrival of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Violet Noehnke on the Admiralty Islands, now Manus Province in Papua New Guinea. [BWNS307, BWNS312] Admiralty Islands; Manus Province; Papua New Guinea Knights of Bahaullah; BWNS Find date
    1954 (In the year) The arrival of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Ted Cardell in South West Africa (now called Namibia). [BWNS280] South West Africa (Namibia); Namibia Knights of Bahaullah; BWNS
    1954 Jan The arrival of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Dulcie Dive in the Cook Islands. [BWNS265] Cook Islands Knights of Bahaullah; Islands; BWNS
    1954 Jan Jean Sevin arrived in Tuamotu Archipelago and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:457] Tuamotu Archipelago Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1954 Jan Charles M. Ioas arrived in the Balearic Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:449] Balearic Islands Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1954 3 Jan Howard and Joanne Menking arrived in the Cape Verde Islands and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:450] Cape Verde Islands Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1954 Jan The arrival of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Abdu'l Rahman Zarqani, in the Seychelles. [BWNS272] Seychelles; Africa Knights of Bahaullah; Islands; BWNS
    1954 Jan 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.
    		•  Kuria-Muria Islands; Oman Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1954 Jan Elizabeth Bevan (later Mrs Golmohammed) arrived in Rhodes and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:455] Rhodes Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1954 Jan Virginia Breaks arrived on the island of Truk and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for the Caroline Islands. [BW13:450; MBW57] Truk; Caroline Islands Virginia Breaks; Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1954 Jan Kenneth and Roberta Christian arrived in Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:456] Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe); Zimbabwe Kenneth Christian; Roberta Christian; Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 Jan Andrew and Mina Matthisen arrived in the Bahamas and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:449] Bahamas; Caribbean Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1954 14 Jan Lilian E. Wyss arrived in Apia from Australia and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for the Samoa Islands. [BW13:455] Apia; Samoa Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1954 15 Jan ‘Abdu’l-Rahmán Zarqání, from India, arrived in the Seychelles and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:455] Seychelles; Africa; India Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 18 Jan Mrs Dulcie Burns Dive arrived in the Cook Islands from Australia and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:450, 925] Cook Islands Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1954 25 Jan 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] Tonga Knights of Bahaullah; Islands; BWNS
    1954 Feb Grace Bahovec arrived in the Baranof Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:449] Baranof Islands Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1954 Feb 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.
    		•  Mentawai Islands; Indonesia Rahmatullah Muhajir; Iran Muhajir; Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1954 Feb ‘Azízu’lláh and Shamsí Navídí arrived in Monaco and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:455] Monaco Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 Feb Joan Powis arrived in Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:456] Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe); Zimbabwe Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 Feb Bernard H. Guhrke arrived on the Kodiak Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:453] Kodiak Islands Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1954 Feb Gail Avery arrived in the Baranof Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:449] Baranof Islands Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 Feb John and Audrey Robarts and their son Patrick and young daughter Tina arrived in Mafikeng and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh for Bechuanaland (Botswana). [BW13:449] Mafikeng; Botswana John Robarts; Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 Feb David Schreiber, an American, arrived in Antigua and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for the Leeward Islands. [BW13:453] Antigua; Leeward Islands Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 Feb Faríburz Rúzbihyán (Feriborz Roozbehyan) arrived in The Gambia and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:452] Gambia, The Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 Feb Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir and Irán Muhájir arrived the Mentawai Islands and received the accolade "Knight of Bahá'u'lláh".[BS13p454] Mentawai Islands; Indonesia Knights of Bahaullah; Hand of the Cause
    1954 10 Feb John Leonard arrived in the Falkland Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:451] Falkland Islands Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 Feb Elise Schreiber (later Lynelle) arrived on St Thomas Island and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:456] St Thomas Island Elise Schreiber (later Lynelle); Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1954 Feb Husayn Halabi arrived in Hadhramaut and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:452] Hadhramaut; Yemen Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 15 Feb 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
    		•  Brunei; Thailand Knights of Bahaullah; Charles Duncan; Harry Clark
    1954 21 Feb 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] Charlotte Amalie; St Thomas; Leeward Islands Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1954 Mar Greta Jankko arrived in the Marquesas Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:454] Marquesas Islands Greta Jankko; Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1954 1 Mar 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] Solomon Islands Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1954 Mar Qudratu’lláh Rawhání and Khudárahm Muzhgání arrived in Mahé and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:454] Mahe Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 4 Mar 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.
    		• Tabiteuea; Kiribati; Gilbert Islands Knights of Bahaullah; First Bahais by country or area; Islands; BWNS
    1954 Mar Olivia Kelsey and Florence Ullrich arrived in Monaco and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:454]
  • See Bahá'í Chronicles for the story of the life of Florence Maria Ullrich Kelley (b. November 3, 1932 d. February 17, 2016)
    		• Monaco Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 25 Mar 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.
    		•  Reunion; France Leland Jensen; Knights of Bahaullah; Covenant-breakers
    1954 Apr 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] San Marino Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 Apr 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.
    		•  French Cameroon; Cameroon; Douala Meherangiz Munsiff; Samuel Njiki (Samuel Nyki); Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 Apr The arrival of Knight Mr. Enoch Olinga in British Cameroon. [BWNS291] British Cameroon; Africa Knights of Bahaullah; Enoch Olinga; BWNS
    1954 Apr 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.

