|
1961, January 20 |
John F. Kennedy inaugurated as U.S. president |
|
1961, February 5 |
Nonbinding plebiscite on Saipan and Tinian strongly favors
reintegration with Guam |
|
1961 |
United Nations Visiting Mission observes conditions in
Micronesia |
| 1961, April |
M. Wilfred Goding is appointed High
Commissioner of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands,
replacing Delmas H. Nucker |
|
1962 |
U.S.
Central Intelligence Agency base on Saipan closed; security
clearance requirements lifted |
|
1962, April 18 |
President Kennedy issues National Security Action Memorandum
No. 145, establishing United States policy to bring Trust Territory
of the Pacific Islands into permanent political relationship with
United States and emphasizing need for political, economic, social
development of Trust Territory |
|
1962, May 7 |
President Kennedy issues Executive Order 11021, transferring
administration of Saipan District from U.S. Department of Navy to
U.S. Department of Interior and putting all administrative responsibility for Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands in U.S.
Department of Interior
Top of page |
|
1963 |
Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands capital established on
Saipan, first capital within the Trust Territory of the Pacific
Islands |
|
1963 |
Marianas District Legislature established |
|
1963, May 9 |
President Kennedy issues National Security Action Memorandum
No. 243, establishing Solomon Mission to observe conditions in
Micronesia and recommend how to implement NSAM 145 (see April 18, 1962, above) |
|
1963, August 5 |
Marianas District Legislature passes Resolution 2-1963, seeking
plebiscite on reintegration with Guam, and Resolution 3-1963,
petitioning United States for reintegration with Guam |
|
1963, October |
Nonbinding plebiscite on Saipan strongly favors reintegration
with Guam |
|
1963, October 9 |
Solomon Mission submits report to President Kennedy |
|
1963, October 25 |
President Kennedy issues National Security Action Memorandum
No. 268, directing U.S. Departments of State and Interior to
implement acceptable recommendations of Solomon Report |
|
1963, November 22 |
President Kennedy assassinated; Vice President Lyndon B.
Johnson sworn in as U.S. president
Top of page |
|
1964, February 11-March 12 |
United Nations Visiting Mission observes conditions in
Micronesia |
|
1964, February 10 |
Marianas District Legislature passes Resolution 22-1964,
petitioning Trusteeship Council for reintegration with Guam |
|
1964, September 28 |
U.S. Department of Interior Secretarial Order 2882 transfers
Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands legislative power to
Congress of Micronesia, subject to High Commissioner veto,
effective February 16, 1965
Top of page |
|
1965 |
U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff determine that it is essential to
United States security that Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
be permanently associated with United States |
|
1965, January 19 |
1st elections for Congress of Micronesia |
|
1965, February 16 |
U.S. Department of Interior Secretarial Order 2882, of
September 28, 1964, becomes effective |
|
1965, August 23 |
Marianas District Legislature passes Resolution 56-1965,
petitioning Guam legislature to ask United States to redraw Guam
boundaries to include Northern Mariana Islands
Top of page |
|
1966 |
Congress of Micronesia passes House Joint Resolution 47, asking
President Johnson to establish commission on Micronesian future
political status |
|
1966, May 9 |
Congress of Micronesia passes resolution asking United States
to sent Peace Corps Volunteers to Micronesia |
|
1966, May |
Recruitment of Peace Corp Volunteers for Micronesia begins |
| 1966, May 27 |
William R. Norwood is appointed Acting High
Commissioner of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands,
replacing M. Wilfred Goding |
|
1966, Summer |
1st Peace Corps Volunteers sent to Micronesia
Top of page |
| 1966, August 1 |
W. R. Norwood, Acting High Commissioner
of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, is appointed High
Commissioner |
|
1967 |
President Johnson sends bill to U.S. Congress to establish
joint presidential-congressional commission on Micronesian status;
bill passes U.S. Senate but dies in House |
|
1967, February 10 |
Marianas District Legislature passes Resolution 4-1967,
petitioning United Nations Trusteeship Council visiting mission
for early vote on self-determination for Mariana Islands District,
and Resolution 7-1967, petitioning Trusteeship Council visiting
mission for reintegration with Guam |
|
1967, February 11-March 16 |
United Nations Visiting Mission observes conditions in
Micronesia |
|
1967, August 8 |
Congress of Micronesia passes Senate Joint Resolution 25,
creating Micronesian Future Political Status Commission, 1st
commission to explore political status options |
|
1967, October 15 |
Micronesian Future Political Status Commission is constituted
Top of page |
|
1968, January 19 |
Marianas District Legislature passes Resolution 4-1968,
petitioning United States for United States citizenship and
reintegration with Guam |
|
1968, January 23
|
USS Pueblo seized by North Korea
|
| 1968, January 31 |
Nauru gains independence,
leaving Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and Papua New
Guinea as last remaining United Nations trusteeships |
|
1968, July 8 |
Micronesian Future Political Status Commission submits Interim
Report to Congress of Micronesia, identifying status alternatives |
|
1968, November |
President Nixon defeats Hubert H. Humphrey in U.S. presidential
election |
|
1968, December 27 |
U.S. Department of Interior Secretarial Order 2918 issued,
revising structure of Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
Government
Top of page |
|
1969, January 20 |
Richard M. Nixon inaugurated as U.S. President |
|
1969, January 27 |
Congress of Micronesia petitions United Nations Trusteeship
Council to investigate nonperformance of trusteeship duties by
United States |
|
1969, April 24 |
President Nixon announces intention to appoint Edward E.
