Some Important Dates

Year	Event
1848	Hydesville Knockings in the USA lead to the investigation of the mediumship of the Fox sisters and the birth of the Movement of Modern Spiritualism.
1849	First public demonstration of mediumship by Margaret Fox in the Corinthian Hall, Rochester, New York.
1852	Mrs. Hayden from America becomes the first Spiritualist medium to work in Britain.
1853	David Richmond founded the first Spiritualist Church in Britain at Keighley in Yorkshire.
1854	Robert Owen, Socialist and co-founder of the Co-operative Movement, embraced Spiritualism after sittings with Mrs. Hayden. (After passing to the Spirit World he became the author of the Seven Principles of Spiritualism, they were then adopted by the Spiritualist's National Union).
1855	First Spiritualist newspaper in Britain, "The Yorkshire Spiritualist Telegraph" published at Keighley.
1863	Andrew Jackson Davis established the first Sunday Lyceum for children in New York
1866	First Lyceum opened in Britain at Nottingham by J. Hitchcock
1869	Committee appointed by the Dialectical Society investigated Spiritualism. They published the most favourable report on Spiritualism up to that time by an investigating body
1871	Sir William Crookes reported on Spiritualism to the Royal Society and published his findings in the "Quarterly Journal of Science".
1873	British National Association of Spiritualists founded. Renamed the London Spiritualist Alliance in 1884 and known today as the College for Psychic Science in London
1882	Society for Psychical Research founded.
1887	'Two Worlds' founded as a Spiritualistic weekly newspaper by Mrs. Harding Britten. (Now a monthly magazine). British Lyceum Manual also published for the first time. The Seven Principles given by Mrs. Emma Harding Britten.
1890	Formation of the National Spiritualists' Federation. Spiritualists' Lyceum Union established (Name changed to British Spiritualists' Lyceum Union in 1894).
1893	Foundation of National Spiritualists' Association in America.
1901	Foundation of Spiritualists' National Union Ltd. as a company not for profit and limited by guarantee, taking over the assets and liabilities of the National Spiritualists' Federation in July of that year.
1918	Sir Arthur Conan Doyle proclaims his belief in Spiritualism
1923	Formation of the International Spiritualists' Federation.
1924	Hannen Swaffer proclaimed his Belief in Spiritualism.
1931	Publication of J. Arthur Findlay's trilogy, "On the edge of the Etheric"; "The Rock of Truth"; 1935 and "The Unfolding Universe".
1932	"Psychic News" founded by Arthur Findlay under the editorship of Maurice Barbanell.
1934	First broadcast on behalf of Spiritualism through the BBC by Ernest Oaten.
1937	Spiritualism investigated by Church of England Committee set up by Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Gordon Cosmo Lang. (Its subsequent favourable report by the church was never published and its contents only became known when released by "Psychic News" who had been mysteriously sent a copy)
1940	Spiritualists' National Union Ltd. achieves full government recognition and is given certificate to act as a Trust Corporation.
1944	Helen Duncan trial in London.
1951	Passing of the Fraudulent Mediums Act removing mediums from the twin threats of the Witchcraft Act 1735 and the Vagrancy Act 1824, and thereby enabling Spiritualists' to openly and legally practice their religion.
1964	Stansted Hall handed over to the Spiritualists' National Union by Arthur Findlay.