2009 A milestone anniversary for Oregon's State Prison group

"Thirty-five men and women of Alcoholics Anonymous gather outside Oregon State Penitentiary (OSP), Oregon's only maximum security prison, to celebrate the 65th anniversary meeting of the Mill Creek Group of Alcoholics Anonymous. The first meeting of the Mill Creek Group at OSP was held May 30, 1944."

(AAWS Inc)

2009 A.A.'s Big Book Hits another Milestone

"The 70th publication anniversary of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, is marked in April 2009. Now in its fourth edition, it is expected that the 30 millionth copy will be published sometime that year. Available in 58 languages, including American Sign Language and Braille, multiple prints and audio formats, A.A.'s basic text has carried the message of hope and recovery around the world."

(AAWS Inc)

2009 Co-founders honored

"Bill and Dr. Bob are inducted into The Extra Mile Volunteer Pathway founded by the Points of Light Institute. This organization, located in Washington, D.C., honors individuals who pioneered volunteer movements and who serve as positive role models."

(AAWS Inc)

2008 Spanish Big Book published

"A new, third edition of the Spanish Big Book - Alcohólicos Anonimios - is published by A.A. World Services. This third edition includes 32 new recovery stories, three stories translated from the first edition English-language Big Book, and 12 stories carried over from the previous Spanish edition."

(AAWS Inc)

(see here)

2007 First Zonal Meeting of Central and West Africa

"The first Central and Western Africa Zonal Meeting (RACO), sponsored by A.A. France, meets in November. The purpose of the meeting is to carry the message to the still-suffering alcoholic in a range of areas with populations speaking various languages. The first RACO is attended by four French-speaking countries: Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, and Chad. At the conclusion of this first meeting, the delegates vote to continue RACO every two years with a representation of two delegates per country."

(AAWS Inc)

2006 Celebrating 60 years

"South Africa observes 60 years of A.A. held in Johannesburg in November. The event is marked with a mini rally with over 300 people in attendance. A banner at the front of the main stage boldly spells out the theme of the event "From Darkness into Light - AA in SA 1946 -2006." Among the items on display is a 1947 Big Book owned by Solomon M., who was among the first to help start A.A. in South Africa."

(AAWS Inc)

2006 AA Grapevine available in digital audio format

"The long-running monthly magazine of A.A., the AA Grapevine, is made available in an audio format with a service called AudioGrapevine in June 2006. Subscribers can download and listen to much of the monthly Grapevine content, including the personal stories of A.A. members sharing their stories."

(AAWS Inc)

2006 La Viña celebrates its 10th anniversary

"The magazine La Viña, A.A.'s "meeting in print" for Spanish-speaking alcoholics, was first published in 1996. As La Viña celebrates its tenth anniversary in June 2006, the initial circulation of 6,000 has grown to nearly 10,000."

(AAWS Inc)

2005 Twenty-Five Millionth Big Book

"The twenty-five millionth copy of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, is presented to the warden of San Quentin prison, at the International Convention in Toronto. The gift of the book is A.A.'s way of expressing gratitude to that institution's long history of supporting A.A. as a resource for alcoholic inmates. The first A.A. meeting in San Quentin was held in 1941."

(AAWS Inc)

2005 A.A.'s 70th birthday in Toronto

"Over 44,000 A.A. members congregate in Toronto for the 2005 International Convention to celebrate the 70 years that have brought A.A. from a bond between two sober alcoholics to a worldwide Fellowship of more than 2 million members. The theme is "I am Responsible," reprising the theme of the 1965 International Convention, also held in Toronto, where A.A.'s popular "Responsibility Declaration" was first devised."

(AAWS Inc)

2004 Stepping Stones made State Historic Site

"Acting on a recommendation from the New York State Board of Historic Preservation, the governor signs a declaration in 2004 making Stepping Stones, the Bedford Hills house Bill and Lois called home beginning in 1941, a New York State Historic Site."

(AAWS Inc)

2004 A new digital archive

"Sixty years of Grapevine content becomes available online when the A.A. Grapevine Digital Archive is launched on July 1, 2004. Subscribers are able to access more than 12,000 stories, thousands of published letters, A.A. history in the making - and, yes, countless cartoons and jokes. By selecting Digital Archive on the home page of www.aagrapevine.org, subscribers are able to search for topics by magazine department, theme, date, or keyword."

(AAWS Inc)

2004 Growth in Mongolia

"The first national convention of A.A. in Mongolia takes place in July 2004. It is the result of six years of work. It began when a nonalcoholic physician, Dr. Erdenebager, became interested in A.A. and urged meetings outside of those in treatment facilities in Ulaan Baator. Then, in 1999, two newly sober A.A.s and a physician traveled to Moscow to find ways to make A.A. work in Mongolia. When G.S.O. New York received a request from members for literature in the native language, A.A. World Services aided in the publication of the Big Book in Mongolian (2002). The 25 groups meeting in Mongolia in 2003, by then with the sponsorship of A.A. Japan, jump to 41 in a year."

(AAWS Inc)

2004 The A.A. Grapevine celebrates 60 years

"In June 2004 the monthly journal of A.A., The A.A. Grapevine, celebrates six decades of continuous publication. Founded by volunteers as an 8-page newsletter for A.A. members in New York City, the Grapevine is now a 64-page international "meeting in print" for A.A. members, with a circulation of more than 110,000."

(AAWS Inc)

2003 Success in Latin America

"Country-to-country sponsorship, prolific publishing of A.A. literature by Central and South American General Service Offices, and the biannual REDELA ("Meeting of the Americas") help to carry the Fellowship's message to virtually every country in the Americas. As of 2004, Mexico has some 13,280 groups, Brazil 4,680. Among Central and South American countries with 200 or more groups are Argentina (850), Venezuela (280) Uruguay (248), and Cuba (200); those with 100-plus groups include Chile (147) and Peru (140). In 2003, the REDELA is held in Maracaibo, Venezuela, the thirteenth such meeting since 1979."

(AAWS Inc)

2003 Progress in Sub-Saharan Africa

"In June 2003, the first Sub-Saharan Africa Service Meeting is held at the Willow Park Conference Centre (right) near Johannesburg, South Africa. Present are two delegates each from Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, along with representatives from the General Service Offices of Great Britain and U.S./Canada. This zonal meeting is part of the Into Africa initiative, launched by A.A. South Africa in 2000 to improve cooperation with professionals and overcome the problem of A.A. literature distribution in a region with more than 250 languages. A delegate later reports that "Saturday night's family style dinner was filled with laughter and sharing as we expressed our joy in a long day of intense work.""

(AAWS Inc)

2003 Experience, Strength and Hope published

"In April 2003, A.A. publishes Experience, Strength and Hope, a collection of the personal stories published in the first, second, and third edition of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous. Now members can read many of the personal stories from A.A.'s early members that had to be dropped to make room for new stories to reflect A.A.'s changing membership over the years. It is a fascinating glimpse into A.A.'s past."

(AAWS Inc)

2002 A meeting in Poland

"A.A.s from 13 countries travel to Warsaw, Poland in April 2002 for an Eastern European Service Meeting (EESM). Joining delegates from Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Russia, Romania, Slovakia, and Ukraine are guests from Germany and Finland. The meeting is meant to serve as a bridge to World Service Meetings for countries that do not yet participate in them. Since the early 1980s, A.A. Germany had sponsored groups in former East Germany and in Czechoslovakia and Hungary, while Finland provided much support for Russia. In many countries, membership will continue to surge - particularly in Poland and Russia, which in 2004 will have 1,700 and 300 groups respectively."

(AAWS Inc)

2001 The Big Book's Fourth Edition

"In November 2001, a new edition of the Big Book - the culmination of four years of development and 25-plus committee meetings - rolls off the presses. While the first 164 pages remain unchanged, the new edition includes the stories of 41 sober alcoholics (24 new stories and 17 "keepers" from the third edition) reaching a wider cross-section of membership by reflecting the breadth of A.A. experiences, ages, beliefs, and ethnicities. G.S.O. New York sends a complimentary copy of the new fourth edition to groups in the U.S. and Canada."

(AAWS Inc)

2001 A.A. at Ground Zero

"In the wake of the September 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center in New York, exhausted A.A. members among the firefighters, police, and clean-up crews realize the need for A.A. meetings near Ground Zero. At the same time, a Red Cross official reports to G.S.O. New York that many requests for A.A. meetings have been received. The Red Cross then assigns to A.A. a room in a respite center just southwest of the site, its door bearing a circle and triangle. To accommodate everyone, a second room just north is provided. A.A. meetings are organized by Southeast New York Area 49 and New York Intergroup, and the rooms become places where A.A.s can not only meet but also rest, talk, and meditate."

