Development
1879 - First issue of Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence published ( www.watchtower.org )
1880 - 30 congregations in 7 states
1881 - Zions' Watch Tower Tract Society was formed ( www.watchtower.org )
1884 - Zion Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society incorporated, with Russell as president.
1888 - 50 people were witnessing door-to-door full time, handing out Bible literature ( www.watchtower.org )
1896 - Dropped "Zion" from the name
1909 - Headquarters moved to Brooklyn, New York (current location) ( www.watchtower.org )
By 1909, "Books, booklets, and tracts had been distributed by the hundreds of millions" in many languages. ( www.watchtower.org )
1914 - Day predicted for the Second Coming of Christ. Christ returned invisibly and fought with Satan in a heavenly battle. He was victorious, and now rules the Heavenly Kingdom. Satan was expelled to earth, and his influence was seen in the world wars that followed. The Watchtower website offers several quoted comments noting that the world changed in 1914.
"In 1876 the Bible student Charles Taze Russell contributed the article "Gentile Times: When Do They End?" to the Bible Examiner, published in Brooklyn, New York, which said on page 27 of its October issue, "The seven times will end in A.D. 1914." The Gentile Times is the period referred to in another Bible translation as "the appointed times of the nations." (Luke 21:24) Not all that was expected to happen in 1914 did happen, but it did mark the end of the Gentile Times and was a year of special significance. Many historians and commentators agree that 1914 was a turning point in human history." ( www.watchtower.org )
1916 - Death of Russell, Joseph Rutherford took over as the Society's second president
1931 - Began calling themselves Jehovah's Witnesses (formerly "Bible Students")
"To distinguish themselves from the denominations of Christendom, in 1931 these Christians embraced the name Jehovah's Witnesses. This name is based on Isaiah 43:10-12." (
visit link) "Their Modern Development and Growth"
1940 - Banned in Canada
1938-55 - Won 36 out of 45 religion-related court cases- contributed to religious freedom in the US (See (
visit link) )
Today
More than 700,000 Witnesses go door-to-door spreading the good news and handing out Bible literature. ( www.watchtower.org )