1957

Centuries:	19th century 20th century 21st century
Decades:	1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s
Years:	1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960
Categories:	Births - Deaths - Declarations Establishments - Publications
Media:	1957 (Events)

1957 was a common year of the Gregorian calendar, the 1957th year of the Common Era (CE), the 57th year of the 20th century, and the 8th year of the 1950s decade. 1957 corresponds to the years 113–114 of the Bahá'í Era (BE) according to the Badi calendar.

Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, who passed away on November 4, 1957.

Events

• Jeanne Frankel and her mother Margaret Kelly Bates arrive in Penang.
• January: Several Bahá'ís make a teaching trip to Tourane & Quảng Nam province in Vietnam. Two groups of a dozen people each begin studying the Faith in Tourane and in Quang Ngai province.
• February 3: Enoch Olinga arrives in the Holy Land, becoming the first black African Bahá’í to go on pilgrimage.
• October: Shoghi Effendi releases a message, originally conceived in August, in which he appoints additional Hands of the Cause and describes them as "Chief Stewards of Bahá’u’lláh’s embryonic World Commonwealth". In the message he also announces the establishment of additional Auxiliary Boards for Protection for each continent.
• October 20: Shoghi Effendi and Rúḥíyyih Khánum arrive in London, England, to purchase materials for the International Archives Building and surrounding Gardens.
• October 27: Shoghi Effendi becomes ill and he and Rúḥíyyih Khánum are diagnosed with a severe case of Asiatic influenza however he continues to work over the next week.
• November 4: Shoghi Effendi passes away ending the Guardianship of the Bahá’í Faith. Rúḥíyyih Khánum contacts the Hands of the Cause in England, Hasan Balyuzi and John Ferraby who join her, and Ugo Giachery is also contacted flying from Rome to London and joining them in the evening. She also contacts Leroy Ioas in Haifa.
• November 5: Rúḥíyyih Khánum contacts Hand of the Cause Adelbert Mühlschlegel, a medical doctor, asking him to wash Shoghi Effendi's body for burial. He accepts and arrives that evening from Germany with fellow Hand Hermann Grossmann. The date of the Funeral is set at November 9.
• November 8: The thirteen Hands of the Cause who had been able to gather in London gathered to plan the Funeral of the Guardian.
• November 9: The Funeral of the Guardian takes place in London, England, with the service lasting four hours. Many mourners gather for the funeral, including an official representative of the Israeli government, however only the Hands of the Cause, their Auxiliary Board members, and members of National Spiritual Assemblies remain for the sealing of the vault.
• November 15: Rúḥíyyih Khánum, Charles Mason Remey, Amelia Collins, Ugo Giachery, and Leroy Ioas arrive in Haifa and visit Shoghi Effendi's residence sealing his safe and desk.
• November 18 - 25: The First Conclave of the Hands of the Cause of God is held in the Holy Land. It is a meeting of all Hands of the Cause, except for Corinne True who could not travel due to her advanced age, at which they discuss the future of the Bahá’í Faith.
• November 19: During the Conclave of the Hands a delegation unseals Shoghi Effendi's safe and desk and all members sign a statement that no Will and Testament was found.
• November 25: At the close of the Conclave of the Hands it is announced that they are electing nine Custodians to serve as Head of the Faith from the Holy Land.
• December 2: Title to the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh, the Mansion of Bahjí, and all other buildings and lands which the Covenant-breakers had owned there transfered to the United States National Spiritual Assembly.

Firsts

• First summer school in Malaysia takes place.
• First Convention and Election of the first Regional Spiritual Assembly of South East Asia takes place in Jakarta.
• Hand of the Cause of God Dr. Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir visits Malaysia for the first time.
• Formation of the first Bahá’í Youth Committee of Malaysia in Malacca.
• April 21: Establishment of the first Local Spiritual Assembly in Central Vietnam in the village of Trừng Giang, Quảng Nam province, following the recent declaration of 13 individuals.

