Samoan History Timeline - Important Dates & People
Events in Samoan History
- 1889-03-15 6 US & German warships sunk by a typhoon in Apia harbour, Samoa, 200 die
- 1892-07-04 Western Samoa changes the International Date Line, so that year there were 367 days in this country, with two occurrences of Monday, July 4
- 1899-12-02 US & Germany agree to divide Samoa between them
- 1900-01-16 The United States Senate accepts the Anglo-German treaty of 1899 in which the United Kingdom renounces its claims to the Samoan islands
- 1900-01-16 The US gains control over Tutuila in Samoa and several smaller Pacific islands
- 1904-07-16 Islands of Manu'a group (Samoa) ceded to US by their chiefs
- 1914-08-29 New Zealand forces capture German Samoa
- 1962-01-01 Western Samoa gains independence from New Zealand Susuga Malietoa Tanumafili II becomes co-chief of Western Samoa
- 1963-04-05 Susuga Malietoa Tanumafili II becomes chief of Western Samoa
- 1972-12-19 Apollo 17 (last of Apollo Moon landing series) returns to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean, southeast of Samoa
- 1976-12-15 Samoa becomes a member of the UN
- 2009-09-29 An 8.0 magnitude earthquake near the Samoan Islands causes a tsunami
- 2019-11-16 Samoa declares state of emergency over measles epidemic closing all schools after six deaths
- 2021-05-24 Constitutional crisis deepens in Samoa after Speaker of the House shuts out Fiame Naomi Mata’afa from being sworn in as the country's first woman leader in 56 years [1]
Famous People from Samoa
- 1909-04-17 Humphrey Sims Moore, British pacifist and journalist (founder of Peace News), born in Samoa (d. 1995)
- 1913-01-04 Malietoa Tanumafili II, Chief and Head-of-Head of Samoa (1962-2007), born in Samoa (d. 2007)
- 1945-04-14 Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi, 8th Prime Minister of Samoa, born in Lepa, Samoa
- 1957-04-29 Fiame Naomi Mata'afa, Samoan politician and chieftainess, 1st female Prime Minister of Samoa (2021-), born in Apia, Western Samoa
- 1961-03-10 Jesse Sapolu, Samoan NFL guard (SF 49ers), born in Apia, Samoa
- 1966-02-03 Jimmy Thunder, New Zealand boxer (IBO heavyweight title 1994-95), born in Apia, Samoa (d. 2020)
- 1966-11-07 Murphy Su'a, New Zealand cricket pace bowler (NZ left-arm of Samoan parents), born in Whanganui, New Zealand
- 1969-09-04 Va'aiga Tuigamala, Samoan rugby union centre/winger (19 Tests NZ, 23 Samoa; Newcastle Falcons, Auckland RU) and rugby league (2 Tests, Samoa; Wigan Warriors), born in Faleasiu, Western Samoa (d. 2022)
- 1972-11-21 David Tua, Samoan boxer
- 1973-03-28 Eddie Fatu, Samoan professional wrestler
- 1976-08-12 Henry Tuilagi, Samoan rugby player
- 1979-03-17 Samoa Joe, Samoan professional wrestler
- 1980-07-31 Mils Muliaina, New Zealand and Waikato rugby player, born in Salesi, Samoa
- 1980-11-04 Jerry Collins, New Zealand rugby union flanker, #8 (48 caps; Wellington Hurricanes, Toulon, Ospreys, Narbonne), born in Apia, Samoa (d. 2015)
- 2002-11-05 Jawsh 685 [Joshua Nanai], Samoan-New Zealander dance mixer and music producer ("Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat)", with Jason Derulo), born in Aukland, New Zealand
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