Significant Dates

• about 1500 BC
  Settlers from unknown source settled the islands making up Samoa
• 1722
  Jocob Roggenveen, a Dutch Explorer, saw the Samoan Islands. What he saw was the eastern part of Samoa. When he reported his finding, he was punished since the Dutch company which financed his voyages preferred that these islands remain unknown to the rest of Europe for their own interest.
• 1768
  Louis-Antoine de Bougainville, a French explorer named Samoa 'Navigator Islands'
• 1819
  The French Navigator Louis de Freycinet discovered Rose atoll. This island is now a bird sanctuary and part of the United States wildlife preserves.
• 1830
  John Williams & Charles Barff of the London Missionary Society arrived in Samoa (western) and brought missionaries
• 1832
  John Williams arrived in Manu'a. His other missionary companion Paraifara was there already and he was having considerable success converting many Manu'ans to Christianity.
• 1835
  Reverend Peter Tuner (LMS) visited Samoa (western)
• 1839
  John Williams killed on the beach of Dillon Bay, Eromanga, Melanesia
• 1841
  Malietoa Vai'inupo, whom John Williams visited, died. He was the last Tafai'fa. (western Samoa)
• 1844
  LMS Training Institute established in Samoa (western).
• 1857
  JC Godeffroy & Son founded their depot in Apia (western Samoa)
• 1887
  French ship 'la Perouse landed on Tutu'ila, landed crew attacked, 12 died in fight
• 1898
  Compromise government in (western) Samoa broke with the death of Malietoa Laupepa
• 1899
  Germany annexes western Samoa
• 1899
  The United States of America annexes eastern Samoa
• 1900
  
  
  • Cession of the islands of Tutu'ila and Aunu'u islands to the United States
  • On July 10th, Commander Benjamin Franklin Tilley, Commandant of the US Naval Station on Tutuila, Tui Manu'a Elisara and US Navy doctor M. Blackwell raised the US flag on Rose Atoll, and claimed it for the United States.
• 1904
  Cession of the Manu'a islands to the United States - this included the Rose Atoll eastward of Manu'a.
• 1909
  Tui Manu'a Eliasra died (the last Tui Manu'a)
• 1928
  Margaret Mead's book Coming of Age in Samoa was published. Mead did her controversial research in Manu'a primarily in the village of Ta'u.
• 1929
  The United States Senate ratifies the 1900 and 1904 treties.
• 1942
  President Roosevelt appointed Lt. General Henry Louis Larson Military Governor of American Samoa, 1/15/1942. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he was ordered to Samoa as commander of a reinforced Brigade made up of the first combat troops to leave continental US.
• 1951
  The administration of American Samoa was passed from the US Navy to the US Department of the Interior.
• 1954
  The Van Camp Seafood Co. of California established business in American Samoa by opening a cannery on the eastern side of the Pago Pago bay.
• 1962
  The western Samoan islands under the New Zealand administration became the first independent nation in the South Pacific as Western Samoa.
• 1970
  AU Fuimaono was selected to be the first Delegate at Large to represent American Samoa to the US Congress.
• 1977
  The governor of American Samoa was, for the first time, popularly elected. Before that, since the inception of the territory, the governor was either an appointed civilian from the Interior Department or a Navy Officer during the earlier Naval administration of the islands. The first elected governor was Peter Coleman. Coleman also served as an appointed Governor previously in 1956 under the Department of the Interior.
• 1980
  A representative from American Samoa was elected for the first time as a non-voting member of the US House of Representatives.
• 1997
  Western Samoa changed its name to Independent State of Samoa, or just Samoa.