(AAWS Inc)

2001 First woman chairs General Service Board

"In 2001, a woman is elected to chair the General Service Board for the first time: Elaine McDowell, Ph.D., who had served as a Class A (nonalcoholic) trustee for nine years. As chairperson, Dr. McDowell brings more than 28 years of experience in the prevention and treatment fields as well as abiding faith in A.A.'s basic principles."

(AAWS Inc)

2001 A.A. takes root in China

"In August 2001, two G.S.O. New York staff members and Dr. George Vaillant (nonalcoholic trustee) travel to China to meet with medical practitioners and attend meetings of China's three A.A. groups in existence at the time - two in Beijing and one in Changchun. By invitation, Dr. Vaillant addresses a gathering of some 50 physicians on the subject of alcoholism."

(AAWS Inc)

2000 Sponsorship Down Under

"A.A. Australia, active since 1945, helps A.A.s in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, establish Khmer-speaking groups. The country's service office also assists in the establishment of groups in East Timor, New Guinea, and other Pacific locales. The service office in neighboring New Zealand - which for years has translated A.A. literature into Maori, Fijian, Samoan, and other Pacific island languages - launches an initiative to carry the message to correctional facilities in 32 countries in Oceania and the Pacific Rim."

(AAWS Inc)

2000 A North American milestone

"In April 2000, the 50th General Service Conference is held in New York City. Delegates from 92 A.A. regions and areas in the U.S. and Canada, trustees, directors and G.S.O. and Grapevine staff members listen to reports and inspect finances, just as their counterparts had done half a century before. Conference delegates also tour the new General Service Office in Manhattan's Morningside Heights neighborhood."

(AAWS Inc)

2000 Pole to Pole

"Even alcoholics in the most far flung parts of the world - the Arctic Circle and Antarctica - have received the Fellowship's message by the year 2000. With the support of Canadian groups, A.A.s meet in Baffin Island and other far-north locales, while members posted to McMurdo Air Force Base in Antarctica organize meetings for military personnel and others who come and go."

(AAWS Inc)

2000 Membership tops two million

"As the new millennium begins, A.A.'s worldwide membership is estimated at 2,160,013. Another membership milestone in the year 2000 is the number of groups, which for the first time surpasses the 100,000 mark."

(AAWS Inc)

2000 Al-Anon's first International Convention

"Forty-three years after its founding, Al-Anon holds its first International Convention. The time is July 1998, and the place is Salt Lake City, Utah. As the century draws to an end, 24,000 Al-Anon and 2,300 Alateen groups are meeting in more than 110 countries."

(AAWS Inc)

2000 Greeting the millennium in Minneapolis

"Some 47,000 people celebrate freedom from the bondage of alcoholism at the eleventh International Convention, held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the summer of 2000. The theme is "Pass It On-Into the 21st Century." One memorable event is Walk-the-Walk, in which a stream of attendees from 86 nations walks the blue line laid down from the Convention Center to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome on their way to the opening ceremony. The twenty millionth Big Book is presented to Al-Anon Family Groups in a special ceremony."

(AAWS Inc)

1997 Support for French Equatorial Africa

"A.A. France's sponsorship of African countries begins with a contact between Jean-Yves M. and a Loner from Cameroon, Donatien B., chief warden of a prison and an alcoholic. He achieves sobriety with Jean-Yves's help and determines to carry the message. Jean-Yves and Jean-François L. travel to Cameroon in 1997 and are surprised to find that Donatien has started a prison group that has grown to 54 members. During his stay, Jean-Yves meets with officials, police directors, and members of the clergy. Yearly trips to Africa by A.A. France from 1998 through 2001 will facilitate the launching of groups in Benin, Chad, and Togo."

(AAWS Inc)

1996 A Japanese General Service Board

"In Tokyo, a General Service Board composed of eight trustees, including two nonalcoholics, starts operating in January 1996. At the time, an estimated 3,500 to 4,000 members are meeting in 290 groups. Japanese A.A. members visit and support Korean groups and vice versa.""

(AAWS Inc)

1996 Se publica La Viña

"A Spanish-language edition of The Grapevine arrives in the summer of 1996. In the new bimonthly magazine La Viña, articles translated from The Grapevine share space with original material written in Spanish. La Viña is distributed in North America, Latin America, and Spain, and in ensuing years is welcomed by Spanish-speaking A.A.s worldwide."

(AAWS Inc)

1995 www.aa.org

"With approval of the General Service Board, G.S.O New York launches a site on the World Wide Web on December 22, 1995. With a click, users can now instantaneously access information about the Fellowship in English, Spanish, and French. G.S.O.'s A.A. Web site is constantly evolving. In spring 1998, G.S.O. New York shares the experience of computer-savvy A.A.s when it issues a list of Frequently Asked Questions for A.A. entities looking to set up their own Web sites. In 2000 and 2006 "aa.org" will undergo major expansions."

(AAWS Inc)

1995 First Asia/Oceania Service Meeting

"Years after Bob P. of New Zealand conceives the idea of a zonal meeting serving Asian and Pacific Island A.A. groups, the first Asia/Oceania Service Meeting (AOSM) is held in Tokyo in March 1995. Bob P. chairs the meeting, and its "Twelfth-Stepping Your Neighbor Country" theme emphasizes the shared responsibility of carrying the message in this part of the world. Attending are delegates from Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, and Vanuatu."

(AAWS Inc)

1995 Celebrating 60 years

"The theme of the 60th Anniversary International Convention - "A.A. Everywhere-Anywhere" - is borne out as nearly 56,000 people from the U.S., Canada, and 85 other countries gather in San Diego, California, in June-July 1995. Among the highlights are an opening-night waterfront dance with fireworks exploding across the bay, an opening meeting that sees Jack Murphy Stadium filled to capacity, and oldtimers recounting stories at the "Forty Years or More Sober" meeting, Saturday night's featured event."

(AAWS Inc)

1995 Canada's golden anniversary

"During the first weekend of July 1995, more than 6,000 A.A.s and friends from Canada, the U.S., South America, Europe, and Asia gather in Toronto at the Metro Convention Center to celebrate 50 years of Alcoholics Anonymous in Canada. The program includes 34 speaker meetings, 26 panels, 40 marathon meetings, and two talkathons."

(AAWS Inc)

1995 Planting a seed in China

"In 1995, retired Chinese physician Dr. Lawrence Luan, who owns a primary health care clinic in Santa Barbara, California, asks the clinic's administrator, who happens to be an A.A. member, to accompany him on a medical business trip to his hometown of Daiwan. To be granted a visa, the administrator must speak on a health topic, and while Chinese authorities request that he address HIV/AIDS, Dr. Luan arranges for him to speak to five doctors at the mental hospital in Daiwan on his subject of choice: alcoholism. The speech is well received, as are Chinese-language copies of the Big Book he presents to the doctors. In 1998, he will share his experience at the Pacific Regional Forum in Sacramento as a member of the International Panel. As a result, a member of the San Francisco Intergroup begins organizing a "messengers" group that will travel to China."

(AAWS Inc)

1993 Mexico-Cuba sponsorship

"In a textbook example of country-to-country sponsorship, Mexico succeeds in getting Cuba's first group going in February 1993: Grupo Sueño (Dream Group), in Havana. The year before, Cubans Ciro V. and Juan A. had asked government officials for permission to provide information about A.A. - in their words, "a program without nationalities, a political agenda, or financial interests" - but without success. Once A.A Mexico informs the Cuban government of the particulars of A.A.'s program of recovery, the government changes its mind and welcomes the Fellowship. By the end of 2004, some 200 groups will have become active in Cuba."

(AAWS Inc)

1992 A.A. General Service Office moves uptown in 1992

"After 20 years on Park Avenue South, on Manhattan's East Side, G.S.O. New York relocates to 475 Riverside Drive. The date is March 1992. (Serendipitously, the 19-story limestone building was built by the Rockefeller family, so important to the Fellowship's early history.) The G.S.O. occupies the entire 11th floor, with The Grapevine offices one flight down. Every year, hundreds of A.A. members from around the world visit. A tour of the offices and Archives is provided to all visitors; no appointment is necessary."

(AAWS Inc)

1991 European Service Meetings

"32 A.A. delegates from 18 countries attend the 1991 European Service Meeting (ESM), the zonal conference that has been held biannually in the German city since 1981. The ESM gives delegates from European groups the opportunity to present progress reports and share their respective countries' problems in the hope of finding solutions."

