HISTORIC TIMELINE
1899German Samoa Established
Samoa became a colony of the German Empire following the Tripartite Convention.
1914New Zealand Occupation
New Zealand troops occupied German Samoa at the start of World War I.
1920League of Nations Mandate
New Zealand gained official control of Samoa as a League of Nations mandate.
1946United Nations Trust Territory
Western Samoa was designated as a United Nations Trust Territory.
1962Independence of Samoa
Western Samoa gained independence on 1 January, becoming a sovereign state.
1997Renaming to Samoa
The country officially returned to its original pre-occupation name, Samoa.
1976United Nations Membership
Samoa was admitted to the United Nations as a member state.