American Samoa Travel Guide

1000 BC

Polynesian migrants arrive in the Samoas

600 BC

date of earliest archaeological remains

1722

Dutch explorers visit the Manu'a Group

1787

French explorers clash with Samoans on Tutuila

1830

Protestant missionary John Williams arrives

1872

U.S. Navy negotiates for a naval station

1899

Germany and the United States partition Samoa

1900

the United States annexes Tutuila and Aunu'u

1904

the United States annexes the Manu'a Group

1916

W Somerset Maugham visits Tutuila

1921

the United States claims Rose Atoll

1925

the Unites States annexes Swains Island

1925

Margaret Mead does field work on Ta'u

1929

U.S. Congress formally ratifies the annexations

1951

administration by the Navy Department ends

1951

Department of the Interior assumes responsibility

1942-1945

U.S. Marines train for jungle warfare on Tutuila

1954

first tuna cannery opens on Tutuila

1960

American Samoa territorial flag adopted

1961

U.S. government begins developing American Samoa

1964

educational television introduced on Tutuila

1966

Samoan constitution approved by federal officials

1970

American Samoa Community College established

1977

American Samoans begin electing their own governor

1988

National Park of American Samoa created

1992

Hurricane Val strikes Tutuila

2003

first American Samoan soldier killed in Iraq

2005

visa requirements imposed on other Pacific islanders

2007

13th South Pacific Games held on Tutuila

2008

10th South Pacific Festival of Arts on Tutuila

2009

Tsunami strikes south coast of Tutuila on Sept. 29