2015 Event Researchers discover a biofluorescent hawksbill sea turtle in waters off of the Solomon Islands; though biofluorescence has been observed in captive reptiles, this is the first occurrence seen in a wild reptile 2015 Event Concerns over security in the Asia-Pacific region are raised after a U.S. surveillance flight identifies artillery on one of the man-made islands under development by China in the South China Sea 2015 Event Vanuatu President Baldwin Lonsdale calls for aid after Cyclone Pam decimates homes throughout this nation of over 60 islands, resulting in at least 8 deaths; the full impact of the Category 5 storm is not yet known 2014 Event After two years of hostility between Japan and China over control of certain islands in the East China Sea, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Linping shake hands during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit 2014 Event U.S. President Barack Obama proposes vast expansion of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine Reserve, increasing the protected ocean area to over 780,000 square miles within nautical boundaries of U.S. Pacific territories 2013 Event An area located off the coast of the Aleutian Islands records a magnitude 7.0 earthquake 2013 Event New Zealand's most active volcano - the White Islands' Whakaari, erupts, sending ash 4 kilometres into the air 2013 Event Pope Francis condemns the 'global indifference' to the plight of immigrants who have drowned trying to reach Europe; he honors them in a mass held on Lampedusa, the largest island of the Italian Pelagie Islands in the Mediterranean Sea 2013 Event The ambassador from the People's Republic of China is summoned by Japan's government after a flotilla of Chinese ships sail near the disputed Senkaku Islands 2013 Event China reports it will open the South China Sea's Paracel Islands to tourism before the May Day holiday. Vietnam voices strong opposition this move, as ownership of the Islands is in dispute 2013 Event The Falkland Islands sovereignty referendum resulted in 99.8% of voters supporting that the Islands remain an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom 2013 Event Falkland Island residents complete the first day of a two day sovereignty referendum, determining whether the islands should remain a British overseas territory 2013 Event A magnitude 8.0 earthquake causes significant damage to villages along the coast of the Solomon Islands 2013 Event In a speech directed at Japan's Self-Defense Forces, the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, vows to defend the Senkaku Islands 2012 Event The Japanese Coast Guard reports six Chinese Marine Surveillance ships are sighted near the disputed Senkaku Islands; China claims the 'two surveillance ship fleets' are in waters around the islands for purposes of 'patrols and law enforcement' 2012 Event The last known Pinta Island Tortoise, Lonesome George, is found dead in the Galapagos Islands 2012 Event U.S. Presidential candidate Mitt Romney wins caucuses in the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, Guam and Wyoming 2011 Event Tropical Storm Irene forms with warnings in place for the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, The British Virgin Islands, Antigua and Barbuda 2011 Event Snow on New Zealand's North and South Islands disrupts power supplies, causes road closures and closure of the Wellington International Airport 2010 Event The first ever HIV infection is announced in the Cook Islands 2010 Event Dmitry Medvedev, President of Russia, visits the Kuril Islands, the subject of a dispute with Japan 2010 Event In the Atlantic Ocean, tropical storm Lisa forms off the Cape Verde Islands 2007 Event 8.1 earthquake triggers tsunami in the Solomon Islands 1996 Death Amata Kabua, President of Marshall Islands (1979-96), dies 1996 Death John Cheek, Falkland Islands advocate, dies at 56 1996 Event Leeward Islands beat Trinidad by 73 runs to win Red Stripe Trophy 1996 Event Rajindra Dhanraj takes 9-97 for Trinidad against Leeward Islands 1991 Event U.N. admits Estonia, Latvia, Lithuiania, North and South Korea, Marshall Islands and Micronesia 1990 Event Longest wheelie (David Robilliard with 5h12m33s (Channel Islands) 1987 Event Military coup in Fiji Islands under Lieutenant Colonel Sitivani Rabuka 