Johnston as High Commissioner of the Trust Territory of the
Pacific Islands |
|
1969, April 28 (April 29?) |
President Nixon approves recommendation of U.S. National
Security Council Under Secretaries Committee that the Trust
Territory of the Pacific Islands be brought under United States
sovereignty at an early date, preferably by organic act |
|
1969, May 1 |
President Nixon appoints Edward E. Johnston as High
Commissioner of Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, replacing
William R. Norwood |
|
1969, May 1-6 |
U.S. Secretary of Interior Walter Hickel visits Guam and
Saipan, and addresses Congress of Micronesia on Saipan, inviting
negotiations with United States on content of U.S. legislation to
end trusteeship, establish new political status |
|
1969, May 9 |
U.S. Secretary of Interior Hickel sends memo to President Nixon
outlining timetable for organic act to be approved in Micronesian
referendum in early 1970 and by U.S. Congress thereafter |
|
1969, May 23 |
Chairman Wayne Aspinall of Committee on Interior & Insular
Affairs in the U.S. House of Representatives asks U.S. Department
of the Interior to
draft Organic Act for Micronesia |
|
1969, June 20 (26?) |
U.S. Department of the Interior prepares draft Organic Act for
Micronesia as service (without endorsement) for Chairman Aspinall
of the House Committee on Interior & Insular Affairs; draft is
given to Micronesians at Sept. 30, 1969, meetings
Top of page |
|
1969, July
|
President Nixon, on Guam, announces Nixon Doctrine: United
States will provide aid and equipment to its allies against
Communism, but will not provide troops
|
|
1969, July |
Micronesian Future Political Status Commission submits final
report to Congress of Micronesia, recommending negotiation of free
association |
|
1969, July 20
|
Apollo 11 astronauts land on moon
|
|
1969, July 24 |
Trust Territory High Commissioner Johnston writes U.S.
Secretary of Interior Hickel that Trust Territory Government
cannot acquire Micronesian lands for United States needs |
|
1969 |
U.S. Micronesian Interagency Committee on Political Status
established; chaired by Harrison Loesch, U.S. Assistant Secretary
of Interior for Public Lands Management |
|
1969, August 10 |
Trust Territory High Commissioner Johnston’s State of
Territory message says United States "prepared and
anxious" to discuss status with Congress of Micronesia |
|
1969, August 28 |
U.S. National Security Council Under Secretaries Committee
approves draft Political Status Act for Micronesia (also called
draft Organic Act) as United States negotiating position for
"forthcoming talks with a Micronesian delegation" |
|
1969, August 29 |
Congress of Micronesia enacts Trust Territory Public Law 3C-15,
creating Micronesian Political Status Delegation to meet with
United States delegation in Washington |
|
1969, September 30-October 16 (?) |
1st meeting between Micronesian Political Status Delegation and
United States officials, in Washington, DC; Micronesians offer
11-point proposal; U.S. Secretary of the
Interior Hickel offers Micronesians "private deal": U.S.
Department of Interior support for Micronesian land position if Micronesians accept
"permanent association", both positions ad referendum |
|
1969, November 9
|
Marianas plebiscite favors reintegration with Guam (Guam
voters, however, on November 4, 1969, rejected reintegration) |
|
1969, November 21
|
President Nixon meets with Japanese Prime Minister Sato in
Washington; joint communique announces United States will return
Okinawa, Ryukyus to Japan
Top of page |
|
1970, January |
U.S. Assistant Secretary of Interior Loesch meets informally on
Saipan with Micronesian Political Status Delegation,
offers draft organic act to establish Micronesia as United
States territory; proposal rejected by Micronesians |
|
1970, February 2-March 19 |
United Nations Visiting Mission observes conditions in
Micronesia |
|
1970, March 10 |
Saipan Legislature Resolution 22-1-1970 asks United Nations to
give Northern Mariana Islands right to reintegrate with Guam |
|
1970, May 4-8 |
2d Round of Micronesian Political Status Negotiations, on
Saipan; United States offers modified unincorporated territorial
status as "Commonwealth" and presents draft
Constitutional Convention bill; Micronesians counter with 4
principles of free association |
|
1970, May 23
|
President Nixon calls for international adoption of 12-mile
territorial sea, with free transit of straits
|
|
1970, July 22 |
Micronesian Political Status Delegation reports to Congress of
Micronesia on October 1969 and January and May 1970 meetings;
recommends insistence that people of Micronesia have unqualified control of Micronesian land |
|
1970, August 21 |
Marianas District Legislature Resolution 12-1970 endorses
United States commonwealth proposal and asks that it be
implemented in the Marianas while other districts of the Trust
Territory consider their own status |
|
1970, August 24 |
Marianas District Legislature Resolution 13-1970 asks United
Nations to allow Marianas to choose its own status |
|
1970, November |
Pro-commonwealth Popular Party defeats anti-commonwealth
Territorial Party incumbents in Northern Mariana Islands elections |
|
1970, November 3
|
1st election of governors in U.S. territories of Guam and
Virgin Islands
|
|
1970, December 3 |
Department of State/National Security Council Under Secretaries
Committee meeting considers option of separate negotiations with
Northern Mariana Islands |