Establishments

Bahá'í World Centre

• The Institution of the Custodians.

Hands of the Cause of God

Shoghi Effendi appoints the final contingent of Hands of the Cause:

Africa

• Enoch Olinga
• John Robarts
• William Sears

Asia

• Agnes Alexander, appointed following the passing of George Townshend.
• Abu’l-Qásim Faizí

Australasia

• Collis Featherstone
• Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir

Europe

• Ḥasan Balyúzí
• John Ferraby

Auxiliary Boards

• New Auxiliary Boards for Protection established for each continent with members being appointed by the Hands of the Cause with existing Boards being designated Auxiliary Boards for Propagation.
  • Africa
  • Americas
  • Asia
  • Australasia
  • Europe

National Spiritual Assemblies

• Alaska
• Arabian Peninsula
• Australia
• Benelux Countries
• Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela
• Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia
• Greater Antilles
• Iberian Peninsula
• New Zealand
• Northeast Asia
• Pakistan
• Scandinavia & Finland
• Southeast Asia

Local Spiritual Assemblies

Africa

• Malanje, Angola.
• Mafeking, Bechuanaland.
• Usumbura, Burundi.
• Praia, Cape Verde Islands.
• Vacoas, Mauritius.
• Calabar, Nigeria.
• Fisenge, Northern Rhodesia.
• Outer Durban, South Africa.
• Port Sudan, Sudan.

Americas

• Vilacollo, Bolivia.
• Porto Alegre, Brazil.
• Sao Caetano, Brazil.
• Santiago, Republica Dominicana.
• Arequipa, Peru.
• Port-of-Spain, Trinidad.
• Auburn Judicial District, California, USA.
• Everett, Washington, USA.
• Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.
• Juneau, Alaska, USA.
• Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
• Ogden, Utah, USA.
• Santa Ana, California, USA.
• Santa Clara, California, USA.
• South King County Commissioner's District, Washington, USA.
• Springfield, Missouri, USA.
• Victor, New York, USA.
• Webster Groves, Missouri, USA.

Asia

• Brunei, North Borneo.
• Galle, Ceylon.
• Karikal, Puducherry, India.
• Hiroshima, Japan.
• Seremban, Malacca, Malaya.
• Trừng Giang, Quảng Nam province, Vietnam.

Australasia

• Canberra, ACT, Australia.
• Burnside, South Australia, Australia.
• Apia, Western Samoa.
• Honiara, Solomon Islands.

Europe

• Salzburg, Austria.
• Leicester, England.
• Portsmouth, England.
• Orleans, France.
• Athens, Greece.
• Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
• Valencia, Spain.

Social & Economic Development

• Auntie Claire's School, founded in Kampala, Uganda.

Buildings

• International Archives Building, exterior completed.

Births

• September 27: Saeid Rezaie, member of the Baha'i 7.
• December 25: Shahín Dálvand Persian Bahá’í martyr.

Deaths

• March 25: George Townshend, Hand of the Cause of God.
• May 6: Anthony Yuen Seto, pioneer to Hong Kong.
• November 4: Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, passes away in London.

Publications

Authoritative Writings & Guidance

• Secret of Divine Civilization by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, translated by Marzieh Gail.

Books

• Bahá'í, a Second Look by Marcus Bach.
• All Things Made New by John Ferraby.
• Christ and Bahá’u’lláh by George Townshend.

References

• Manisegaran, A. (2003). Jewel Among Nations - An account of the early days of the Bahá’í Faith in West Malaysia. Malaysia: Splendour Publications. ISBN 983-51419-0-9. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
• Lược Sử Tôn Giáo Baha'i Tại Việt Nam: 50 Năm - Một Chặng Đường, 1954-2004 (in Vietnamese). Baha'i Community of Vietnam. 2004. p. 76. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Publications listed in Jan Jasion's George Ronald: A Bibliographic History, accessed online April 30, 2019.