    		 Brunei John Fozdar; Knights of Bahaullah
    1954. 9 Apr 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] Galapagos Islands; Ecuador Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1954 11 Apr Bula Mott Stewart arrived in Swaziland and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:456] Swaziland Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 13 Apr David Tanyi, a tailor, arrived in French Togoland from British Cameroons and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:451] French Togoland (Togo); Togo Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 Apr 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] British Togoland (Ghana); Ghana Knights of Bahaullah; Edward Tabe; Albert Buapiah
    1954 Apr The arrival of Knight Martin Manga to Northern Territories Protectorate (now part of Ghana). [BWNS249; BW13:455] Northern Territories Protectorate (Ghana); Ghana Knights of Bahaullah; BWNS
    1954 Apr Benedict Eballa arrived in Ashanti Protectorate (Now part of Ghana) and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:449; BWNS249] Ashanti Protectorate (Ghana); Ghana Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 18 Apr John and Valera Allen arrived in Swaziland and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:456] Swaziland Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 Apr Habíb Isfahání arrived in Dakar and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for French West Africa. [BW13:452] Dakar; French West Africa Habib Isfahani; Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 21 Apr Bruce Matthew arrived at Goose Bay and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for Labrador. [BW13:453] Goose Bay; Labrador; Canada Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 Apr Kay Zinky arrived in the Magdalen Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:453] Magdalen Islands Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1954 Apr Howard Gilliland arrived in Labrador and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:453] Labrador Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 Apr 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] Tangier; Morocco Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 Apr 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] Dutch West Indies (Lesser Antilles); Lesser Antilles Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 Apr 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] Guam; Mariana Islands Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1954 May Elinore Putney arrived in the Aleutian Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá’u‘lláh. [BW13:449] Aleutian Islands; Alaska; United States; Russia Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 2 May The arrival of Knights of Bahá'u'lláh Mavis Nymon and Vivian Wesson in French Togoland (now called Togo). [BWNS329 ] French Togoland (Togo); Togo Knights of Bahaullah; BWNS
    1954 2 May 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] Barrigada; Guam; Mariana Islands; Oceania Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 4 May 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] Haifa; BWC Roll of Honour; Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 4 May 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] St Helena Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 5 May 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] French Somaliland (Djibouti); Djibouti Sabri Elias; Raissa Elias; Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 2 May Mavis Nymon and Vivian Wesson, both Americans, arrived in French Togoland and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:451] Togo; Africa Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 17 May 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] Bata; Spanish Guinea; Equatorial Guinea Elise Schreiber (later Lynelle); Knights of Bahaullah; BWNS
    1954. 29 May 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]
    		• Galapagos Islands; Ecuador Knights of Bahaullah; Islands; Haik Kevorkian; Haig Kevorkian
    1954 Jun Harold and Florence Fitzner arrived in Portuguese Timor and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:455] Portuguese Timor; East Timor Harold Fitzner; Florence Fitzner; Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 Jun Louise Groger arrived on Chiloé Island and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:450] Chiloe Island Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1954 Jun 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] Las Palmas; Canary Islands Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1954 24 Jun 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.
    		•  Bhutan; India Shapur Rawhani; Ardishir Furudi; Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 Jul José Marques arrived in Portuguese Timor and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:455] Portuguese Timor; East Timor Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 Jul 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] Malta Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1954 5 Jul Violet Hoehnke, an Australian, arrived in Papua New Guinea and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for the Admiralty Islands. [BW13:449] Papua New Guinea; Admiralty Islands Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 12 Jul 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] Tonga Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1954 7 Aug Marcia Steward de Matamoros Atwater arrived in the Marshall Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:454] Marshall Islands Marcia Atwater; Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1954 28 Aug Mihribán Suhaylí (Mehraban Sohaili) arrived on the Comoro Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:450] Comoro Islands Mihriban Suhayli (Mehraban Sohaili); Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1954 1 Oct Anthony and Mamie Seto arrived in Hong Kong. Hong Kong; Asia Knights of Bahaullah; Anthony Seto; Mamie Seto find reference
    1954. 22 Oct 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]

    		 Keelung; Taiwan; Shanghai; China Knights of Bahaullah; Suleimani, Mr. and Mrs.; Husayn Ouskouli Uskuli; Auxiliary Board Members
    1955 Mar Kamálí Sarvístání arrived on Socotra Island and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:456] Socotra Island Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1955 (Spring) Travelling by foot, Udai Narain Singh arrived in Tibet from Gangtok, Sikkim, and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh, his second such distinction.
  • He was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh in spring 1956. [BW13:456]
    		•  Tibet; Sikkim; India Udai Narain Singh; Knights of Bahaullah
    1955 4 Jun Frank Wyss of Australia arrived on Cocos and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:450] Cocos Knights of Bahaullah
    1955 Oct Daniel Haumont arrived in the Loyalty Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:453] Loyalty Islands Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1956 May Mary Zabolotny (later Mrs Ken McCulloch), of Ukrainian background, arrived on Anticosti Island, Canada, and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:449] Anticosti Island; Canada Knights of Bahaullah; Mary Zabolotny McCulloch; Islands
    1957 May Pouva Murday of Mauritius arrived in the Chagos Archipelago and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. Chagos Archipelago Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1957 Jul Margaret Bates and her daughter Jean Frankel of the United States arrived in the Nicobar Islands and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:454; PH63] Andaman and Nicobar Islands Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1958 26 Jun Paul Adams, from Reading, England, having obtained permission to accompany Svalbard’s chief hunter on a fishing tour in the summer and to spend the winter with him in Sassen Fjord, arrived in Spitzbergen and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:456]
  • See also Adams, Arctic Island Hunter published by George Ronald in 1961. iiiii
    		• Spitzbergen Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1950 Aug John Z. T. Chang arrived in Hainan Island and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:452] Hainan Island Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1959 18 Aug Cheong Siu Choi (John Z. T. Chang), the Chinese headmaster of the Leng Nam Middle School and a highly respected leader in Macau, arrived with his family on Hainan Island and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:452]
  • PH75 says this was August 1958.
    		•  Hainan Island Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1959 Sep Clifford and Catherine Huxtable arrived in the Gulf Islands and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh (albeit on 14 September 1969 see LNW101). [BW13:457] Gulf Islands Clifford Huxtable; Catherine Huxtable; Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1962 Apr Virginia Breaks, Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for the Caroline Islands, moved to Saipan, the first pioneer to the area. Saipan Virginia Breaks; Knights of Bahaullah; Pioneers
    1967. 25 Dec The passing of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Charles Dunning (b.27 March, 1885 need Leeds). [BW14p305-308]
  • See Bahaipedia
  • See a story about Charles as told by Marion Hofman.
  • See Bahá'í Blogspot for a photo of Charles with Ted Cardell and a story from a talk by Ian Semple.
  • See the Bahá'ís of Orkney website.
    		•  Cardiff; Wales; United Kingdom Knights of Bahaullah; In Memoriam; Births and deaths
    1972 17 Dec The passing of Matthew Washington Bullock (b. 11 September, 1881 in Dabney, North Carolina) in Detroit, Michigan. His place of burial is unknown.
  • He was a singer, a talented athlete, a football coach, a teacher, a soldier, a war hero, a civic leader, a church leader.