(AAWS Inc)

1991 First Native American Convention in 1991

""Living Our Traditions Through Sobriety" is both the purpose of Native American A.A. gatherings and the motto on the emblem they create for the first annual convention for Native American A.A.s from the U.S. and Canada. Among the 800 attendees at the event, held in October 1991 in Las Vegas, are Native Americans from some 100 tribes plus representatives of tribal alcohol programs, halfway houses, and treatment centers. In ensuing years, Washington, South Dakota, North Carolina, and other states will hold their own conventions, leading to the fourteenth National/ International Native American Convention which will convene in Minneapolis in 2004."

(AAWS Inc)

1991 Missives to the Persian Gulf

"After military action begins in the Persian Gulf in 1991, the G.S.O. New York staff member on the Loners/International Desk hears from scores of A.A.s serving in Saudi Arabia. Each is sent a copy of the new book Daily Reflections, a free subscription to the Grapevine, and any A.A. literature that is requested. One letter, from Sgt. John L., is representative. In it, he writes, "A lot of good has come out of my being in this desert. I've finally been forced to really take a good look at my life. As the Big Book says, I'm 'building an arch to walk through a free man [sic].'""

(AAWS Inc)

1991 Canadians cross language barriers

"In an effort to carry the message to the Native North American population in the Northwest Territory, who speak seven different languages, A.A.s in the Yellowknife area go about gathering all known Native American translations of A.A. literature. They confirm the translations' accuracy and build files that are easily accessible to A.A. members. Their efforts will continue, paving the way for an Eastern Canada regional trustee and a fellow A.A. to travel to remote communities in northern Quebec in May 2004, distributing A.A. literature in the Inuktitut language to educators, prison officials, attorneys, and mayors."

(AAWS Inc)

1991 Movement in Southeast Asia

"In 1991, around five A.A.s begin to meet in Ubud, Indonesia, auguring the start-ups of small groups in Kuta, Sanur, and Seminyak. The meetings are attended by tourists passing through, but by 2003 some 40 Indonesians will have joined A.A. The early 1990s find stable groups of native speakers meeting in Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia."

(AAWS Inc)

1991 Romania: Two steps to success

"In 1988, Fran P., an American A.A. teaching English at Romania's University of Timisoara, attempts to start a group with the help of Rodica, an alcoholic student - but the program's reliance on a Higher Power runs afoul of government authorities. Only in 1991, almost two years after the Communist government has fallen, will an A.A. group flourish in Timisoara. In 1993, Petrica and Damian, alcoholics hospitalized in Bucharest, will start a group in the capital city with the help of Dr. Doina Constantinescu and Patricia and Lee, an A.A. couple from the U.S."

(AAWS Inc)

1990 Bursting at the seams in Seattle

"Some 48,000 people converge in Seattle for the Fellowship's Ninth International Convention in 1990, far exceeding the anticipated head count. The theme is "Fifty-five Years - One Day at a Time." More than 250 standing-room-only meetings are held at Seattle Center and around town - at the time, the largest convention ever hosted in Washington's largest city. Nell Wing, Bill W.'s long time secretary and first archivist for G.S.O. New York, was presented with the Ten Millionth copy of A.A.'s Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, at a special ceremony."

(AAWS Inc)

1990 A meeting in Minsk

"In November 1990, a few dozen A.A.s from Latvia, Lithuania, and Ukraine gather with their counterparts in Minsk, Belorussia (now the Republic of Belarus) to coordinate the services in their respective countries. In April 1991, a second conference will be held in Riga, Latvia, attracting 180 A.A.s from the same four countries plus Russia."

(AAWS Inc)

1989 A first for Turkey

"The first nationwide A.A. Conference in Turkey is held at a hotel in Kizil Eahaman, nestled in the pine-covered mountains 100 kilometers outside the capital, Ankara. Twenty-four delegates from groups in Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir, and Adana communicate in both Turkish and English during three days of meetings and activities. Johanna S., of the Ankara International Group, reports to The A.A. Grapevine that the event was "a gathering of active, intense, happy, recovering alcoholics who met, dined, walked, and enjoyed each other's company. We touched each other's lives.""

(AAWS Inc)

1989 The Big Book at 50

"The golden anniversary of the publication of Alcoholics Anonymous is marked at the A.A. General Service Conference held in April 1989."

(AAWS Inc)

1989 U.S.-Russia exchange bears fruit

"By 1989, three A.A. groups are meeting in Russia - one in Moscow and two in Leningrad. The growth of A.A. in Russia had begun in 1986-1987, through exchange visits between Alcoholics Anonymous members and representatives of Russia's Temperance Promotion Society. Independent groups such as San Francisco's "Creating a Sober World" organization were also instrumental in bringing A.A. to Russia. Growth in Russia proceeds at a rapid pace, expanding to at least 270 groups meeting in more than 100 cities by the beginning of the 21st century."

(AAWS Inc)

1988 The Language of the Heart published in 1988

"An anthology of more than 150 AA Grapevine articles written by Bill W., The Language of the Heart, documents the trial and error that resulted in A.A.'s spiritual principles of Recovery, Unity, and Service and articulates Bill's vision of what the Fellowship could become. For more than three decades Bill had often used the magazine as a vehicle for communication with members and groups."

(AAWS Inc)

1988 Baltic State start-ups

"June 1988 sees the founding of Lithuania's earliest known group, which meets in the Vilnius apartment of Romas O. Romas had set foot on the road to sobriety when he read a Lithuanian translation of the Big Book in the fall of 1987. In late 1988, Romas and fellow group members visit Riga, Latvia, and correspond regularly with that city's first group, founded by Pëteris and Austris in November 1988. A.A.s will begin meeting in neighboring Estonia in 1989, in Tallinn."

(AAWS Inc)

1987 India's first G.S.O. conference

"A.A. India holds its first General Service Office conference in Bombay (now Mumbai) in May 1987. By the year 2000, more than 20 conferences and P.I. (Public Information) meetings will have been held in different parts of India, and the country's G.S.O. will have published the Big Book in eight languages: English, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Punjabi, and Bengali."

(AAWS Inc)

1986 Growth of electronic meetings

"As the Fellowship expands rapidly around the world, some A.A. members turn to their personal computers to give and receive the message of recovery. Since the mid-1980s, electronic communication has been an updated and expanded version of the "telephone therapy" of A.A.'s earlier days. Primitive electronic Bulletin boards set up on home computers are linked through national and international networks, enabling local users to join instant "meetings" with A.A.s all over the world. A number of international networks are listed with G.S.O. New York."

(AAWS Inc)

1986 WSM revisits Latin America

"Delegates from 25 countries with an A.A. service structure or office gather in Guatemala City, Guatemala, for the Ninth World Service Meeting (WSM). The 1986 meeting marks the fourth time the WSM has been held outside of New York, and the second in Latin America. Previous WSM hosts were England, Finland, and Mexico."

(AAWS Inc)

1986 First paperback Big Book

"In November 1986, for the first time, the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, is published as a paperback. The softcover book makes it easier for A.A. members to carry the message into correctional facilities, where hardcover books are often not permitted."

(AAWS Inc)

1985 Dr. Bob's house opens in Akron

"The Akron house where Dr. Bob and his wife lived and raised their children - 855 Ardmore Avenue - is opened to visitors in 1985. Much of the furniture is original (as is the still-working refrigerator, which Dr. Bob and Anne bought in 1934), and many of Dr. Bob and Anne's books line the shelves."

(AAWS Inc)

1985 A.A.'s golden anniversary

"The Fellowship's 50th Anniversary International Convention in Montreal in 1985 draws more than 45,000 members of A.A., Al-Anon, and family and friends - more than twice the attendance of the record-setting 1980 convention in New Orleans. Delegates from 54 nations give the gathering a truly international feel, and meetings in the Olympic Park Stadium are simultaneously translated into French, Spanish, and German. One of the honored guests is Ruth Hock Crecelius (a nonalcoholic), who is presented with the five millionth copy of the Big Book, the original manuscript of which she had typed almost half a century earlier when she was Bill W.'s secretary at their small office in Newark, New Jersey."

(AAWS Inc)

1985 Joining the fold...

"Fortuitously for A.A., two world-changing events coincide as the 20th Century draws to a close. The dawn of the Electronic Age facilitates communication between A.A. offices and, in turn, country-to-country sponsorship, while the transformation of governments in Eastern European countries allows A.A.s to meet openly."

(AAWS Inc)

1984 "Pass It On" published

"After five years of preparation, in 1984 A.A. World Services publishes "Pass It On": The Story of Bill W. and How the A.A. Message Reached the World. In 25 chapters the book recounts "the dramatic story of the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous, its early struggles and amazing growth."

