Bahá’í History: A Timeline

Tihrán, Iran, where Bahá’u’lláh was born in 1817

The Bahá’í Faith was born in Persia (now Iran) in the 1800s. Explore the milestones below, starting with the birth of Bahá’u’lláh, the Prophet-Founder of the Bahá’í Faith.


• 1817, November 12
Birth of Bahá’u’lláh in Tihrán, Iran
 

• 1819, October 20
Birth of the Báb in Shíráz, Iran
 

• 1844, May 23
The Báb declares His Mission as Prophet-Founder of the Bábí Faith in Shíráz. He teaches that another Messenger of God will soon appear.
 

• 1850, July 9
The Báb is martyred in Tabríz, Iran.
 

• 1852-1853
Bahá’u’lláh is imprisoned in the “Black Pit” of Tihrán. He is then is exiled to Baghdád, Iraq.
 

• 1863
Bahá’u’lláh declares His Mission as Prophet-Founder of the Bahá’í Faith and the Messenger of God foretold by the Báb. Bahá’u’lláh is exiled to Constantinople (Istanbul) and then Adrianople (Edirne), Turkey, and finally to the prison-city of ‘Akká, Israel.
 

• 1877-1879
Bahá’u’lláh is finally free to live in countryside homes of Mazra‘ih and then Bahjí, near ‘Akká.
 

• 1892, May 29
Bahá’u’lláh passes away at Bahjí. In His will, He names ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, His eldest son, as leader of the Bahá’í Faith.
 

• 1911-1913
‘Abdu’l-Bahá makes historic journeys to Egypt, Europe, and North America.
 

• 1921, November 28
‘Abdu’l-Bahá passes away in Haifa, Israel. In his will, he names his grandson, Shoghi Effendi, as leader of the Bahá’í Faith.
 

• 1957
Shoghi Effendi passes away while traveling in England.
 

• 1963
The first Universal House of Justice is elected, becoming the international governing body of the Bahá’í Faith.
 

• Today
More than five million Bahá’ís live around the world, in nearly every country, representing over 2,000 ethnic groups.

Bahá’í Faith507 Bahá’u’lláh144 ‘Abdu’l–Bahá134 Shoghi Effendi37 Israel53 ’Akká39 Haifa17 Bicentenary75 The Báb69 BahaLife22