1938-06-15 03:43:39

Fethullah Gulen is born in Erzurum, Turkey

1945-06-15 14:32:46

Gulen begins studying the Quran

1959-06-15 00:11:36

Gulen becomes an imam in Edirne

1961-06-15 10:10:11

Gulen begins his mandatory military service in Ankara

1966-06-15 05:58:06

Gulen starts working as an imam in Izmir

1969-06-15 07:00:35

Gulen organizes coffeehouse meetings along Turkey's Aegean coast

1971-06-15 21:22:10

Gulen is arrested during the military coup

He is released six months later but is banned from doing public lectures.

1975-06-15 00:32:37

Gulen organizes a series of conferences including “Science and the Quran”

1977-06-15 16:50:47

Gulen conducts his first sermon at the Sultanahmet Mosque in Istanbul

Prime Minister Suleyman Demirel is among the crowd during his second sermon.

1980-06-15 14:40:58

Turkey witnesses its third military coup