(AAWS Inc)

1984 The Spanish Services Desk

"A full-time Spanish Services staff position at G.S.O. New York is created in 1984. The assigned staff member helps handle all correspondence in Spanish, translates pamphlets and bulletins, develops new service materials, and performs other services as needed. The drawing at right was sent to the G.S.O. Spanish Service Desk by Berny, a Costa Rican member of A.A. "Hello!," it reads. "My name is The Happy Tico, I'm an alcoholic.""

(AAWS Inc)

1983 Milestones in Malta

"In Malta in 1983, the first translations of basic A.A. literature are approved and a Maltese-born member of A.A. Malta attends the bi-annual European Service Meeting for the first time. Seventeen years prior, in 1966, an Irish veterinary surgeon living in suburban Valletta had listed the Malta Group - originally English-speaking, and later known as the International Group - with G.S.O. New York. In 1981, its Maltese members founded a Maltese Group in the Valleta suburb of Floriana. Another significant event takes place in the next year, when Maltese women start attending meetings, making it easier for A.A. Malta to reach out to women struggling with alcoholism. Two other milestones will be reached in 1986: the opening of a General Service Committee and founding of a group on Gozo, Malta's sister isle."

(AAWS Inc)

1980 A biography of Dr. Bob

"A biography of A.A. co-founder Dr. Bob, titled Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers, is published in time for the International Convention in New Orleans in 1980. The 382-page book combines Dr. Bob's life story with recollections of A.A.'s exhilarating and tumultuous early days in Akron and the Midwest."

(AAWS Inc)

1980 Celebrating New Orleans-style

"In New Orleans, the sounds of jazz welcome some 22,500 paid attendees as they arrive at the Superdome on July 3, 1980 - the first evening of the 45th Anniversary International Convention. A procession of nations, with A.A. members from around the globe carrying their national flags, is the prelude to two days of workshops, a three-day alkathon (round-the-clock meeting) at the Marriott Hotel, and the appearance at the Sunday morning Spiritual Meeting of Lois W. and "Smitty," the son of the late Dr. Bob."

(AAWS Inc)

1979 Groups for the deaf

"By the spring of 1979, G.S.O. New York has listed seven A.A. groups for people who are deaf. Also listed is an international deaf group whose members communicate by mail. Box 4-5-9 reports that the use of non-A.A. interpreters, when necessary, "gives rise to the confidentiality question," but experience has shown that goodwill on both sides usually puts the issue to rest."

(AAWS Inc)

1979 A.A.'s first public information film

"In the fall of 1979, the first public information film produced by the Fellowship - the 28-minute "Alcoholics Anonymous: An Inside View" - is released to A.A. service entities in the U.S. and Canada, enabling groups to provide it to television stations for airing. A panoramic view of sober living in A.A., the film shows a cross section of members in various settings-at work, at home, and at A.A. get-togethers and meetings."

(AAWS Inc)

1978 The first zonal meeting

"Born of an idea brought forward at the 1978 World Service Meeting, the first zonal service meeting - during which countries share experiences, strengthen unity, and offer help to A.A.s where service structures have yet to be set up - takes place in Bogota, Colombia in 1979. Delegates from ten Latin American countries convene in what is called the Ibero-American Service Meeting. Later, this biannual meeting will be called REDELA, a shortened form of Reunion de Las Americas (Meeting of the Americas). Zonal meetings will be launched in Europe in 1981, Asia/Oceania in 1995, and Sub-Saharan Africa in 2003."

(AAWS Inc)

1978 A milestone for the AA Grapevine

"With the March 1978 issue, the circulation of the Fellowship's "meeting in print" reaches 100,000. In June 1944, copies of the periodical's first edition had numbered 1,200 and had gone out to 165 subscribers and other members of A.A."

(AAWS Inc)

1977 Early meetings in Cambodia

"In the wake of the 1975 capture of the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh by the Khmer Rouge, thousands of Cambodians fill refugee camps along the Thai border. In one camp a U.S. aid worker, whose brother is an A.A. member back in New York, recognizes that alcoholism affects many of the refugees, leading her to order and translate A.A. publications. Though up to 60 people attend daily gatherings based on A.A. principles, these meetings cease when the camp closes. Some 15 years later, A.A. reappears in Cambodia when a few members start a group in Phnom Penh. A.A. Australia responds to a request for sponsorship and also helps members to establish Khmer-speaking groups."

(AAWS Inc)

1977 A younger Fellowship

"An A.A. survey conducted in 1977 shows that over the previous three years the proportion of young members (those under 30) in the U.S. and Canada has jumped 50 percent and now accounts for almost 20 percent of North American membership. Surveys done by A.A. in Argentina, Colombia, El Salvador, Finland, France, Mexico, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and West Germany yield similar results."

(AAWS Inc)

1976 Membership tops a million

"At the opening of the 26th annual meeting of the General Service Conference, held in New York in April 1976, new figures for the Fellowship's worldwide reach are reported: an estimated 28,000 groups in 92 countries, with membership totaling more than 1,000,000."

(AAWS Inc)

1976 Third edition of Big Book published in 1976

"Thirteen new stories appear in the Third Edition of Alcoholics Anonymous. By the summer of 1976, more than 1,450,000 copies of the Big Book's first two editions had been distributed worldwide, and both a Braille edition and audio tapes have been released."

(AAWS Inc)

1976 JUNAAB created in Brazil

"While records show A.A. meetings were held in Brazil as early as 1947, the country's first General Service Board - Junta Nacional de Alcolicos Anonimos, or JUNAAB, is created in February 1976."

(AAWS Inc)

1976 Fast-forward in Iceland

"Though the Reykjavik Group had been meeting in Iceland since 1954, a breakthrough occurs in the early 1970s, when a government-sponsored program begins flying alcoholics to the U.S. for help on a regular basis. Almost invariably they return eager to carry the A.A. message, leading to the 1976 publication of the Big Book in Icelandic. The subsequent explosive growth in membership results in a change in public opinion regarding alcoholism and the establishment of new treatment centers."

(AAWS Inc)

1975 A.A. in Jerusalem

"With the aid of Canadian A.A. members who are part of the UN forces in the Middle East, the Shalom Group is formed in Jerusalem in 1975. The next year, member Jay S. reports to G.S.O. New York that twice-weekly A.A. meetings are being held in Tel Aviv as well as Jerusalem, in both English and Hebrew. The Shalom Group will also host a two-day convention to celebrate the first anniversary of A.A. in Israel."

(AAWS Inc)

1975 A.A. Archives open at General Service Office

"In November 1975, Lois W. and Tom S. of Jacksonville, Florida (a trustee who chairs the archives committee), cut a blue ribbon to officially open the A.A. Archives at G.S.O. New York. In a brief speech, Dr. John L. Norris points out that A.A. must continually renew itself by going back to its source, recalling Bill W.'s frequent request that the Board and G.S.O. "should put everything they do on the record." The archivist is nonalcoholic Nell Wing (right), who served as Bill's secretary for many years and is described as a "one-woman walking encyclopedia of A.A. lore.""

(AAWS Inc)

1975 A new beginning in Portugal

"English-speaking groups in Portugal had met as early as 1956 in Lisbon and 1959 at Lajes Air Force Base in the nearby Azores. Yet A.A. doesn't take root in the country until 1975, when American Ed A. returns from rehabilitation in the United States and begins spreading the A.A. message in hospitals. As a result, Portuguese-speaking groups are founded in Lisbon, Oporto, and Algarve. Aiding the growth and stability of the groups is Portuguese-language A.A. literature sent by A.A. Brazil."

(AAWS Inc)

1975 Living Sober is published

"In 1975, A.A. published Living Sober, a book of member experiences that describes methods of living without drinking. The material for the book was gathered in the early 1970s from group and individual correspondence of shared experience, then writers compiled it into a book. The book becomes a popular addition to A.A. literature."

(AAWS Inc)

1975 Delegates descend on Denver

""Let It Begin With Me" is the theme of the Fellowship's 40th Anniversary International Convention, held in Denver, Colorado in 1975. Some 19,500 attendees stream into the city, and Host Committee members register arrivals at the rate of 400 per hour. At the formal opening session, a replica of the Big Book dominates the dais and gives new meaning to the word "big." It is 28 feet tall."

