Chronology of the Theosophical Movement

• 1831 H. P. Blavatsky born, August 11-12, about midnight (Russian style, July 31) at Ekaterinoslav, Ukraine, Russia.
• 1848 Traveled in western Europe with her father, Captain Peter Alexeyevich von Hahn.
• 1849 Married N. V. Blavatsky, Councillor of State, Vice-Governor of Erivan.
• 1849-50 Traveled in Turkey, Egypt, Greece, France, etc. Met Coptic Adept.
• 1851 (?) Met the Mahatma Morya in London.
• 1851-8 Traveled in Canada, U.S.A., Mexico, India, Java, Tibet, South America, etc.
• 1858 Returned home to Russia.
• 1863-6 Traveled in the Caucasus, Mingrelia, Black Sea coast, Serbia, Italy, etc.
• 1868 Went to Tibet with her Master.
• 1870 Met the Master Hilarion (Illarion) in Greece. Shipwrecked near Spezzia (Spetsai).
• 1871 Attempted to start the Societe Spirite at Cairo.
• 1872 Returned to her family at Odessa.
• 1873 Went to Paris for some months.
• 1873 July 7. Arrived in New York according to her Master's order.
• 1874 October. Met H. S. Olcott at Chittenden, Vermont, and W. Q. Judge soon after.
• 1875 April 3. Second marriage.
• 1875 Theosophical Society established.
• 1875 November 17. Presidential address delivered.
• 1877 Isis Unveiled published.
• 1878 Divorce obtained.
• 1878 May. Temporary amalgamation of T. S. with the Arya Samaj, India.
• 1878 June. British T. S. established. Later called the London Lodge.
• 1878 July 8. H. P. Blavatsky became an American citizen.
• 1878 December 17. H.P.B. and Olcott leave New York for India.
• 1879 February 16. H.P.B. and Olcott, etc., reach Bombay, India.
• 1879 October. First number of The Theosophist issued.
• 1880 New Constitution of T. S. adopted at Bombay.
• 1880 May. H.P.B., Olcott, Damodar K. Mavalankar, etc., visit Ceylon.
• 1880 August. H.P.B. and Olcott go to Simla.
• 1881 Olcott writes Buddhist Catechism.
• 1882 H.P.B. dangerously ill. Is taken to Sikkim and restored to health by Masters.
• 1882 December 17. Headquarters transferred from Bombay to Madras (Adyar).
• 1882 First American Branch of Parent Society started at Rochester, N. Y.
• 1883 November. Olcott, Damodar, and Brown meet Mahatma Koot Hoomi at Lahore. Damodar visits Masters at asrama near Jammu, Kashmir.
• 1884 American Board of Control established.
• 1884 February 20. H.P.B., Olcott, Mohini, etc., leave India for Europe. Visit Nice, Paris, London, Elberfeld.
• 1884 December. H.P.B., etc., return to Adyar.
• 1884-5 The "Coulomb Conspiracy."
• 1885 February 23. Damodar leaves Adyar, enters Tibet in April.
• 1885 March 31. H.P.B. leaves India for good.
• 1885-7 H.P.B. in Torre del Greco, Wurzburg, and Ostend. Writing The Secret Doctrine.
• 1886 Sanskrit Library founded at Adyar.
• 1886 American Section organized. W. Q. Judge Secretary.
• 1887 H.P.B. settled in London. Blavatsky Lodge established. Lucifer started.
• 1888 The Secret Doctrine published. The Esoteric School founded.
• 1889 The Voice of the Silence and The Key to Theosophy published. Annie Besant joined T. S.
• 1890 European headquarters established at 19 Avenue Road, London.
• 1890 Death of Subba Row.
• 1891 May 8. Death of H.P.B. at 19 Avenue Road.
• 1893 Theosophical Congress at the World's Parliament of Religions, Chicago.
• 1894-5 The "Judge Case."
• 1895 April 28. "The Theosophical Society in America" established at Boston Convention. Judge elected President for life. Foreign National Sections and Lodges combine under him. H. S. Olcott continues as President of T. S. (Adyar) until his death on February 17, 1907. Annie Besant elected President. [See footnote 1, Chapter 23, for chronology of presidents of the T. S. (Adyar) from 1907 on.]
• 1896 March 21. Death of W. Q. Judge.
• 1896 June 13. Katherine Tingley and party leave New York on lecture tour around the world.
• 1898 January 13. The Universal Brotherhood organization established by Katherine Tingley. February 18, the Chicago Convention of the T S. adopts Constitution of the Universal Brotherhood.
• 1900 Headquarters of the "Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society" moved to Point Loma, California.
• 1929 July 29. Death of Katherine Tingley at Visingso, Sweden. Succeeded by Dr. H. L. G. de Purucker as Leader.
• 1929 December 5. Constitution of the "U. B. and T. S." amended and name of organization simplified to "The Theosophical Society."
• 1930 Fraternization among theosophical groups inaugurated by Dr. de Purucker.
• 1931 June 24. Joint celebration of H. P. Blavatsky's Centennial in London.
• 1942 June. International headquarters of the T. S. moved from Point Loma to Covina, California.
• 1942 September 27. Death of G. de Purucker at Covina.
• 1942-45 Cabinet administers Society.
• 1945 October 20. Colonel Arthur L. Conger selected by Cabinet as Leader of T. S.

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• [1950-1 A. L. Conger moved the international headquarters of the Society from Covina to the Pasadena area.
• 1951 February 22. Death of Arthur L. Conger at Pasadena, succeeded by James A. Long.
• 1971 July 19. Grace F. Knoche assumed leadership upon death of James A. Long.]

From H. P. Blavatsky and the Theosophical Movement by Charles J. Ryan (Copyright © 1975 by Theosophical University Press).