Timeline of Scientology

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This is a timeline of Scientology, particularly its foundation and development by author L. Ron Hubbard.

1938

• In an unpublished manuscript Excalibur, L. Ron Hubbard delineated the common denominator of existence as "survive" and outlined the theory that "life is composed of two things: the material universe and an X-factor...that can evidently organize and mobilize the material universe." This fundamental concept was to be the basis of his writings on both Dianetics and Scientology.^{citation needed}

1940s

1949

• First published work on Dianetics appeared in the Winter/Spring issue of the Explorers Club Journal entitled "Terra Incognita: The Mind". At this time he offered his findings on the mind to both the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association. Both organizations rejected them.^{citation needed}

1950s

1950

• L. Ron Hubbard's Dianetics — The Modern Science of Mental Health is published.^{citation needed}

1951

• Hubbard formed the religious philosophy of Scientology, which is based on his theory that man is most fundamentally a spiritual being — the X-factor.^{citation needed}

1952-02

• After learning that the Hubbard Dianetic Foundation of Wichita, Kansas would be liable for the debts of the defunct Hubbard Dianetic Research Foundation of Elizabeth, New Jersey, the board of directors, led by Don Purcell, voted to file for voluntary bankruptcy over Hubbard's objections. Hubbard forms a rival Hubbard College, also in Wichita, and disputes control of the copyrights of the Dianetics materials.^[1]

1952-05

• Hubbard publicly announces the formal establishment of the philosophy of Scientology and the formation of the Hubbard Association of Scientologists International, demonstrates the E-meter, and moves to Phoenix, Arizona.^{citation needed}

1952-07

• July 1952: Scientology: A History of Man published.^{citation needed}

1953

• Church of Scientology, Church of American Science and Church of Spiritual Engineering incorporated in Elizabeth, New Jersey by L. Ron Hubbard. Co-signatories were Henrietta Hubbard, L. Ron Hubbard Jr., John Galusha, Verna Greenough and Barabra Bryan. Named as trustees of the Church of Scientology were L. Ron Hubbard, Mary Sue Hubbard (not present), and John Galusha.^{citation needed}

1954

• The Church of Scientology is incorporated in California and Arizona.^{citation needed}

• The Internal Revenue Service grants a tax exemption to the Church of Scientology of California (CSC).^{citation needed}

1955-07

• The Founding Church of Scientology was founded in Washington, DC^{citation needed}

1957

• The church is recognized as a tax-exempt religious organization in the United States.^[2]

1959

• Hubbard moved to England and bought Saint Hill Mansion in Sussex, from which he would direct international operations and expansion until 1967.^{citation needed}

1960’s

1963-01-04

• The US Food and Drug Administration raided Scientology offices and seized hundreds of the Church's E-meters as illegal medical devices. The devices are now required to carry a disclaimer saying that they are a purely religious artifact. They are used in a Scientology counseling technique known as "auditing".^{citation needed}

1966

• Narconon founded.

1965

• Australian government bans Scientology in three of its states.^{citation needed}

1967

• The IRS strips the Church of Scientology in California, Scientology's headquarters, of its tax-exempt status, asserting that its activities are commercial and operated for the benefit of Mr. Hubbard, rather than charitable or religious reasons.^[2]

• OT III is made available to Scientologists. This level of Operating Thetan contains the story of Xenu, which becomes a source of enormous controversy for Scientology from the 1990s onward.^{citation needed}

1967

• The Sea Organization (or Sea Org) officially established.^{citation needed}

1967-12-27

• The first Advanced Organization, offering the advanced levels of Scientology to the public, was established aboard the Royal Scotman, the flagship of the Sea Organization. (This ship was later renamed the Apollo.)^{citation needed}

1970s

1970-02-22

• Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre in Los Angeles founded.^{citation needed}

1975

• Scientologists buy former Fort Harrison Hotel and old Bank of Clearwater.^{citation needed}

• Scientology is recognized as a non-profit organization in South Africa, despite the 1972 report of a formal government Commission of Inquiry that recommended otherwise.^[3]