(AAWS Inc)

1974 A vote in Uruguay

"Pablo L., an actor, undergoes detoxification at Montevideo's Clinica del Prado in 1966, is given a copy of the Big Book, and in turn seeks out an A.A. group to join. The closest is in Buenos Aires, where he frequents A.A. meetings during an extended stay. Returning home, he visits hospitals to carry the message. He then founds ADEA (for Amigos del Enfermo Alcohlico, or friends of the alcoholic patient), where alcoholics and their families share experiences. While some aspects of the A.A. program are used, others-including anonymity-are rejected. After A.A. Argentina urges ADEA to follow all A.A. Traditions and to take the Fellowship's name, the issue is put to a vote. The ayes have it, and on March 18, 1974, the first known Uruguayan meeting of A.A. is held in Montevideo."

(AAWS Inc)

(see here)

1974 Poland's first steps

"A group of alcoholics who have been meeting with physicians and therapists since the mid-1960s in the city of Poznan decide in 1974 to meet on their own and follow the principles of A.A. (Earlier meetings had been organized by therapist Maria Grabowska, who had tried to have the Twelve Traditions and Twelve Steps published in Polish newspapers but was thwarted by the censorship office.) Led by Rajmund F., a Pole who became sober in 1973 and was fluent enough in English and German to translate A.A. literature, the group takes the name Eleusis, after the ancient Greek city the Roman Emperors favored as sanctuary. Growth accelerates, and by June 1985 almost 100 groups will be meeting across the country."

(AAWS Inc)

(see here)

1973 Intergroups in Wales

"The first known group in Wales was founded in Abergavenny in 1963. Until then most alcoholics who wanted to attend A.A. meetings had to cross the border into England. A decade later, the Welsh Borders Intergroup is founded to link groups on both sides of the border. An intergroup has also been established in South Wales-the Cymraig Intergroup, composed of groups in Cardiff, Swansea, Llanelli, and Newport."

(AAWS Inc)

1973 Musings from members

"Came to Believe, a 120-page booklet published in 1973 by A.A., is a collection of stories by members who tell in their own words what significance the phrase "spiritual awakening" holds for them. One story describes, "I began to see another part of me emerging - a grateful me, expecting nothing, but sure that another power was beginning to guide me, counsel me, and direct my ways.""

(AAWS Inc)

1973 Lois's round-the-world trip

"In an echo of their 1950 visit to Europe, Lois W. sets out on a nine-week trip around the world a year after Bill's death. Her traveling companion is Evelyn C., an early volunteer at the Al-Anon Clearing House and later a staff member at the Al-Anon World Service Office. During their journey the women meet with members of A.A. and Al-Anon in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Honolulu.  In Lois Remembers, Lois will write that "Seeing and feeling the loving devotion and oneness of A.A. and Al-Anon around the world did much to submerge in an overwhelming sea of gratitude my sense of personal loss.""

(AAWS Inc)

1973 Bangkok's first known meetings

"In Bangkok in 1971, two Americans of Irish descent - Jim L., a businessman with three years of sobriety, and Evelyn K., wife of a civil engineer under contract in Bangkok - team up to form an A.A. group. The next year they are joined by Jack B., a Redemptorist priest. In 1973, the three move their meetings from Evelyn's apartment to the Holy Redeemer Rectory and welcome new member Joanne - the wife of an American Embassy official - and George, a German-born U.S. military member. The stabilization of the Bangkok group soon gives rise to the founding of A.A. groups in Ubon and other Thai cities."

(AAWS Inc)

1973 Big Book distribution reaches one million

"The one millionth copy of Alcoholics Anonymous, A.A.'s Big Book, is presented to President Richard Nixon in a ceremony at the White House."

(AAWS Inc)

1972 Italy comes aboard

"The start-up of A.A. in Italy is said to be 1972, when a small group of Americans meeting in Rome is joined by locals Giovanni and Ermanno. Assisted by some of the Americans, the two men soon join with Carol C. to form the first known Italian-speaking A.A. group. Two years later, a group will be founded in Florence, and Milan will follow suit in 1976. In 1978, representatives of several groups meet to start negotiations with G.S.O. New York for the sponsorship of the publication of Il Grande Libro (the Big Book), which is already being translated into Italian. They succeed, and Alcolisti Anonimi is published in 1980."

(AAWS Inc)

1971 The death of Bill W.

"At the age of 75, Bill W. dies on January 24, 1971 at the Miami Heart Institute in Miami Beach, Florida. On February 14, groups around the world hold memorial meetings honoring Bill's work as co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, author of the Big Book and other publications, and architect and articulator of the Fellowship's principles."

(AAWS Inc)

1971 Loners gather in Malaysia

"In February 1971, Enos C., an A.A. Loner working in Kuala Lumpur, places a notice in the Malay Mail newspaper seeking other Loners interested in holding meetings. Six weeks later, Enos reports to G.S.O. New York that with the addition of two Canadian A.A.s in Kuala Lumpur, the fledgling Pertama Group already numbers five. By the end of the decade, four more groups will have started in Sarawak and other Malaysian cities."

(AAWS Inc)

1970 A new home for G.S.O. New York

"In April 1970, the G.S.O. takes an 11-year lease on new quarters at 468 Park Avenue South in New York City, gaining more space and saving rent money in the process. The office occupies the entire sixth floor."

(AAWS Inc)

1970 Unity in Miami

"Miami is the site of the Fellowship's fifth International Convention in July 1970, the keynote of which is the Declaration of Unity: "This we owe to A.A.'s future: To place our common welfare first; to keep our Fellowship united. For on A.A. unity depend our lives, and the lives of those to come." Attending are 11,000 people from 50 states and 27 countries - as reported by Box 4-5-9, "the biggest assemblage of alcoholics the world has ever seen - all of them sober!" The convention marks Bill W.'s last public appearance at an A.A. gathering."

(AAWS Inc)

1970 Hospital and prison groups worldwide

"A G.S.O. New York report of the 1970 World Service Meeting notes that 54,031 "institution members" belong to the Fellowship worldwide: 20,160 members in 742 hospital groups and 33,871 members in 895 prison groups."

(AAWS Inc)

1969 Growth of Spanish-speaking groups

"As of 1969, 1,500 Spanish-speaking groups are listed at the G.S.O. in New York."

(AAWS Inc)

1969 Hungary's first open meeting

"Midge M., a staff member of G.S.O. New York, travels to Budapest in June 1969 to attend a conference held by the International Institute on Prevention and Treatment of Alcoholism. While there, she arranges Hungary's first known open A.A. meeting. Members Peter B. of the Netherlands, Inge L. (West Germany), Richard P. (Ireland), and Cecily C. (U.S.) address a group of Hungarian alcoholics as Archer Tongue, director of the Institute, translates. While a small group will be formed in Budapest in 1972, A.A. won't become firmly established in Hungary until the late 1980s."

(AAWS Inc)

1969 The First World Service Meeting

"For the first time, representatives from countries where A.A.s have established a G.S.O or a literature distribution center convene to share information on service structures, group services, publishing, and finance. The date is October 8-11, 1969, and the place is New York City. Attendees include Bill W., Chairman Dr. John L. Norris, G.S.O. New York manager Bob H., and delegates from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Holland, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, United Kingdom, and the U.S."

(AAWS Inc)

1968 First triennial survey in U.S. and Canada

"At the 28th International Congress on Alcohol and Alcoholism, held in late summer 1968 in Washington, D.C., A.A. chairman Dr. John L. Norris reports on the findings of the first survey of members from all states and provinces. Sixty percent of the 11,355 men and women who responded at 466 meetings in 1968 reported that they had gone without a drink for a year or more. The survey, which will be taken every three years, also finds that 41 percent of members said they had not drunk alcohol since their first A.A. meeting."

(AAWS Inc)

1967 Switzerland: the message in three languages

"The year 1967 sees the creation of Switzerland's first General Service Office, when the Gremium (German for "committee") begins serving German-speaking A.A.s. The country's first known group was French-speaking, however, taking shape in 1956 when an alcoholic in Geneva learned of Alcoholics Anonymous at a lecture, obtained A.A. literature, and arranged a meeting with friends. The first known German-speaking group in Switzerland was launched in 1963 in Lucerne. The first known Italian-speaking group will be formed in the canton of Tessin in 1974. In 1979 another G.S.O., serving French and Italian Switzerland, will open in Geneva."

(AAWS Inc)

1967 Meeting over the airwaves

"Ben L., an Internationalist aboard the S.S. Hudson, writes to Box 4-5-9, in 1967 to report on A.A.'s first known ham radio group. "We have about 10 regular members," he writes, "and it's just like any other meeting." The group brings together members around the world every 24 hours. "Some nights, only a few and other nights the whole gang shows up," he continues. "More new men show up from time to time, and it is a thrill to hear a new signal breaking in.""

(AAWS Inc)

1967 Bill's writings printed and bound

"The A.A. Way of Life, a collection of Bill's writings, is published in 1967 as a daily source of comfort and inspiration. The title of the book will be changed in 1971 to As Bill Sees It."