    • See this newspaper clipping which implies that he may have been subjected to rough treatment by the opposing Princeton team.
  • Lawyer-graduated from Harvard Law School in 1907.
  • Found the Faith in 1940 after many years of careful investigation.
  • Husband to Katherine Wright, (d. 1945), father to Matthew W. Bullock Jr (a judge) and Julia Gaddy (librarian).
  • Chairman of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Boston.
  • Travel teacher to Haiti, Costa Rica, Mexico, Belgian Congo, Liberia.
  • Elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of the the United States in 1952.
  • Represented the NSA at the first Intercontinental Bahá'í Conference in Uganda, East and received permission to visit the Holy Land on pilgrimage prior to attending the Conference.
  • Became a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh in 1953 for Dutch West Indies when he and four other members of the NSA resigned to take up pioneer posts.
  • He received an honorary degree from Harvard in recognition of the lifetime of achievements.
  • He spent his last years in Detroit in the care of his daughter. [BW15p535-539]
  • Find a grave
  • See a biographical article in the Evertt Independent.
    		• Dabney, NC; Detroit; United States In Memoriam; Matthew Bullock; Knights of Bahaullah; Births and deaths
    1974 11 Sep Annemarie Krüger, a German citizen and a granddaughter of Dr Auguste Forel, arrived in Moldavia (then the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, a part of USSR) on the first of her teaching trips to Chisinau (Kishinev) as a tourist.
  • In 1985 she was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh by the Universal House of Justice, although she never lived in the country. [Candle9 28 July, 2008]
    		•  Moldavia Knights of Bahaullah; Annemarie Krüger
    1978 23 Dec Helmut Winkelbach, a German Bahá’í, arrived in Bobrujsk, in what was then called the Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [Ela-D Committee of Germany Records; BW95-96p48] Bobrujsk; Belarus Helmut Winkelbach; Knights of Bahaullah
    1979 16 Sep Enoch Olinga—Hand of the Cause of God and Knight of Bahá’u’lláh—his wife and three of his children were murdered in Kampala, Uganda. (b.24 June 1926) [BBD 172; BW18:633; LoF471-472]
  • He was buried near the grave of Hand of the Cause Mr Banání with the graves of his wife and children nearby. [CG132]
  • Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the third contingent on the 2nd of October, 1957. [MoCxxiii]
  • For his obituary see BW18:618–35.
  • See Bahá'í Blog for a tribute to his life.
  • Early in May soldiers had invaded his home and thoroughly sacked it. The president of Uganda was a Nilotic and a native of northern Uganda as were a majority of his army. After taking control of the country they began to take reprisals from rival tribes and those who they thought had supported Idi Amin. [CG127]
  • On the morning of the murders Mr. Olinga and his family had participated in a work detail at the Temple grounds. After the evening meal, a group of soldiers entered their compound and murdered him as well as his wife Elizabeth the children Táhirih and Lennie. [CG130-132]
  • Claire Gung, the "Mother of Africa", had had an extraordinarily accurate dream and had warned Mr. Olinga of his danger. [CG163]
    		•  Kampala; Uganda Enoch Olinga; Hands of the Cause; Hands of the Cause, Births and deaths; Births and deaths; Knights of Bahaullah; In Memoriam; Hands of the Cause, Third Contingent; Persecution, Uganda; Persecution, Deaths; Persecution; Dreams and visions
    1979 29 Dec Rahmatu’lláh Muhájir, Hand of the Cause of God and Knight of Bahá’u’lláh, passed away in Quito, Ecuador. (b. 4 April 1923 in 'Abdu'l-'Azím) [BW18:486, 651]
  • Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the third contingent on the 2nd of October, 1957. [MoCxxiii]
  • For his obituary see BW18:651–9.
  • See BWNS353 for news of the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of his passing in Quito.
  • See also Dr Muhajir: Hand of the Cause of God, Knight of Bahá’u’lláh by Írán Furútan Muhájir.
  • See Bahá'í Chronicles.
  • For stories about Dr Mahájir see Bahá'í Memories.
  • See Academic Wikipedia.
  • See Rahmatu'llah Muhajir: Hand of the Cause of God the Treasure of All Humanity by Richard Francis.
  • A photo.
  • See as well LoF455-461.
  • The 25th anniversary of Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir's death was marked in Ecuador by a Growth and Victories conference and graveside ceremony, including a talk by his daughter Gisu Mohadjer Cook. BWNS353]
    		•  Quito; Ecuador; Abdul-Azim; Iran Rahmatullah Muhajir; Hands of the Cause; Hands of the Cause, Births and deaths; Births and deaths; Knights of Bahaullah; In Memoriam; Hands of the Cause, Third Contingent; BWNS
    1981 23 May Helmut Winkelbach, Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for Belarus, married Olga Grigorevna Dolganova, a Russian, their wedding ceremony was the first Bahá’í wedding in the Soviet Union. Soviet Union; Russia Helmut Winkelbach; Olga Grigorevna Dolganova; Knights of Bahaullah; Firsts, Other; Weddings
    1983. 25 Jun The passing of Reginald "Rex" Collison (b. 3 May 1884 in Ohio). He was buried in Oak Mound Cemetery, Healdsburg, Sonoma County, California, USA. [BW19p595-596]
  • Rex accepted a position in plant research on the staff of Cornell University and held this post for thirty-three years, retiring in 1945 as Chief of Research and Professor Emeritus.
  • Rex and Mary were married in 1920 and in 1924 learned of the Faith from Howard and Mabel Ives.
