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Alcoholics Anonymous

CMIA32

Central Michigan Intra-Area 32

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A.A. History in March

May 1
1939 - Lois and Bill W. left their home at 182 Clinton St., Brooklyn.
1940 - Rollie H., Cleveland Indians, anonymity break occurred.
1941 - First Wisconsin AA meeting was held in hotel in Milwaukee.
May 2
1941 - Jacksonville, FL newspaper reported the start of an AA group in Jacksonville.
1943 - New Orleans Times reported founding of the first Louisiana AA group with a dozen members.
May 3
1941 - First AA group formed in New Orleans, Louisiana.
1941 - Democrat Chronicle in Rochester, NY, reported first annual AA dinner at Seneca hotel with 60 attending.
May 4
1940 - Sunday Star reported founding of first AA group in Washington, DC.
May 6
1939 - Clarence S. of Cleveland told Dr. Bob, his sponsor, he would not be back to Oxford Group meetings in Akron and would start an "AA" meeting in Cleveland.
May 7
1956 - The first English AA Convention was held in Cheltenham, England.
May 8
1943 - Akron AA Group celebrates 8th anniversary with 500 present and sober.
1971 - Bill W. was buried in private ceremony, in East Dorset, Vermont. Dr. Jack Norris gave the eulogy.
May 10
1939 - Clarence S. announced to the Akron Oxford Group members that the Cleveland members were starting a meeting in Cleveland and calling it Alcoholics Anonymous.
1946 - Searcy W. had his last drink. (Searcy passed away September 30, 2003 with 57 years continuous sobriety.)
May 11
1935 - Bill W. called Walter Tunks from the Mayflower Hotel, and was referred to Henrietta Seiberling who set up a meeting with Dr. Bob.
1939 - First meeting of the Cleveland Group.
May 12
1935 - Mother's Day, Bill and Dr. Bob met for the first time, at the home of Henrietta Seiberling.
May 15
1961 - Bill W.'s mother, Dr. Emily Strobell, died.
May 16
1941 - Ruth Hock learned that the man credited with coming up with the name "Alcoholics Anonymous" has a "wet" brain.
May 17
1942 - Dayton Journal Herald published pictures of AA members wearing masks to protect their anonymity. 
May 18
1939 - The first group to call itself A. A. is meets in Cleveland, OH. 
1950 - Dr. Bob told Bill W. "I reckon we ought to be buried like other folks." He wanted no memorial.
May 19
2000 - Dr. Paul O. died at the age of 83. He was author of "Acceptance Was the Answer" in the 4th edition of the Big Book. This story was titled "Doctor, Alcoholic, Addict" in the 3rd edition.
May 29
1980 - "Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers" was published.
May 31
1938 - Bill W. and other A.A.s began writing the Big Book.
Other significant events in May for which we do not have a specific date:
1938 - Bill W. and other AA's began writing the Big Book.
1939 - Clarence Snyder told Dr. Bob, his sponsor, he would not be back to the Oxford Group meetings in Akron and would start an "A.A." meeting in Cleveland.
1942 - Richmond W., author of "Twenty-Four Hours a Day," had his last drink.
1946 - Long form of 12 Traditions was published in AA Grapevine for the first time.
1946 - The A.A. Grapevine announced, "A.A. has 6,000 members in 180 groups."
1948 - The A.A. Grapevine reported $2.00 was sent to the General Service headquarters of A.A. in New York, asking for "a bottle of Alcoholics Anonymous".
1950 - Nell Wing became Bill W.'s secretary.
1951 - Al-Anon was founded by Lois W. and Anne B.
1962 - The A. A. Grapevine published the first "Victor E." cartoon.
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