What is the history and story behind Alcoholics Anonymous?

What is the history and story behind Alcoholics Anonymous?

Alcoholics Anonymous was created in 1935 by recovering alcoholic Bill Wilson. Wilson had been failing at his Wall Street career because his drinking was so out of hand that he was admitted into the hospital a number of times. Friends tried to help Bill, including his childhood drinking buddy, Ebby Thacher.

When did Alcoholics Anonymous begin?

1935, Akron, OHAlcoholics Anonymous / Founded

A.A. began in 1935 in Akron, Ohio, as the outcome of a meeting between Bill W., a New York stockbroker, and Dr. Bob S., an Akron surgeon. Both had been hopeless alcoholics.

What was Dr. Bob’s last drink?

beer
He drank one beer the next morning to settle his nerves so he could perform an operation, which proved to be the last alcoholic drink he would ever have. The date, June 10, 1935, is celebrated as the anniversary of the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous.

What kind of doctor was Dr. Bob?

surgeon
Robert Holbrook Smith (August 8, 1879 – November 16, 1950), also known as Dr. Bob, was an American physician and surgeon who founded Alcoholics Anonymous with Bill Wilson (more commonly known as Bill W.).

When did AA start in UK?

31st March 1947
The start of AA in Great Britain The meeting was held in Room 202 of the hotel at 8 p.m. on Monday 31st March 1947.

When was Bill W’s last drink?

December 11, 1934
On December 11, 1934, William Griffith Wilson took his last drink of alcohol. He didn’t know it at the moment, nor did he know he was about to start a new chapter in his life, and the lives of thousands of Americans. In the aftermath of his last bout of drinking, Wilson once again entered a detoxification program.

Did Bill Wilson ask for a drink when he died?

Over his last days, he asked three more times for a drink. He was never given one. Cheever says she was “shocked and horrified” that Wilson would want whiskey on his deathbed, and that her “blood ran cold” when she read of his request in the nurses’ logs of the last days of his life.

What are the four absolutes of AA?

What are the 4 Absolutes

  • Honesty.
  • Unselfishness.
  • Purity.
  • Love.

When did the AA stop saluting?

The AA salute This overt interference with the police’s execution of their duties came to an end on 1911 when use of the coloured badge stopped.

Who owns the AA now?

TowerBrook Capital PartnersWarburg Pincus
The AA/Parent organizations

Who was the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous?

In fact, June 10, 1935 is referred to as the birthday of AA as that is the date of Smith’s last drink. Some in AA like to say that Bill W. was the founder of alcoholics anonymous, but as Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship no one person can be said to have founded the group.

What is Alcoholics Anonymous?

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson (known as Bill W.) and Robert Smith (known as Dr. Bob ), and has since grown to be worldwide.

Who was the first alcoholic to become an AA member?

Wilson spent a month working with Smith, and Smith became the first alcoholic Wilson brought to sobriety. Smith’s last drink was on June 10, 1935 (a beer to steady his hand for surgery), and this is considered by AA members to be the founding date of AA.

What was the date of the founding date of AA?

Smith’s last drink was on June 10, 1935 (a beer to steady his hand for surgery), and this is considered by AA members to be the founding date of AA.