  • In 1952 he and Mary pioneered to Uganda. When the Ten Year Crusade was launched in 1953, the Collisons were the first American believers to arise. Accompanied by Mr. Dunduzu Chisiza, a young Nyasaland African who served as their interpreter and shared their home for over a year, they settled in Ruanda-Urundi. (Today,known as Rwanda and Burundi.) For their service in opening Ruanda-Urundi to the Faith the trio were named by Shoghi Effendi Knights of Baha'u'llah. Returning to Kampala in 1955, the Collisons were later appointed custodians of the Mother Temple of Africa and they served the Faith in this capacity with great devotion until 1966 when they found it necessary to return home to Geyserville.
  • See CG66-67 for their services while in Uganda.
  • Find a grave.
  • On August 11, 1970, Rex lost his wife Mary (b. 13 Nov 1892 in Adelaide, Middlesex County, Ontario, Canada). [BW15p486]
  • Find a grave.
    		• Healdsburg; California; United States Rex Collison; In Memoriam; Mary Collison; Dunduzu Chisza; Knights of Bahaullah
    1985 (In the year) Annemarie Krüger, who began travelling to Moldavia to teach the Bahá’í Faith in 1974, was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh by the Universal House of Justice, although she never lived in the country. [Candle9 28 July, 2008] Moldavia Knights of Bahaullah; Travel teaching
    1985 6 Feb The passing of Claire Gung (b. 3 November, 1904, Gladbeck, Ruhrgebeit, Germany, d. Kampala, Uganda). She was buried in The National Bahá'í Cemetery of Uganda. [BW19p653-657]
  • She had worked as a children's nurse or housekeeper in Germany, switzerland, Austria, the Italian tyrol, Belgium, Holland and finally settled in England in 1930. She became a Bahá'í in Torquay and after a time in Eastleigh, Dovon, later joined the small Bahá’í group in Cheltenham in 1940. She moved to the Manchester area and later pioneered to Northampton in November 1946 to become member of the first Spiritual Assembly there. In 1948 she again pioneered to help form the first Spiritual Assembly in the “Pivotal Centre” of Cardiff then to Brighton and to Belfast. In 1947 she became a naturalized British subject. In 1950, during the “Year of Respite”, Claire became the first pioneer to actually move from the British community to settle in Africa when Shoghi Effendi called for Bahá'ís to open Africa. She sailed on the "Warwick Castle" on 4 (or 25) January, 1951 and landed in Tanzania where she obtained a post as assistant matron in a school in Lushoto,150 miles from Dar-es-Salaam. [CG158-159]
  • She became a "Knight" for Rhodesia. Mr. Zahrai was actually the first Bahá'í to come to Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) during a Ten Year Crusade. He was followed soon after by Claire Gung, Eyneddin and Tahirih Ala'i, Kenneth and Roberta Christian and Joan Powis. All seven received the accolade of Knight of Baha'u'llah from Shoghi Effendi. Subsequently the Guardian gave her the title, "Mother of Africa".
  • Later she moved to Uganda where she started a Kindergarten school. She was affectionately known as "Auntie Claire".
  • After being in the country since 1957 Auntie Claire was granted he certificate of residence for life from the Republic of Uganda date the 11th of May, 1978. [CG118] [BWNS275; Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Historical Dictionary of the Bahá'í Faith p.209; UD211, 482]
  • Also see Claire Gung Mother of Africa by Adrienne Morgan and published by the National Spiritual Assembly of Baha'is of South Africa; (1997).
    		•  Rhodesia; Zimbabwe; Uganda; Tanzania In Memoriam; Knights of Bahaullah; Claire Gung; Auntie Claire; Eyneddin Alai; Tahirih Alai; Ken Christian; Roberta Christian
    1988 28 Dec Sean Hinton, a British Bahá’í youth of 22 years, arrived in Ulaan Baator, Mongolia, as an official research scholar in ethnomusicology from the University of Cambridge, the first Bahá’í to reside in Mongolia. [VV101]
  • Seven months later he was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh by the Universal House of Justice.
  • See VV101 for a picture.
    		•  Ulaan Baatar; Mongolia Sean Hinton; Knights of Bahaullah
    1989 Jul Sean Hinton, the first Bahá’í to reside in Mongolia, was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh by the Universal House of Justice. Mongolia Sean Hinton; Knights of Bahaullah
    1990 24 Mar Abbas and Rezvanieh Katirai opened the Sakhalin Islands and became Knights of Bahá'u'lláh after 35 years of pioneering in Japan. This last goal was achieved 37 years after the Guardian had designated it as a goal of the Ten Year Crusade. [DM345; AWH73; VV112; Russia by Moojan Momen] Sakhalin Island; Russia; Japan Knights of Bahaullah
    1991 18 Jun The passing of Hand of the Cause of God, Knight of Bahá'u'lláh, John Aldham Robarts at Rawdon, Quebec. He was born in Waterloo, Ontario 2nd of November, 1901. [VV124]
  • Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the third contingent on the 2nd of October, 1957. [MoCxxiii]
  • See BW20p801-809.
  • For his obituary see BINS250:10.
  • For picture see VV124.
  • For the story of how he came to learn of the Faith see SBR137.
  • See LoF473-495.
  • A 50-minute film entitledRetrospective, a Ciné Bahá’í production, was made as a tribute to the Hand of the Cause John A. Robarts on the occasion of his 40th anniversary as a member of the Bahá‘r' community.
    		• Rawdon; Quebec Hands of the Cause; Hands of the Cause, Births and deaths; Births and deaths; Knights of Bahaullah; John Robarts; In Memoriam; Births and deaths
    1992 27 – 30 May Three thousand Bahá'ís representing approximately 200 countries and territories, gathered at the Bahá'í World Centre to mark the Centenary of the Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh. [BINS271:1–2; BW92–3, 96–8, 121]