(AAWS Inc)

1967 An international award from the Franciscans

"In April 1967, Alcoholics Anonymous receives the International Award of the Conventional Franciscan Fathers and Brothers. Dr. John L. Norris, chairman of the Board of Trustees, accepts the plaque and citation, which notes, in part, "The sympathetic understanding and the patient application of charity toward those afflicted with the disease of alcoholism has brought about the rehabilitation of thousands of alcoholics formerly thought to be hopeless alcoholics.""

(AAWS Inc)

1966 Loners and groups in Vietnam

"As war rages in Vietnam, 10 American soldiers there are listed as Loners by G.S.O. New York in 1966. In 1967, soldiers' groups in Vietnam number 11. By 1971, groups in Saigon, Long Binh, Cam Ranh Bay, and other locations keep in touch through SEA SIDE (SEA standing for South East Asia), a bulletin started by M/Sgt. Andie A. In a letter to G.S.O. New York, a soldier named Frank writes from the battle lines: "For years I prayed for sobriety, but now I pray the Serenity Prayer. God bless you.""

(AAWS Inc)

1966 A bulletin changes names

"In the 1966 Holiday issue, the name of the newsletter "A.A. Exchange Bulletin" (subtitled "News and Notes from the General Service Office of A.A.") is changed to Box 4-5-9, named after G.S.O.'s post office box at New York's Grand Central Station. In 1967, the journal will go trilingual with the launching of French and Spanish editions."

(AAWS Inc)

1966 The Trustees' new alignment

"In a move that stresses the Fellowship's full acceptance of responsibility for conducting its own affairs, the 1966 General Service Conference recommends and accepts a new alcoholic-to-nonalcoholic ratio of Trustees on the General Service Board. With the gradual addition of U.S. and Canadian Trustees-at-large, the Board's membership would now be made up of 14 alcoholics and seven nonalcoholics."

(AAWS Inc)

1966 Three start-ups in Ecuador

"After a group of physicians from the Ecuadorean city of Cueca observe A.A. groups in neighboring Colombia, they are instrumental in getting a local group off the ground: Grupo Alianza Amiga, listed with G.S.O. New York in March 1966. The second known group takes shape when Eduardo A., who had achieved sobriety through A.A. in Washington, DC, returns home to Guayaquil and arranges with a local priest to hold meetings in his church. In the fall of 1971, the Guayaquil group helps Paulina M., who had gotten sober in Coral Gables, Florida, and Javier J., a businessman from Lima, Peru, to launch the first known group in the capital city of Quito."

(AAWS Inc)

(see here)

1965 Beginnings in Bolivia

"An A.A. group in La Paz, Bolivia, was listed with G.S.O. New York in 1965, but little is known of its origins. Better documented are the two men considered A.A.'s Bolivian pioneers: Oscar G. and Jorge L., who meet in the city of Santa Cruz in 1971. After three years, Oscar will become a Loner when Jorge leaves for a job in La Paz. With a local woman named Dorita, Jorge forms an all-new group in La Paz, planting the seed for the eventual start-up of groups in Cochabamba and again in Santa Cruz. In 1987, the Cochabamba group will host the first national meeting of A.A.s from across Bolivia."

(AAWS Inc)

1965 Ten thousand-plus in Toronto

"In July 1965, more than 10,000 members from around the world meet in Toronto for the 30th Anniversary International Convention. Some 250 members of A.A., Al-Anon, and Alateen, plus 24 internationally known nonalcoholic authorities on alcoholism, are featured speakers at 69 jam-packed sessions. As the Convention ends, attendees clasp hands and recite the newly developed Declaration of Responsibility, led by Bill and Lois. The Convention program and souvenir book are shown at right."

(AAWS Inc)

1965 Joining the fold...

"Alcoholics Anonymous begins its fourth decade on firm footing, garnering respect far and wide. Over the next 20 years, cooperation and sponsorship among A.A. countries will grow, the Fellowship's International Conventions will expand in size and spirit, and the language of the heart will be spoken in at least 40 different tongues."

(AAWS Inc)

1964 Start-ups in Sri Lanka

"A Loner in the former Ceylon had been listed with G.S.O. New York since 1959, but not until 1964 is the first known A.A. group in the country formed. Its site is the capital city of Colombo, where a second group takes shape a year later. Soon A.A. spreads to other Sri Lankan locales."

(AAWS Inc)

1963 Anniversaries in Northern Europe

"Belgium, by 1963 home to 18 A.A. groups in eight cities and towns, issues invitations to its tenth anniversary celebration. Also marking its tenth anniversary is A.A. in Germany, with 26 groups in 14 cities and towns."

(AAWS Inc)

1963 Two starts in the Dominican Republic

"Two A.A. groups begin to meet regularly in Santo Domingo in the spring of 1963. One, the Spanish-speaking Grupo Santa Mercedes, grows from two to 18 members by the end of the year. G.S.O. New York lists as the contact person Abe F., who is also one of two men in the second group, for English speakers; this group, however, will last for only two years."

(AAWS Inc)

1962 UK island groups

"Guernsey gets on board in 1961 when Pru, a Loner, arranges for meetings to be held in the study of the headmaster of St. Joseph's Roman Catholic School in St. Peter Port. When the group moves to a room above a café, membership grows from six to a dozen. But not until the group finds a permanent home at Princess Elizabeth Hospital in 1981 will it undergo significant growth. A group starts meeting in the nearby island of Jersey in 1962, and small inter-island conventions are held for four or five years - in Guernsey in autumn, in Jersey in spring. The first A.A. group on the Isle of Man, to the north in the Irish Sea, will be formed in 1966."

(AAWS Inc)

1962 Dr. Norris elected Chairman

"Dr. John L. Norris, the medical director of Eastman Kodak and a nonalcoholic trustee of A.A. since 1948, becomes chairman of the General Service Board. "Dr. Jack," described by Bill as "a most selfless and devoted worker," will be instrumental in the development of Regional Forums. His involvement with A.A. will continue after he steps down from the Board of Trustees in 1975."

(AAWS Inc)

1962 Island hopping in the Caribbean

"A.A. groups in the Caribbean, including those in the Bahamas and Trinidad, receive support in 1962 when the dedicated Gordon MacD. visits the Antilles and meets with secretaries of the groups in the region. The aim of what is called "the Caribbean Crusade," launched by Gordon and other members in 1959, is to develop and reinforce A.A. in the Caribbean and to facilitate cooperation between Caribbean and Latin American groups. Among the islands joining the fold in 1962 are Barbados and Grenada, both in the Lesser Antilles."

(AAWS Inc)

1962 Twelve Concepts for World Service published

"In 1962, the General Service Conference accepts Bill's long-awaited manuscript for Twelve Concepts for World Service. In the introduction, Bill writes that his aim is "...to record the 'why' of our service structure in such a fashion that the highly valuable experience of the past, and the lessons we have drawn from that experience, can never be forgotten or lost.""

(AAWS Inc)

1961 Big Book sales top half a million

"By 1961, more than 500,000 copies of Alcoholics Anonymous have been sold, plus editions translated into Spanish, French, and German."

(AAWS Inc)

1961 Bill writes to Carl Jung

"In a 1961 letter to Swiss-German psychoanalyst Dr. Carl Jung, Bill expresses his gratitude for Jung's long-ago message to Rowland G., who was treated by Jung and who would later lead friend Ebby T. to the Oxford Group. Bill wrote, "You frankly told [Rowland] of the hopelessness of further medical or psychiatric treatment," [and also of the possibility of] "a spiritual awakening or religious experience - in short, a genuine conversion." Bill described these statements as "beyond doubt the first foundation stone upon which [A.A.] has been built." Jung responds with a gracious letter confirming that the most appropriate antidote to alcoholism is spirituality, which is emphasized in the Twelve Steps."

(AAWS Inc)

1960 Costa Rica's struggling start

"Although the Costa Rican government's Committee on Alcoholism (COA), established in 1954, had some success in treating alcoholics, the only connection to A.A. was a perfunctory reading of the Twelve Steps at meetings. After a shaky beginning in 1958, A.A. Grupo Tradicionalista No.1 - started by a small group of COA patients - becomes stable in 1959. By the summer of 1963, eight groups will be meeting countrywide and a General Service Office will open in San José."

(AAWS Inc)

1960 The third International Convention

"Long Beach, California, plays host to A.A.'s 25th Anniversary celebration in July 1960. Some 8,900 attendees are joined by many of the Fellowship's pioneers - among them Bill and Lois, Sister Ignatia, Marty M., Dr. Jack Norris (a non-alcoholic trustee chairman), Warden Clinton Duffy, and Dr. Harry Tiebout, a psychiatrist who championed A.A. and brought Marty M. into the program."