1977

• Various locations of the Church of Scientology are raided by the FBI.^{citation needed}

1979

• As a result of FBI raids, eleven senior people in the church's Guardian's Office were convicted of obstructing justice, burglary of government offices, and theft of documents and government property. (See Operation Snow White)^{citation needed}

1979-12

• An estimated 3,000 gather at Clearwater City Hall to protest the church coming to Clearwater. Across the street, Scientologists stage a counter rally, dressed as clowns and wearing animal costumes.^{citation needed}

1980s

1982

• Clearwater's government holds hearings to explore allegations that the church is a cult.^{citation needed}

1983

• The High Court of Australia overturns the Scientology ban, declaring that "The applicant has easily discharged the onus of showing that it is religious. The conclusion that it is a religious institution entitled to the tax exemption is irresistible."^[4]

• The Church of Scientology of Toronto is raided. (See R. v. Church of Scientology of Toronto)^{citation needed}

1985

• The Church of Scientology acquires yacht "La Boheme" after its yacht broker, Bud Fields, is murdered by Yvonne Mott. After purchase, the COS renames "La Boheme" to "Freewinds".^{citation needed}

1986-01-24

• Hubbard dies after suffering a stroke at his ranch near San Luis Obispo, California.^{citation needed}

1986

• David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of the Religious Technology Center, becomes head.^{citation needed}

1990s

1991

• After the completion of a 4-year long program to reissue the books and courses of Dianetics and Scientology, a general amnesty is declared for members.^{citation needed}

1992-6

• The Church of Scientology is found guilty on two counts of breach of the public trust in Ontario, Canada in R. v. Church of Scientology of Toronto.^{citation needed}

1993-12

• The Internal Revenue Service of the United States grants full religious recognition and tax exemption to all Scientology Churches, missions and social betterment groups in that country.^[2][5]

1994-12

• On December 24, a number of Scientology's confidential Operating Thetan documents are published on the newsgroup alt.religion.scientology through an anonymous remailer. This marks the beginning of Scientology's online activities, often referred to as Scientology versus the Internet.^{citation needed}

1995

• 1995-07-20 The Supreme Court of Canada upholds the largest libel award in Canadian history against the Church of Scientology. (See Hill v. Church of Scientology of Toronto)^{citation needed}

1996

• The Church launches the Golden Age of Tech program to improve the training of its practitioners.
• The Church of Scientology of Paris is closed due to non-payment of taxes (the French government actually refuses the money). A new church reopens immediately.^{citation needed}

1996-12

• The public learns that Clearwater police are investigating the 1995 death of Scientologist Lisa McPherson, who had been in the care of the church in Clearwater for 17 days.^{citation needed}

1997

• February 1997 A wrongful-death lawsuit is filed in the McPherson case.^{citation needed}
• The Church of Scientology, operating as the Greek Center of Applied Philosophy, is ordered closed in Greece. Decision upheld in 1998.^[6]

1998

• Sonny Bono, a practicing Scientologist, pushes for the passage of the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, which extends the copyright protection of all copyrighted works (including Scientology teachings) an extra 20 years.^{citation needed}

1998-11

• After reviewing the McPherson case for 11 months, State Attorney Bernie McCabe charges the Church of Scientology with two felonies: practicing medicine without a license and abuse of a disabled adult. Also, the church begins building its massive Flag Building, launching a $160-million construction campaign downtown.^{specifycitation needed}

1999

• The UK Charities Commission denies the Church of Scientology's application for charitable status, ruling that it is not a religion and that there is no established "public benefit arising out of the practice of Scientology".^[7][8][9] The Church does not appeal the decision.^[8]

1999-2000

• In November 1999, the government of Sweden declares that the Church of Scientology is a charitable, non-profit organization with a religious purpose.^[2] A year later, the Church's ministers are granted the right to perform marriages, completing official recognition as a church in Sweden.^[2]

2000s

2000

• In March, the Italian Supreme Court upholds Scientology's religious status in Italy while reaffirming that Narconon is a non-tax-exempt for-profit business.^[10]