    On the 27th (or 28th) of May...the gathering of one hundred thirteen Knights of Bahá'u'lláh along with 19 representatives of every National Spiritual Assembly (165) and 9 representatives of every territory without a National Spiritual Assembly (40-50) at Bahjí in commemoration of the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh (some 3,000 persons). The original scroll bearing the Roll of Honour of the Knights of Bahá'u'lláh was placed by Hand of the Cause Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum in a chamber at the entrance door of the inner sanctuary of the Most Holy Shrine. [AWH90, 105; VV128; BW92-3p98; BINS271:1; Message 7 June 1992]

  • See the Roll of Honour online at Knights of Bahá'u'lláh.
  • For pictures see VV127-8, BINS271:9-10, BW92–3:97.
    		• BWC; Haifa Bahaullah, Ascension of; Bahaullah, Shrine of; Roll of Honour; Knights of Bahaullah; Holy days; Centenaries; - Basic timeline, Expanded
    1993 15 Apr The passing of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Stanley Theodore Bagley, (b.2 February, 1912 in Bertrand, Missouri). He had been a pioneer to Belgium, France, Guadeloupe, Martinique, the United States as well as Sicily where he and his family, wife Florence, son Gerry and daughters Susan and Carol, received the Knighthood for their service. [BW93-94p319; BWIM63-65] United States; Belgium; France; Guadeloupe; Martinique; Sicily Knights of Bahaullah; In Memoriam; Births and deaths; Stanley Bagley
    2000 22 Aug The passing of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Audrey Robarts (née FitzGerald) in her 96th year. She was buried with her husband, Hand of the Cause of God John Robarts, in the Ecumenical Cemetery in Rawdon. He had predeceased her on the 18th of June, 1991. [BW00-01p272]
  • After the passing of her husband she travelled to four countries in southern Africa in response to a request from the National Spiritual Assembly of Botswana where she was known as the "beloved mother of our country".
    		•  Rawdon; Quebec; Canada Audrey Robarts; Knights of Bahaullah; Births and deaths; In Memoriam
    2003 3 Mar The passing of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Una Dean, née Townshend, in Edmonton, Canada. Una lived a full life of Bahá'í service. In 1946 she was the first Bahá'í in Dublin and was later a member of the first spiritual assembly. She also helped to form the first spiritual assembly in Liverpool. In October 1953 she was the first Bahá'i in Malta, a goal of the Ten Year Crusade. In 1954 she returned to Ireland to tend to her ailing father and to assist him in writing Christ and Bahá'u'lláh. After his passing in 1957 she moved to America, met and married her husband, Dick Dean, and moved to Edmonton where she served on the Local Assembly until 1987. [BW02-03p269] Edmonton; Alberta; Canada; Malta; Ireland; Liverpool; Dublin Una Dean; Una Townshend; Knights of Bahaullah; Births and deaths; In Memoriam
    2004 2 Apr The passing of Ola Pawlowska (b. Ola Clemens 14 February, 1910 in Lakta, outside Cacow, Poland) in Newfoundland, Canada. Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for St. Pierre and Miquelon, translator of the Writings (into Polish), pioneer to Poland, Luxembourg and Congo (30 years), Auxiliary Board Member. [BW'03-‘04pg236, BWNS248]
  • For her biography see Legacy of Courage: The Life of Ola Pawlowska, Knight of Bahá'u'lláh" by Suzanne Schuurman, published by George Ronald in 2008.
    		•  Lakta; Cacow; Newfoundland; Canada; St Pierre and Miquelon; Poland; Luxembourg; Congo Knights of Bahaullah; Ola Pawlowska; Births and deaths; BWNS; Auxiliary Board Members
    2007. 1 Jun The passing of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Jameson (Jamie) Bond (b. 6 November, 1917 Toronto, ON) in Duncan, BC. [SDSC262, 387-388, 406]
  • For a biography see Sole Desire Service Cause An Odyssey of Bahá'í Service: Gale and Jameson Bond by Don Brown published by George Ronald.
    		•  Toronto; Duncan; BC Jameson Bond; In Memoriam; Knights of Bahaullah; Births and deaths
    2009. 14 Apr The passing of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Gale Bond, née Keass (b. 13 November, 1919 in Emod, Hungary) in Cowichan, BC. [SDSC397]
  • See Sole Desire Service Cause An Odyssey of Bahá'í Service: Gale and Jameson Bond by Don Brown published by George Ronald for a biography.
    		•  Emod; Hungary; Cowichan BC; Canada Gale Bond; In Memoriam; Knights of Bahaullah; Births and deaths
    2013. 28 July The passing of Amin Banani (b. 23 September 1926 in Tehran) in Santa Monica. He was survived by his wife Sheila Wolcott (m. 1951)and daughters Sussane and Laila. Find a grave.
  • During World War II, like a number of other young Persian men, Amin was sent to study in the United States. He graduated with a BA, majoring in history from Stanford University in 1947. During his study at Stanford he became familiar with western music and read philosophy and world literature. He obtained his MA from Columbia University in 1949 and returned to Stanford for his PhD degree, which he received in 1959.
  • In 1953 Amin and Sheila became Knights of Bahá'u'lláh for being among the first Bahá'ís to settle in Greece. In Athens Dr. Banani taught history at the Overseas Program of the University of Maryland in Athens until 1958 when his work permit expired and they were obligated to leave the country.
  • A list of some of his publications can be found on Bahá'í Library.
  • A tribute to Dr Banani Professor Amin Banani, 1926–2013: A Prominent Scholar of Iranian Studies by Ehsan Yarshater.
  • His three-part lecture on Shoghi Effendi's letters entitled The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh can be found on Soundcloud. Another talk The Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha can be found at "Bahá'í Talks".
  • In the late 1940s he accepted assignments to represent the Bahá'í community at a UN conference of nongovernmental organizations and a human rights commission. In the early 1950s he also served the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly on its National Youth Committee. For more complete biographical information see his eulogy on the US Bahá'í site and another in the Lights of Irfan.
    		•  Santa Monica; United States In Memoriam; Amin Banani; Sheila Wolcott; Knights of Bahaullah
    2016 7 May The passing of Jenabe Esslemont Caldwell, 89 in Wailuku, Hawaii. (b. August 7, 1926 in Butte, Montana). He and his wife Elaine were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh for pioneering to the Aleutian Islands in July, 1953 where they started a king crab and salmon cannery. They sponsored the Bahá’í­ singing group Windflower that toured Europe, including the United Kingdom, in the 1980s. He was the author of the books: The Story of the Báb & Bahá'u'lláh, From Night to Knight, Follow the Instructions and Reflections. He is well-known for his mass teaching successes. [Bahaipedia] Butte; Montana; Aleutian Islands; Wailuku; Hawaii Jenabe Caldwell; Elaine Caldwell; Knights of Bahaullah; Windflower (singing group); Mass teaching