(AAWS Inc)

1960 Guatemala gets going

"Guatemala's first known A.A. group begins meeting in January 1960, through the efforts of Miguel Angel R. and Paulino G. The seed had been planted four years before by Reinaldo G., a friend of Miguel's who had joined A.A. in San Francisco before returning home to Guatemala. An Intergroup office will open three years later."

(AAWS Inc)

(see here)

1960 France's first French-speaking groups

"While American A.A.s had met in Paris as early as 1949, the first known French-speaking group forms after the newspaper France Soir runs a series of articles on Alcoholics Anonymous by journalist Joseph Kessel in the summer of 1960. A letter to the newspaper from Manuel M. (originally from Spain) results in his receiving A.A. literature and the start of a group of four: Manuel, François B., Jean M., and Lennard (a Swede). In 1961 the group, which takes the name Groupe Quai d'Orsay, will gain the sponsorship of Americans who established an A.A. group in Paris in 1955. More groups are formed, growth accelerates, and in the early 1970s France's General Service Office will open in Rue Trousseau."

(AAWS Inc)

(see here)

1959 Colombia: Seven years to success

"After years of failed attempts, a stable Colombian A.A. group is finally formed in January 1959. The principal players are Arturo E. of Medellin and Alejandro S. of Baranquilla, who had met while being treated for alcoholism in a Baranquilla clinic in 1952. While the men twice tried to launch a group (Alejandro, a prosperous businessman, had become familiar with A.A. principles while undergoing treatment in a Miami hospital), only Arturo is able to stay sober and carry through. His first group, which meets in Medellin, plants the seed for those that will follow in Bogotá and other Colombian cities."

(AAWS Inc)

(see here)

1959 Austria West, Austria East

"In 1959, two A.A. members from Reichenall, Germany, decide to carry the message across the Austrian border to Salzburg. With the aid of their first contact, a physician from a local clinic for nervous diseases, they help a few alcoholics form a group. To the east in Vienna, two alcoholic women who are being treated in the clinic of a psychiatrist, Dr. Rotter, hear of A.A. and found a group on their own. With a gentleman from Linz, they begin to hold meetings in private homes. Both groups independently seek the advice of German groups and receive German-language A.A. literature."

(AAWS Inc)

(see here)

1958 A prison group Down Under

"A.A. groups in prisons had spread across the U.S. from 1942 onward and had also begun meeting in Canada, Ireland, and Finland. In 1958, Australia's first known "group behind walls" is formed - the Magpie Prison Group at Fremantle Prison in the port city of Fremantle, Western Australia."

(AAWS Inc)

1958 State of the Structure

"As a service to readers, the January 1958 Grapevine prints a chart outlining A.A.'s services and the Conference structure. Text in the top box notes that "over 7,000 groups, including 500 in hospitals, prisons, and other institutions and 760 overseas, are registered at the General Service Headquarters.""

(AAWS Inc)

1958 Dramatizations of alcoholism

"When called upon, Alcoholics Anonymous plays an advisory role in the dramatization of alcoholism on television or in movies. In one instance, G.S.O. New York staff members work closely with scriptwriter J. P. Miller in preparation for the October 1958 broadcast of "Days of Wine and Roses," a "Playhouse 90" production. The play, examining the lives of an alcoholic married couple seeking help from A.A., will reach an international audience when it is produced as a movie in 1962."

(AAWS Inc)

1958 Signing on in Singapore

"Dick D., who regularly corresponds with G.S.O. New York, writes in March 1958 that the Singapore group, founded in 1957, now has 12 members and two likely prospects."
(AAWS Inc)

1958 First International Conference of Young People in A.A.

"In late April 1958, the first conference for A.A.'s younger members (then defined as those under age 40) is held at Hotel Niagara in Niagara Falls, New York. "The A.A. Exchange Bulletin" (the precursor to the newsletter Box 4-5-9) reports that the purpose of the International Conference of Young People in A.A. (ICYPAA) is "to provide delegates with a thorough rundown of the application of our A.A. program to the individual difficulties encountered by young people in dealing not only with alcoholism but also with the other problems peculiar to their generation." ICYPAA is held annually."

(AAWS Inc)

1957 The arrival of Alateen

"Concern for the problems of the children of alcoholics was the topic of a special session at the 1955 St. Louis Convention. This concern increases as letters from teenagers (a few of whom had started groups of their peers) begin to flow into the Al-Anon office. As a result, Al-Anon founds Alateen in 1957 and publishes the booklet Youth and the Alcoholic Parent."

(AAWS Inc)

1957 A landmark book

"In Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, published October 1, 1957, Bill recounts A.A. history from a personal standpoint and reviews the proceedings of the St. Louis Convention. A section describing the Three Legacies is included, as are talks by A.A. friends in the fields of religion and medicine."

(AAWS Inc)

1957 Letters from Greece

"An American pilot who is an A.A. member reports to G.S.O. New York that he has presented a copy of Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions to Rev. Charles Hanna, pastor of the American Church in Athens. Rev. Hanna begins corresponding with G.S.O. New York in early 1957. His efforts bring together three American Loners living in Athens - Frank O. and servicemen Gus and Cal - who hold Greece's first A.A. meeting in the port city of Piraeus."

(AAWS Inc)

(see here)

1957 India: Loners no more

"In January 1957, Charley M., an A.A. member employed by the National Film Board of Canada, contacts Sylvia M. and Supatti M., both New Delhi Loners listed with G.S.O. New York. (Charley had expressed to the office his wish to stay active in A.A. during a 36-month business sojourn in Asia.) The three placed an ad in local newspapers, drawing responses from seven alcoholics- among them Mahindar S. G., who, like Sylvia and Supatti, is already listed. By May, New Delhi meetings are attracting eight to 12 people; by year's end, groups will be active in Calcutta and Bombay."

(AAWS Inc)

(see here)

1957 North American hospital groups

"By the beginning of 1957, the General Service Office in New York is maintaining contact with more than 230 hospital groups in the United States and Canada - the legacy of the pioneering A.A. groups formed two decades earlier at St. Thomas Hospital in Akron, and Towns Hospital and Knickbocker Hospital in New York."

(AAWS Inc)

1956 A.A.'s first overseas General Service Board

"The quick growth of Alcoholics Anonymous in Great Britain and Ireland makes apparent the need for a separate General Service Board. After seeking guidance from G.S.O. New York, representatives from England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland meet in London on October 28, 1956. They resolve to establish a Board of Trustees based on the U.S. model, to be known as the General Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous in Great Britain & Ireland, Ltd. The first G.S.B. outside the U.S., housed in London's Fruit Exchange, will begin operations in 1957."

(AAWS Inc)

1956 Venezuela joins the fold

"A few Americans who gather for A.A. meetings in Caracas place a small ad in a local English-language newspaper. It draws the attention of Christiaan V., who previously attempted to start a Spanish-speaking group. With the help of the Americans, Christiaan carries the message to Luis and Clyde, and the three men become the first link in a chain of groups that will spread across Venezuela."

(AAWS Inc)

(see here)

1955 The Third Legacy

"At the St. Louis Convention, Bill speaks of the Fellowship's Third Legacy, that of Service. In his words ". . . an A.A. service is anything whatever that helps us to reach a fellow sufferer. . .from the Twelfth Step itself to a ten-cent phone call and a cup of coffee, and to A.A.'s General Service Office for national and international action." Fifty thousand Third Legacy booklets, known today as The A.A. Service Manual, will be printed and distributed to A.A. groups."

(AAWS Inc)

1955 Bill W. passes the torch, July 1955

"The St. Louis Convention culminates with Bill officially handing leadership of A.A. over to the members. The resolution he reads is passed with a roar of approval: "Be it therefore resolved that the General Service Conference... should become as of this date... the guardian of the Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous, the perpetuators of the world services of our Society, the voice of the group conscience of our entire Fellowship, and the sole successors of its co-founders, Doctor Bob and Bill.""

(AAWS Inc)

1955 Second Edition of Big Book published in 1955

"The second edition of Alcoholics Anonymous reflects the membership's growing diversity. The chapters on A.A. principles remain the same, and eight of the stories of early members' efforts to achieve sobriety are retained in a section called "Pioneers of A.A." In addition, 24 new stories appear in two separate sections: "They Stopped in Time" and "They Lost Nearly All." The Twelve Traditions are added as well."

