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Halfway through the 19th century, the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States all claimed parts of the kingdom of Samoa, and established trade posts.

King Malietoa Laupepa died in 1898 and was succeeded by Malietoa Tooa Mataafa. The US and British consuls supported Malietoa Tanu , Laupepa's son. US and British warships, including USS PhiladelphiaUSS Philadelphia at sea Career Laid down: 22 March 1888 Launched: 7 September 1889 Commissioned: 28 July 1890 Decommissioned: 24 November 1926 Fate:sold 1927 General Characteristics Displacement:4,324 tons Length:335 ft (102 m) Beam:48. 8 m) Draft:19. shelled Apia on March 15, 1899.

In the Samoa Tripartite Convention , a joint commission of three members, Bartlett Tripp for the United States, C. N. E. Eliot, C.B. for Great Britain, and Freiherr Speck von Sternberg for Germany, agreed to divide the islands. Germany received the western part, Western Samoa, containing Upolu and Savaii (the current Samoa) and other adjoining islands. Britain took the Solomon IslandsThe Solomon Islands are a nation in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea and is part of the British Commonwealth. It consists of more than 990 islands, which together cover a land mass of 28,000 square kilometres. Solomon Islands ( In Detail), including TongaThe Kingdom of Tonga is an archipelago in the southern Pacific Ocean, about a third of the way between New Zealand and Hawaii. It lies south of Samoa and east of Fiji. Pule'anga Fakatu'i 'o TongaKingdom of Tonga ( In Detail) (Full size) National motto: Ko and the Savage IslandsThe Savage Islands (in Portuguese: Ilhas Selvagens form a small archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean between Madeira (280 km) and the Canary Islands (165 km). English-speakers often translate the name incorrectly as the Salvage Islands . As with all th. The US accepted Tutuila and Manu'a, which comprise a territory of the US and known as American SamoaAmerican Samoa is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the South Pacific Ocean. Originally inhabited as early as 1000 BC, Samoa was reached by European explorers in the 18th century. International rivalries in the latter half o. The monarchy was disestablished.

From 19081908 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). Events January-February January 1 A ball signifying New Year's Day drops in New York City's Times Square for the first time January 8 A train collision occurs in the Park Avenue T, with the establishment of the Mau ("opinion") movement, Western Samoans began to assert their claim to independence.

At the outbreak of World War I, troops from New Zealand occupied the German ruled islands. In 1919 in the Treaty of Versailles, Germany dropped its claims to the islands and they were granted to New Zealand as a mandate.

New Zealand administered Western Samoa under the auspices of the League of Nations and then as a United Nations trusteeship until the country received its independence on January 1, 1962 as Western Samoa. Samoa was the first Polynesian nation to reestablish independence in the 20th century.

In July 1997 the constitution was amended to change the country's name from "Western Samoa" to "Samoa." Samoa had been known simply as Samoa in the United Nations since joining the organization in 1976. The neighboring U.S. territory of American Samoa protested the move, feeling that the change diminished its own Samoan identity. American Samoans still use the terms "Western Samoa" and "Western Samoans."

In 2002, New Zealand's prime minister Helen Clark formally apologised for two incidents during the period of New Zealand's administration: a failure to quarantine an influenza-carrying ship in 1919, leading to an epidemic which devastated the Samoan population, and the shooting of leaders of the nonviolent Mau movement during a ceremonial procession in 1926.

Samoa's rugby team has achieved some notable successes, particularly in the sevens version of the game.