    from the chronology of Canada

    date event locations tags see also
    1937 (In the year) John and Audrey Robarts became Bahá’ís in Toronto. [OBCC151] Toronto, ON John Robarts; Audrey Robarts; Knights of Bahaullah; Hand of the Cause
    1953 2 Sep Doris Richardson arrived on Grand Manan Island and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. She remained there until 1974 The first declaration, Arno Chesley, on the island was in 1958. [BW13:452; CBN No 321 November, 1957 p5; KoB276-277; CBN No 45 October 1953 p1] Grand Manan Island, NB Doris Richardson; Knights of Bahaullah; Arno Chesley
    1953. 8 Sep Jameson and Gale Bond arrived in Arctic Bay in the District of Franklin and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. They stayed until 1955. They were in Cambridge Bay from 1955 until 1962 and then Mr Bond served as the Northern Services Officer, the first to hold this government position. [BW13:451, SDSC127; KoB264-268] Arctic Bay, NU; Cambridge Bay, NU Jameson Bond; Gale Bond; Knights of Bahaullah
    1953. 22 Sep Kathleen Weston MacLeod moved from her pioneering post in Charlottetown to the Magdalene Islands. She was followed by her husband Ernest. Although she was qualified as a nurse she was unable to work at the Catholic hospital and so took a job as a temporary replacement for the teacher in an English school. The local minister launched a rumour campaign against her and so she called a meeting of the parents of her school to reveal that she was a Bahá'í and to explain the tenants of the Faith. They expressed their overwhelming support for her in oppositions to the minister's efforts to have her teacher's permit revoked and to have her leave the Island.

    Because she was not able to find employment she departed on the 22nd of December and was replaced by Kay Zinky in February 1954. She was an American from Colorado Spring, Colorado, whose husband, a non-Bahá'í, supported her during her stay of one year, until February 1954. Margaret and Larry Rowdon with their daughter Ayn arrived in the summer of 1954. They stayed until 1969. During this time the rest of their children, Leslie, Ruth, Devin, Karen and Bret were born. [CBN No 49 Feb 1954 p2; CBN No 54Jul 1954 p2] [CBN Vol 18 No 1 May 2005 p24-26; HB25; BW13:453; KoB278-280]

    The first person to declare on the Magdalens was Carole Bates, originally from Nova Scotia. [HB116]

    		Magdalen Islands, QC Kathleen Weston; Knights of Bahaullah; Kay Zinky; Margaret Rowdon; Larry Rowdon; Ayn Rowdon; Carole Bates; Ernest MacLeod
    1953. 23 Sep Ted and Joan Anderson arrived in Whitehorse, Canada, and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh for the Yukon. The first local spiritual assembly was elected in 1959. When they left in 1972 there were some 400 Bahá'ís in the area. [BW13:457; KoB255263; LynnEchvarria2008p57; CBN No46 Nov 1953 p3]
  • The Andersons established an organization called the Indian Advancement Association for Indigenous people, which later was changed to the Native Brotherhood and Yukon Association of Non-status Indians. Many of the early Bahá’ís in the Yukon were Indigenous elders. In addition to contributing to the growth and development of the Bahá’í community in the Yukon, these Bahá’ís also significantly contributed to the revitalization of the Indigenous cultures and language of the Yukon. [NSA website]
    		• Whitehorse, YT Ted Anderson; Joan Anderson; Knights of Bahaullah; Susan Rice; Marion Jack; Emogene Hoagg; Orcella Rexford; Local Spiritual Assembly, formation
    1953 Oct Noland Boss arrived Yellowknife (MacKenzie District). Noland was one of the first believers to arise during the Ten Year Crusade, and to travel from his home community in the Okanagan Valley north to the frontier town of Yellowknife which was a twentieth century version of a nineteenth century mining camp. Here amidst a floating and ever changing population, Noland found employment and in later years to it he brought his bride. In the years that have followed, Noland and Bernice established their home and raised their family and, with undeviating steadfastness, have remained at their post.