(AAWS Inc)

1955 A historic International Convention

"In July 1955, some 5,000 people attend the second International Convention in St. Louis. President Dwight D. Eisenhower recognizes the occasion with a congratulatory telegram. Among the important events at this 20th anniversary gathering is Bill's presentation on A.A. history and the importance of understanding it. In addition, the second edition of the Big Book is launched. The Al-Anon Fellowship, now four years old, participates in five workshops."

(AAWS Inc)

1955 First meetings in Madrid

"A Mrs. Garcia of New York informs G.S.O. New York of the wish of Dr. E. Pelaz, a psychiatrist at a Madrid sanitarium, to launch an A.A. group. The G.S.O. sends Pelaz pamphlets and the name of its Madrid contact, American Ray C. Ray and fellow alcoholic Dan C. begin holding English-language meetings in June 1955. By the end of the year membership has increased fourfold and a Spanish-American group is meeting at Pelaz's sanitarium. Before long, the Spaniards form a separate group, which quickly attracts more members and spurs the formation of A.A. groups countrywide."

(AAWS Inc)

(see here)

1955 Mr. Eddie of El Salvador

"Edward F., who has carried the Fellowship's message to several alcoholics in Boston and San Francisco, moves to San Salvador with his Salvadoran wife. After initially finding it hard to arouse interest in A.A., a friend of his wife introduces Edward to her alcoholic uncle, Don A., and the two men form a group that meets at the home of Atilio, a wealthy alcoholic. As membership grows, meetings are moved to the Garcia Flamenco school building. "Mr. Eddie," as he becomes known, will later help start groups in other Central American countries."

(AAWS Inc)

1955 A bulletin for Loners

"Hundreds of Loners - individuals who are listed with A.A. but do not belong to a group - are being mailed G.S.O.'s monthly bulletin, "Twelfth Stepper," each issue of which features personal stories of Loners from around the world. The stated purpose is to enable such members "to share A.A. love and gratitude, strength and faith with one another." A previous bulletin - "The Internationalists Round Robin," launched in 1949 - had grown out of the efforts of Captain Jack S., a sailor who found sobriety in A.A. and maintained it by exchanging letters with groups he helped start around the world."

(AAWS Inc)

1955 Joining the fold...

"The St. Louis Convention of 1955 affirms the Fellowship's maturity as Bill W. passes to the members the responsibility for A.A.'s Three Legacies of Recovery, Unity, and Service. The Convention signals a decade of change-one that sees the consolidation of family groups under the name of Al-Anon, a separate fellowship that, like Alcoholics Anonymous, has spread to almost every corner of the world."

(AAWS Inc)

1955 A.A. in Argentina

"In the early 1950s, Hector G. of Buenos Aires is rescued from alcoholism after reading Alcoholics Anonymous and seeking the aid of a physician. He writes to the Alcoholic Foundation, which sends him A.A. literature in Spanish and asks permission to list him as a contact for referrals. Hector founds Argentina's first known group, and in 1955 will report that its members are relishing their newfound sobriety."

(AAWS Inc)

1954 Membership exceeds 100,000

"By the end of A.A.'s second decade, some 130,000 members are meeting in approximately 6,000 groups on five continents."

(AAWS Inc)

1954 The Alcoholic Foundation becomes the General Service Board

"Changing the name of the Alcoholic Foundation to the General Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous was first proposed at the first General Service Conference in the spring of 1951, but the switch becomes official in 1954. The motivation is to signal that the A.A. membership is taking full responsibility for itself."

(AAWS Inc)

1954 Bill W. declines honorary degrees

"In the wake of Alcoholic Anonymous' success, several colleges and universities offer Bill W. honorary degrees. He declines, explaining why in this excerpt from a letter to Yale University, which had proposed an honorary Doctor of Laws degree: "The tradition of Alcoholics Anonymous . . . entreats each member to avoid all that particular kind of personal publicity or distinction which might link his name with our Society in the general public mind." He then quotes A.A.'s need for anonymity, as stated in Tradition Twelve."

(AAWS Inc)

1953 The Big Book hits Belgium

"At a gathering of English-speaking and Belgian alcoholics in Brussels, Jean L. introduces the Big Book and the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous. Within months of the October 1953 meeting, groups start assembling not only in Belgium's capital but also in cities and towns in Flanders and Wallonia."

(AAWS Inc)

(see here and here)

1953 Nicaragua's inaugural group

"In the fall of 1953, Grupo de A.A. La Merced is founded in León by Jack M., who took up residence in Nicaragua in 1950, and then joined A.A. while on a brief visit to the United States Groups in the capital city of Managua and other Nicaraguan population centers will start meeting a decade later, facilitated by the Alcoholic Foundation."

(AAWS Inc)

1953 Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions is first published - 1953

"Bill W. becomes increasingly devoted to writing projects, one of which emerges as Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions - the book that sets forth his deepest understanding of A.A.'s basic principles."

(AAWS Inc)

1953 A post-war beginning in Germany

"A handful of U.S. servicemen, all recovering alcoholics stationed at U.S. Army Base I Munich after the end of World War II, take on the responsibility of forming the first known A.A. group in Germany. On a mission to sober up local alcoholics, they post notices of a meeting to be held at Hotel Leopold on November 1, 1953. Among the 25 attendees are Max, Kurt, and Heindrich, who will meet with the Americans in what will come to be called Germany's "mother group.""

(AAWS Inc)

(see here)

1952 Caribbean by way of Canada

"Though there had inquiries from the Bahamas as early as 1944, Burton L., an A.A. member from Toronto now living in Nassau, forms the first stable group in the Bahamas in 1952 - four members who meet on Sunday afternoons. The group, one of the first in the Caribbean, makes a contribution of $6 when it registers with the Alcoholic Foundation."

(AAWS Inc) 

(see here)

1952 The arrival of Al-Anon

"In loosely organized Family Groups, loved ones of A.A. members had gathered together and shared their experiences since the Fellowship's earliest days. At Bill W.'s urging, his wife Lois moves to create a separate fellowship that will formalize these meetings. With Anne B., who had initiated a Family Group in Westchester County, New York, Lois sends a letter to 87 such groups suggesting that they unite under the name of Al-Anon. The response is positive, and Al-Anon Family Groups is born. In January 1952 Lois and Anne shift the growing organization's office from Stepping Stones to the 24th Street Clubhouse in Manhattan."

(AAWS Inc) 

(see here)

1951 A prestigious award

"In San Francisco in October 1951, the American Public Health Association presents Alcoholics Anonymous with the Lasker Award, "in recognition of its unique and highly successful approach" to an "age-old public health and social problem." The award is made possible through benefactions of Mary and Albert Lasker, New York philanthropists. A ceremony with Bill W. and Board of Trustees chairman Bernard Smith as speakers is attended by some 3,000 A.A.s and family members, physicians, public health experts, and clergymen."

(AAWS Inc)

1951 A.A.'s first General Service Conference

"The first General Service Conference, orchestrated by chairman of the Alcoholic Foundation Bernard Smith, is held in April 1951 at the Commodore Hotel in New York. Bill W. later writes of its significance to A.A.: "The delegates . . . listened to reports from the Board of Trustees and from all of the services. There was warm but cordial debate on many questions of A.A. policy... [It was proved] as never before that A.A.'s Tradition Two was correct: Our group conscience could safely act as the sole authority and sure guide for Alcoholics Anonymous.""

(AAWS Inc)

1950 The death of Dr. Bob

"Dr. Bob dies of cancer on November 16, 1950. During the Akron physician's 15 years of sobriety, the Fellowship he started with Bill W. had transformed the lives of close to 100,000 men and women and their loved ones."

(AAWS Inc)

1950 Peru's inaugural group

"After reading in Look magazine about ACE, a treatment for acute alcoholism, Percy N., an American living in Lima, writes to the Alcoholic Foundation asking for its view of the treatment. The Foundation responds by sending him three Alcoholics Anonymous pamphlets. In turn, Percy expresses his wish to become a member and start a group, which he proceeds to do in November 1950."

(AAWS Inc)

(see here)

1950 Denmark: From Ring i Ring to A.A.

"In 1948 a group belonging to a national temperance society called Ring i Ring is founded by Dr. Martensen, a doctor who treats alcoholic patients. It meets in a restaurant at Copenhagen's zoo. In the summer of 1949, A.A. member Gordon McD. and his wife visits Ring i Ring at a meeting place in Lyngby, a small suburban outside Copenhagen. The group changes its name to "Ring i Ring Danish A.A." in January 1950 and lists with the Alcoholic Foundation. In the next few years, other Ring i Ring members will break away and hold closed meetings based on the Twelve Steps and other A.A. principles."

(AAWS Inc)

(see here)