• Scientology ministers are granted the right to perform marriages in South Africa.^[11]

• In the United Kingdom, the Church of Scientology is exempted from value added tax on the basis that it is a not-for-profit body.^[7]

2000-06

• McCabe drops the criminal case against the church, noting that the medical examiner's change of opinion about the cause of McPherson's death undercuts the prosecution's effort to prove the criminal case beyond a reasonable doubt.^{citation needed}

2002

• The government of New Zealand issues an official decree fully recognizing the Church of Scientology of New Zealand as an exempt religious and charitable organization.^[2][12]

• The Austrian tax office concludes that the work of the Church of Scientology in Vienna is for the public benefit rather than anyone’s personal profit, and grants that church tax-exempt status as a charitable religious organization.^[2][13]

• In July, a Paris judge rules that a 13-year-old case against the Church of Scientology alleging fraud and illegal practice of medicine cannot go to trial, due to lack of progress in the investigation.^[14] The judge rules that the statute of limitations has expired.^[14]

2003

• In March, the National Ministry of the Interior for Taiwan recognizes the Church of Scientology of Taiwan as a charitable religious institution, officially adding it to the rolls of the country's recognized religions.^[2]

2004-05

• The church and the estate of Lisa McPherson reach a private settlement.^{citation needed}

• David Miscavige announces the Golden Age of Knowledge, a Church program intended to make all Scientology materials available. It starts with the release of 18 congresses.^{citation needed}

2005

• The U.S. Department of State's 2005 Report on International Religious Freedom announces that the Church of Scientology has been registered as a religious group by the Kyrgyzstan State Commission on Religious Affairs.^[15]

2006

• Scientology applies for status as a religious confessional community in Austria, but later withdraws its application.^[16]

2007

• In the next major step of the Golden Age of Knowledge program, 18 revised books and 11 lecture series are released.^{citation needed}

• In April, the European Court of Human Rights rules against Russia for repeatedly refusing to consider the Moscow Church of Scientology's application for the status of a legally valid religious association. The court finds that the reasons given to deny re-registration of the church by the justice department and endorsed by the Moscow courts have no legal basis.^[17][18]

• A Belgian state prosecutor recommends that a case should be brought against 12 physical persons associated with Scientology and two legal entities – the Belgian Church of Scientology and Scientology's Office of Human Rights – on counts of extortion, fraud, organized crime, obstruction of medical practice, illegal medical practice, invasion of privacy, conspiracy and commercial infractions like abusive contractual clauses.^[19][20][21] The proposal is referred to an administrative court who is to decide at a later date whether charges will be brought.^[19][21]

• On October 31, Scientology is formally recognized as a religion in Spain^[22][23]

• In November, Scientology is officially recognized as a religion in Portugal.^[24]

• In December, South Africa grants the Church tax exemption and issues a certificate recognizing it as as a "Public Benefit Organisation".^[25]

• On December 7, German federal and state interior ministers formally express the view that the Scientology organization continues to pursue anti-constitutional goals and ask Germany's domestic intelligence agencies to collect and evaluate the necessary information that would be required for a possible judicial inquiry aimed at banning the organization.^[26][27] The move is criticized by politicians from all parts of the political spectrum, with legal experts expressing concern that an attempt to ban the organization would most likely fail in the courts.^[26][28] This view is echoed by the German intelligence agencies, who warn that a ban would be doomed to fail.^[29]

2008

• Internet-based group Anonymous launches Project Chanology, a worldwide protest against the Church of Scientology, which drew about 7,000 people in more than 93 cities on February 10, 2008.^[30]

References

External links

Wikinews has related Scientology news:

• May 31: UK group Liberty, Edinburgh city council on Scientology 'cult' signs
• May 24: No prosecution for UK minor who called Scientology a 'cult'
• May 21: UK minor faces charges for calling Scientology 'cult' at protest
• May 16: Asbestos controversy aboard Scientology ship Freewinds

• Scientology.org: Important Dates in Scientology
• [1] L Ron Hubbard biographical Timeline, including important Scientology dates