    Other pioneers to Yellowknife were Ted Blencowe (1954 September) and later his wife, Helen, and Don and Midge Ulery, as well as Arthur and Lily Anne Irwin. [CBN No57 Oct 1954 p1; CBN No 207 Apr 1967 p8]

    		Yellowknife, NT Noland Boss; Bernice Boss; Ted Blencowe; Helen Blencowe Knights of Bahaullah; Midge Ulery; Don Ulery
    1953 Oct Mrs (Alexandra) Ola Pawlowska arrived in St Pierre and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for Miquelon Island and St Pierre Island. [BW13:454; KoB282-283; CBN No 46 November 1953 p5]
  • See CBN No 48 January, 1954 p5 for a letter from Ola describing the conditions on the island.
  • After four years she asked the Guardian's permission to leave and his reply was that she could provided she found a replacement. She went on to spend more than 30 years in Africa. [KoB283]
    		•  Miquelon Island; St Pierre Island Knights of Bahaullah; Ola Pawlowska
    1953 Oct John Robarts (1901 – 1991) and Audrey Robarts, who had become Bahá’ís in 1937 in Toronto, pioneered to Bechuanaland (Botswana) with their children, Patrick and Tina. Aldham pioneered to West Africa. [Bahá’í Community of Canada. “John Robarts.” Baha’i Historical Figures; CBN No 47 December, 1953 p1]
  • John was a member of the National Spiritual Assembly from 1948–53.
  • In 1953 they became Knights of Bahá’u’lláh when they pioneered to Bechuanaland sailing from Saint John on the 6th of January. [CBN No 50 March 1954 p2]
  • from John and Audrey Robarts. "They are now comfortably settled at Mafeking, where they were fortunate enough to buy an attractive bungalow with electrical equipment and furniture a few days after their arrival. Housing is very scarce in Mafeking and people who have been living in hotels for months looking for accommodation eye them with envy. The house is situated in an orchard with 12 varieties of fruit, and overlooks a golf course on one side and a fine school playground on the other. John had a choice of positions offered him in the insurance field, Nina has an excellent school and Patrick is in Johannesburg at university." [CBN No52 May 1954 p2]
  • In 1957 John Robarts was appointed a Hand of the Cause of God. [14 May 1954. Messages to Canada]
    		•  Toronto, ON John Robarts; Audrey Robarts; Knights of Bahaullah; Tina Robarts; Patrick Robarts; Aldham Robarts
    1953. 12Oct Irving and Grace Geary arrive at their pioneer post on Cape Beton Island and took up residence in Baddeck and later moved to Sydney. They stayed on the island until 1961. They learned of the Faith from Mabel Ives who made a teaching trip to Moncton, NB where they were living in 1937. [KoB280-282]
  • Frederick and Jeanne Allen arrived one day later and opened a small grocery store a few kilometers from Sydney. They remained until 1961 when they were asked to return to Charlottetown to maintain the Assembly. [KoB280-282; BW15458-459]
    		•  Cape Breton Island, NS; Baddeck, NS; Sydney, NS Irving Geary; Grace Geary; Frederick Allen; Jeanne Allen; Knights of Bahaullah
    1954 Apr Howard Gilliland, an Air Force captain, arrived in Labrador and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. Because of housing difficulties his family was not able to join him. He left in February of 1955. [BW13:453; KoB269] Labrador, NL Howard Gilliland; Knights of Bahaullah
    1956. 18 Apr After three years of attempts by the National Assembly Mary Zabolotny was able to secure employment on the privately-owned Island of Anticosti and settle there to become a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. She was only able to stay for several months before she was forced to leave. [CBN No 76 May, 1956 p7]
  • Considering that this proved a difficult goal to fill the Guardian allowed the National Spiritual Assembly to choose an alternate goal-the Gulf Islands. [KoB10], 274; MC2p56]
    		• Anticosti Island, QC Knights of Bahaullah; Mary Zabolotny
    1959 13 Oct Clifford and Catherine Huxtable arrived in the Gulf Islands and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh (albeit in 1957 see LNW93). [BW13:457]
  • The Gulf Islands were not on the Guardians original list of pioneering goals but in January 1956, after several years of futile efforts to fill the goal of the Anticosti Island the Guardian gat the Canadian National Assembly permission to choose another goal. Mary Zabolotny did manage to fill the Anticosti goal but the Gulf Island goal remained.
  • They arrived with personal care worker Bernice Boulding who became a Bahá'í the following year, the first in the Gulf Islands. The first local assembly was formed on the 21st of April, 1964. The couple pioneered to St Helena arriving on the 9th of April, 1964. [KoB273-276]
    		•  Salt Spring Island, BC Clifford Huxtable; Catherine Huxtable; Knights of Bahaullah; Local Spiritual Assembly, formation
    1991 18 Jun The passing of Hand of the Cause of God, Knight of Bahá'u'lláh, John Aldham Robarts at Rawdon, Quebec. He was born in Waterloo, Ontario 2nd of November, 1901. [VV124]
  • Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the third contingent on the 2nd of October, 1957. [MoCxxiii]
  • See BW20p801-809.
  • For his obituary see BINS250:10.
  • For picture see VV124.
  • For the story of how he came to learn of the Faith see SBR137.
  • See LoF473-495.
  • A 50-minute film entitledRetrospective, a Ciné Bahá’í production, was made as a tribute to the Hand of the Cause John A. Robarts on the occasion of his 40th anniversary as a member of the Bahá‘r' community.
    		•  Rawdon, QC Hands of the Cause; Hands of the Cause, Births and deaths; Births and deaths; Knights of Bahaullah; John Robarts; In Memoriam
    2000 22 Aug The passing of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Audrey Robarts (née FitzGerald) in her 96th year. She was buried with her husband, Hand of the Cause of God John Robarts, in the Ecumenical Cemetery in Rawdon. He had predeceased her on the 18th of June, 1991. [BW00-01p272]
  • After the passing of her husband she had travelled to four countries in southern Africa in response to a request from the National Spiritual Assembly of Botswana where she was known as the "beloved mother of our country".
    		•  Rawdon, QC; Canada Audrey Robarts; Knights of Bahaullah; Births and deaths; In Memoriam
    2003 3 Mar The passing of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Una Dean, née Townshend, in Edmonton, Canada. Una lived a full life of Bahá'í service. In 1946 she was the first Bahá'í in Dublin and was later a member of the first spiritual assembly. She also helped to form the first spiritual assembly in Liverpool. In October 1953 she was the first Bahá'i in Malta, a goal of the Ten Year Crusade. In 1954 she returned to Ireland to tend to her ailing father and to assist him in writing Christ and Bahá'u'lláh. After his passing in 1957 she moved to America, met and married her husband, Dick Dean, and moved to Edmonton where she served on the Local Assembly until 1987. [BW02-03p269; Find a grave]
  • See Bahá'í Chronicles.
    		•  Edmonton, AB; Canada; Malta; Ireland; Liverpool; Dublin Una Dean; Una Townshend; Knights of Bahaullah; In Memoriam; Dick Dean
    2004 2 Apr The passing of Ola Pawlowska (b. Ola Clemens 14 February, 1910 in Lakta, outside Cacow, Poland) in Newfoundland, Canada. Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for St. Pierre and Miquelon, translator of the Writings (into Polish), pioneer to Poland, Luxembourg and Congo (30 years), Auxiliary Board Member. She had fled her native Poland iduring World War II and settled in Canada where she became a Bahá'í. [BW'03-‘04pg236, BWNS248]
  • For her biography see Legacy of Courage: The Life of Ola Pawlowska, Knight of Bahá'u'lláh" by by Suzanne Schuurman, published by George Ronald in 2008.
    		•  Lakta; Cacow; NL; St Pierre and Miquelon; Poland; Luxembourg; Congo Knights of Bahaullah; Ola Pawlowska; Births and deaths; Suzanne Schuurman; Auxiliary Board Members
    2007. 1 Jun The passing of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Jameson (Jamie) Bond (b. 6 November, 1917 Toronto, ON) in Duncan, BC. [SDSC262, 387-388, 406]
  • For a biography see Sole Desire Service Cause An Odyssey of Bahá'í Service: Gale and Jameson Bond by Don Brown published by George Ronald.
    		•  Toronto, ON; Duncan, BC Jameson Bond; In Memoriam; Knights of Bahaullah
    2009. 14 Apr The passing of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Gale Bond, née Keass (b. 13 November, 1919 in Emod, Hungary) in Cowichan, BC. [SDSC397]
  • See Sole Desire Service Cause An Odyssey of Bahá'í Service: Gale and Jameson Bond by Don Brown published by George Ronald for a biography.
    		•  Emod; Hungary; Cowichan, BC Gale Bond; In Memoriam; Knights of Bahaullah
    2016. Jul The publication of A Love That Could Not Wait: The Remarkable Story of Knights of Bahá’u’lláh Catherine Heward Huxtable and Clifford Huxtable by Jack McLean. It was published by One Voice Press in Essex Maryland.
  • This is the remarkable story of the love, marriage and pioneering exploits of Cliff and Catherine Huxtable, Knights of Bahá'u'lláh to the Gulf Islands and pioneers to St Helena Island, a goal of the Ten Year Crusade.
  • The book is available in pdf and Word format on Jack's website.
    		•  Regina, SK; Salt Spring Island, BC; St Helena Island Jack McLean; Wes Huxtable; Catherine Heward; Catherine Huxtable; Knights of Bahaullah
    2017. (In the Year) The publication of Sole Desire Serve Cause: An Odyssey of Bahá'í Service: Gale and Jameson Bond by Don Brown. It was published by George Ronald Publishers. Jameson Bond; Gale Bond; Knights of Bahaullah

