“Whatever was esoteric was ipso facto not Buddha”
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #quote
Figure timeline
Helena Blavatsky
Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, often known as Madame Blavatsky, was a Russian and American mystic and writer who co-founded the Theosophical Society in 1875. She gained an international following as the primary founder of Theosophy as a belief system.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
culture · Russian-American mystic and writer (1831–1891) · philosopher · writer · occultist · editor · theosophist · mystic · also Helena Blavatsky, Helena von Hahn, Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, H.P. Blavatsky, Madame Blavatsky, Yelena Petrovna von Hahn
Born 12 August 1831 · Died 26 April 1891 · Q189454
27 published statements · 0 followers
See & hear
Photos & media
14 photos
Media from Wikimedia Commons, hotlinked at the source under its own licence — see each file for author and terms.
Live now
In the news
Pulling headlines from trusted outlets — this usually takes a few seconds
Checking the wires…
Feed scan
These are live links, not archived citations — they only join the timeline once a collect run verifies and archives them.
Live pulse
Recent highlights
Most recent outstanding titles, awards, and quotes
- Quote
- Quote
2026· 2 entries
“a very wide umbrella, under which quite a few things could find a place”
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #quote
2008· 1 entry
Was said to have around 13,000 members while in the US the 2008 membership was reported at around 3,900
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1986· 1 entry
The SPR admitted this to be the case and retracted the findings of the report
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1891· 3 entries
Died 1891-04-26.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #death
“without her charismatic leadership and uncompromising promotion of the Theosophical agenda, it appears unlikely that the movement could have attained its unique form.”
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #quote
Was the acknowledged head of a community numbering nearly 100,000, with journalistic organs in London, Paris, New York and Madras
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1888· 2 entries
Won Subba Row Medal (1888).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #trophy
- #achievement
Blavatsky established the Esoteric Section of the Theosophical Society, a group under her complete control
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1886· 1 entry
By which time she was using a wheelchair, Blavatsky moved to Ostend in Belgium, where she was visited by Theosophists from across Europe
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1885· 1 entry
Returned to Europe, establishing the Blavatsky Lodge in London
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1880· 1 entry
And Olcott moved to India, where the Society tried to ally with the Arya Samaj, a Hindu reform movement
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1877· 1 entry
Published Isis Unveiled, a book outlining her Theosophical world-view
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1875· 2 entries
In New York City, Blavatsky co-founded the Theosophical Society with Olcott and William Quan Judge
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Blavatsky began work on a book outlining her Theosophical worldview, much of which would be written during a stay in the Ithaca home of Hiram Corson, a Professor of English Literature at Cornell University
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1867· 2 entries
Proceeded to the Balkans, Hungary, and then Italy, where she spent time in Venice, Florence, and Mentana, claiming that in the latter she had been injured fighting for Giuseppe Garibaldi at the Battle of Mentana
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
When he was buried under Metrovitch's surname
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1864· 1 entry
While riding in Mingrelia, Blavatsky fell from her horse and was in a coma for several months with a spinal fracture
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1860· 1 entry
And her sister visited their maternal grandmother in Tiflis
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1858· 1 entry
Returned to her family, then based in Pskov
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1856· 1 entry
Through Kashmir, accompanied by a Tartar shaman who was attempting to reach Siberia and who thought that as a Russian citizen, Blavatsky would be able to aid him in doing so
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1854· 1 entry
Where she faced hostility as a Russian citizen due to the ongoing Crimean War between Britain and Russia
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1851· 1 entry
Proceeded to Paris, where she encountered the mesmerist, Victor Michal, who impressed her
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1849· 1 entry
Embarked on a series of world travels, visiting Europe, the Americas, and India
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1838· 1 entry
Blavatsky's mother moved with her daughters to be with her husband at Poltava, where she taught Blavatsky how to play the piano and arranged for her to take dance lessons
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1835· 1 entry
Mother and daughter moved to Odessa, where Blavatsky's maternal grandfather, Andrei Fadeyev, a civil administrator for the imperial authorities, had recently been posted
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1831· 1 entry
Born 1831-08-12.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #birth