Source: Baha'i World News Service
http://www.bahaiworldnews.org/story/568
On July 9, Baha'is around the world commemorate the date in 1850 that the Bab - one of two main figures in the founding of their Faith - was executed by a firing squad in Iran, then called Persia.
The Bab, whose name means "gate" in Arabic, had declared in 1844 that He was a messenger of God sent to prepare the way for the long-awaited promised one of all religions who would come to establish an age of universal peace. In 1863 Baha'u'llah announced publicly that He was that promised one.
The Bab attracted tens of thousands of followers, and the unease and commotion created by His message led the authorities to put him to death on a charge of heresy. He and a disciple who begged to share His martyrdom were executed by a firing squad of 750 soldiers in a public square in Tabriz.