The 1975 and 1914 were the two occasions when they thought the end would occur, but they've learned that there is nothing in the bible that can identify the date because God has not provided that information....so they've never done so since.
If we go all the way back to the time of Charles Taze Russell and the International Bible Students, they set the date for the end times on more than a few occasions over the years. During the brief few years that I was a baptized member, the Watchtower literature was teaching that 1914 marked the year of the beginning of the last generation before the new millenium, and 1975 or shortly thereafter, would mark the time when the Tribulation would begin, and the end time events would culminate with Christ's return. I discovered afterwards that Russell had set 1874 as the original start of the final generation, and 1914 would be the end. Later revisionists made note of WWI starting in that year and declared something along the lines of 'well, we were slightly off, but considering what happened in 1914, we were partially correct.'
But i have to say that the WT did not make an official case for 1975 as being the year for Armageddon. They never did and i've checked the literature going back to a few years before 1975 and all i found was repeated phrases such as "Will 1975 be the year for Armageaddon?, we will have to wait and see...we dont know for sure...it could be the year... it might occur in 1975"
Well, actually, you have to go back quite a few years before 1975 to find books and Watchtower and Awake magazine articles declaring 1975 would mark the beginning of the end times.
In 1966, the Society published a red covered book which my father bought several years before actually joining, and I still have in my collection...just in case any Witnesses come knocking on my door, and I have a chance to show it to them -- it's called "
Life Everlasting in Freedom of the Sons of God," and it contained the first Biblical chronology produced by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society near the end of the book. At the bottom of page 28 it has a commentary about the chronology produced by Bishop Usher:" Since the time of Ussher intensive study of Bible chronology has been carried on. In this twentieth century an independent study has been carried on that does not blindly follow some traditional chronological calculations of Christendom, and the published timetable resulting from this independent study gives the date of man's creation as 4026 B.C.E. According to this trustworth Bible chronology
six thousand years from man's creation will end in 1975, and the seventh period of a thousand years of human history will begin in the fall of 1975 C.E.
So six thousand years of man's existence on earth will soon be up, yes, within this generation."
Continuing on page 30:"How appropriate it would be for Jehovah God to
make of this coming seventh period of a thousand years a sabbath period of rest and release, a great Jubilee sabbath for the proclaiming of liberty throughout the earth to all its inhabitants! This would be most timely for mankind. It would also be most fitting on God's part, for, remember, mankind has yet ahead of it what the last book of the Holy Bible speaks of as the reign of Jesus Christ over earth for a thousand years, the millennial reign of Christ."
Skipping a paragraph down:"Shortly,
within our own generation, the symbolical trumpet will be sounded by divine power, proclaiming "liberty in the land to all its inhabitants." (Leviticus 25:8-10)
The WT did state that 1975 was the year that marked 6,000 years since the creation of Adam....and it did! But there was one more creation AFTER Adam that many had not taking into consideration....Eve. She was created some years later and the bible does not give the number of years so there is no way of knowing exactly when Gods 7th day began. Since God is resting on the 7th day, it is assumed that when he acts again, it will be the beginning of the 8th day...but that could be wrong, we dont really know until its been revealed and it may not be something God wants us to know.
Yes, I already mentioned that in the leadup to 1975, they were cautioning against thinking 1975 was the end....pointing to Eve being the final creation at an undetermined time afterwards. But they were teaching that some of the generation which saw the events of 1914 take place, would not all pass away. That's the teaching that they've had to climb down from as the 1914 generation would all be over 110 years old by now, if they are still alive.
It was exciting times, (i wasnt around at that time) and that excitement caused some to speculate that Armageddon would come in that year. I've talked to some witnesses who went through that time and they look back on it now and laugh at themselves. I think they all learnt a valuable lesson in not trying to predict when God will act....and they've never done it since. We really just have to keep in expectation that it is coming soon like Jesus said. I'd rather be with an organization that is prepared for it rather then one who is not in expectation that it is 'just around the corner'
Well, here's the problem: back in June of 1975 when I graduated from high school, young Witnesses were being told to forget about higher education and become pioneers after we graduated, rather than go on to university or college for further career opportunities. A lot of J.W.'s never did get to where they could have been. Back then college and university tuitions were dirt cheap compared to what young people have to pay now to go to college. But, we were told that the time was too short to worry about such things.
We can certainly see how the world has deteriorated, not only morally but also physically. The earth is being polluted, disease and cancer is affecting millions and that is likely due to the pollutants we breath and eat, war has never stopped, there are enough bombs to blow the whole planet up, the economy is up the creek. .... we certainly cant deny that we need some help from above and that is really what putting our faith in Christ is about. We cant get out of this mess on our own and we need a higher power. The bible offers such a solution. To us, it is the only way out of this mess.
To me, the pre-millennial doctrine makes the overall situation a little worse, because it instills a sense of complacency among adherents. I see our present situation as something unique in human history -- we've never had this many people on earth before, using so much of the planet's biosphere, accelerating the number of extinctions by at least 100 fold, changing the chemical makeup of the atmosphere by increasing CO2 levels by 40% over the last 150 years, and running low on the fossil fuels that have provided the cheap source of energy to make a 7 billion world population possible. And if the ecologists and environmentalists are right, we are facing an apocalypse, while most people remain oblivious to what we are facing over the coming decades, and a few throw up their hands and expect deliverance from above! If, as is usually the case - God helps those who help themselves, we're in big trouble.
there has been an adjustment in our understanding of the 'generation' that Jesus mentioned at Matthew "and this generation will be no means pass away until all these things occur"
Back in Jesus day, when he used the term 'generation' it applied to all those who were living during that time...so it didnt apply to a specific age of people, but to all those who were alive, young and old.
It will be the same during the 'last days'... the generation will be all those who are alive at the time, young and old. It really should be understood to refer to a contemporary group of people rather then a group of people born at a specific time.
So all who are alive during the great tribulation are the ones who the words "this generation will be no mean pass away until all these things occur" apply to.
Those people were living in a 'last days' scenario because it was in 70 CE that rome destroyed jerusalem and killed 1million jews in the process. That destruction is what Jesus was prophesying here:
Matthew 24:1 
But, Matthew 24 aside, there a few NT verses that are quite specific, and are not referring to the destruction of the Temple -- such as Mark 9:1
And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.
echoed in Luke 9:27
But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.
and Matthew 16:28
Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
These are supposedly quotes from Jesus, telling the disciples that 'I'll be back before the last ones here have died'. That created a problem in the 2nd century with followers asking what happened to the 2nd Coming. That would be a likely explanation for verses like 2 Peter 3:4 about scoffers who were mocking them:
And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
