150 years of revelation history, from the birth of the Sadlers to the present day
William Samuel Sadler and Lena Kellogg are both born in Indiana. They will later marry and become the central human figures in the Urantia revelation.
Dr. William and Dr. Lena Sadler encounter an anonymous man in their Chicago neighborhood who speaks in his sleep, channeling messages that appear to come from celestial personalities. This marks the beginning of the contact phenomenon.
Dr. Lena Sadler calls together a group of friends and associates to discuss the sleeping subject communications. This gathering becomes "The Forum," eventually numbering around 30 members who pose questions answered by the celestial authors.
The 196 papers of The Urantia Book are completed through the contact process. The papers cover cosmology, the history of Earth (Urantia), the life and teachings of Jesus, and the nature of God and the universe.
Urantia Foundation is established in Chicago, Illinois, with the mandate to preserve the text of The Urantia Book inviolate and to disseminate its teachings. The Foundation is headquartered at 533 W. Diversey Parkway.
On October 12, 1955, The Urantia Book is published for the first time by Urantia Foundation. 10,000 copies are printed. The Urantia Brotherhood is also chartered as the social/fraternal organization for readers.
Emma Louise "Christy" Christensen, who typed the entire Urantia manuscript and served as the last surviving member of the Contact Commission, passes away at the age of 92.
A major organizational schism occurs. The Urantia Brotherhood separates from Urantia Foundation following disputes over governance, copyright enforcement, and the direction of the movement. The Brotherhood reorganizes as the Fifth Epochal Fellowship (later the Urantia Book Fellowship).
The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rules in Urantia Foundation v. Maaherra, establishing precedent on copyright of the text. The court affirms the Foundation held a valid copyright renewal, but the case raises significant questions about the nature of authorship.
In the Michael Foundation case, a jury in Oklahoma finds that Urantia Foundation's copyright renewal of The Urantia Book is invalid. This ruling effectively opens the English text to the public domain in the United States.
The international copyright on The Urantia Book expires, placing the original English text in the public domain worldwide. This opens the door for independent translations, digital editions, and derivative works.
Representatives from Urantia Foundation, the Urantia Book Fellowship, and Urantia Association International meet to discuss organizational unity and cooperation. The meeting represents a significant step in healing decades of division.
The Urantia Book Network (UBN) is launched at IC'17 in Denver, Colorado. Founded as a digital platform to bring the fifth epochal revelation to a new generation through cinematic content, interactive tools, and community resources.
The Urantia Book is published in Chinese, marking one of the most significant translation milestones in the movement's history and opening the revelation to the world's largest language community.
The Urantia Book Fellowship hosts its triennial International Conference at the Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, California, bringing together readers from around the world.