    from the main catalogue

    1. Harold and Florence Fitzner: Knights of Bahá'u'lláh to Portuguese Timor, by Graham Hassall, in And the Trees Clapped their Hands: Stories of Bahá'í Pioneers, ed. Clair Vreeland (1994). Harold Thomas Fitzner (1893–1969) and his wife Florence (c. 1906-1980) were early South Australian Bahá'ís who pioneered to Portuguese Timor during the Ten Year Crusade; Harold was also involved in the publication of Herald of the South. [about]
    2. Indexes to Bahá'í World volumes: Obituaries, chronologies, contents, illustrations, in Bahá'í World (2013). Seven separate indexes for Bahá'í World, in PDF, Word, and Excel versions. [about]
    3. Life of Hugh McKinley, Knight of Bahá'u'lláh, by Olive McKinley, in Solas, 4 (2004). History of Hugh McKinley, correspondent of Shoghi Effendi, and his father, David McKinley — lives of interest not only to Bahá'ís but to the Irish in general. [about]
    4. Love That Could Not Wait, A: The Remarkable Story of Knights of Baha'u'llah Catherine Heward Huxtable and Clifford Huxtable, by Jack McLean (2016). The story of the Canadian Knights of Bahá'u'lláh, Catherine Heward Huxtable and husband Cliff Huxtable, who opened the southern Gulf Islands of British Columbia to the Bahá'í Faith in October, 1959. [about]
    5. Obituary: Knight of Baha'u'llah Mary Zabolotny McCulloch, by Universal House of Justice and Kenneth McCulloch (1996). Includes a tribute from the Universal House of Justice, a bibliography by Kenneth McCulloch, a letter from the National Spiritual Assembly, and a note from her husband. [about]
    6. Roll of Honor Bahá'í World Crusade 1953-1963, in Bahá'í World, Vol. 20 (1986-1992) (1998). A scroll listing the names of the Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [about]
    7. Virgin countries and territories opened during the first year of the 10 Year Crusade 1953-1954, in Bahá'í World, Vol. 12 (April 1950-1954) (1956). [about]
    8. Virgin Territories Opened by the Knights of Baha'u'llah 1953-1990, in Bahá'í World, Vol. 20 (1986-1992) (1998). List of names and dates of pioneers and the NSAs responsible for opening territories. [about]
     
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