1986 Event Iran offensive against Iraqi islands of Shatt al-Arab 1986 Event Northern Mariana Islands becomes a Commonwealth associated with US 1986 Event Republic of Marshall Islands signs Compact of Free Association with US 1986 Event Netherlands and Scilly Islands sign peace treaty (war of 1651) 1985 Event Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) adopts constitution 1985 Event South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands adopts constitution 1983 Event British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher visits Falkland Islands 1982 Event Battle of Mount Longdon, Falkland Islands 1982 Event British troops lands on Falkland Islands 1982 Event British fleet sails to Falkland Islands 1982 Event U.N. Security Council demanded Argentina withdraw from Falkland Islands 1982 Event Argentina seizes Malvinas, also known as the Falkland Islands 1982 Event 1st-class debut of Courtney Walsh, Jamaica vs. Leeward Islands 1981 Event Palau, Trust Territory of Pacific Islands, becomes self-governing 1979 Event Kiribati (formerly Gilbert Islands) declares independence from U.K. 1979 Event Marshall Islands (in Pacific) become self-governing 1978 Event Tuvalu (formerly Ellice Islands) declares independence from U.K. 1978 Event Solomon Islands declares independence from U.K. 1977 Event British Virgin Islands adopts constitution 1977 Event 2 Boeing 747s by Pan Am and KLM collide in Canary Islands, killing 582 1976 Event Turks and Caicos Islands adopts constitution 1976 Birthday Linette Smith, Miss Universe-British Virgin Islands 1996 1975 Event Ellice Islands split from Gilbert Islands, take name "Tuvalu" 1974 Event Referenda in Comoros-3 islands for independence, 1 stays French 1973 Birthday Keisha Delancy, Miss Turks and Caicos islands Universe 1997 1973 Birthday Tasha Ebanks, Miss Universe-Cayman Islands 1996 1973 Birthday Melinda Penn, Miss British virgin islands Universe, 1997 1972 Birthday Victoria Keil, Miss Universe-Cook Islands 1996 1971 Event British and Argentina sign accord about Falkland Islands 1971 Event U.S. canal rights in Nicaragua and rights to Corn Islands expire 1970 Event Tonga, formerly Friendly Islands, declares independence from U.K. 1970 Birthday Vania Thomas, Miss U.S. Virgin Islands Universe 1997 1968 Event Iwo Jima and Bonin Islands returned to Japan by US 1967 Event Kuria Muria Islands ceded by Britain to Oman 1966 Birthday Lisa Canning, Virgin Islands, hostess, Entertainment Tonight 1965 Death Zachary Scott, U.S. actor, (Southerner, Flame of Islands), dies at 51 1965 Event Cook Islands enters into free association with New Zealand 1961 Event Windward Islands' Airways International (Winair) forms 1961 Event Wallis and Futuna Islands become a French overseas territory 1959 Event Cayman Islands separated from Jamaica, made a crown colony 1957 Event 8.1 earthquake shakes Andreanof Islands, Alaska 1955 Event Australia takes control of Cocos Islands 1955 Birthday Kelsey Grammer, born in Virgin Islands, actor, Fraiser Crane-Cheers/Fraiser 1954 Event Virgin Islands (U.S.) adopts constitution (Revised Organic Act) 1954 Event Congress passes revised organic act for Virgin Islands 1953 Event Heavy earthquake strikes Isotope islands, 435 killed 1952 Event 1st thermonuclear bomb detonated - Marshall Islands 1950 Birthday Ieremia Tabai, President of Kiribati, Gilbert Islands, 1979-91 1949 Event Tokelau (Union) Islands declared part of New Zealand 1947 Event U.S. begins administering Trust Territory of Pacific Islands 1947 Event Record 100.5-kg sailfish caught, C W Stewart, Galapagos Islands 1946 Event William H. Hastie inaugurated as 1st black governor of Virgin Islands 1944 Event U.S. troop land on Los Negros, Admirality Islands 1944 Event 4th U.S. marine division conquerors Roi, Marshall Islands 1944 Event U.S. invades Majuro, Marshall Islands 1943 Event U.S. forces overrun New Georgia in Solomon Islands during WW II 1943 Event Japan leaves Aleutian Islands 1943 Event Lt. John F. Kennedy's PT-boat 109 sinks at Solomon islands 1943 Birthday Peter Kenilorea, Prime Minister Solomon Islands 1943 Event Battle of Komandorski Islands, Pacific Ocean 1942 Event Sea battle off Eastern Solomon Islands 1942 Event Carlson's Raiders land on Makin, Gilbert islands, kill 350 Japanese 1942 Event 1st American offensive in Pacific in WW2, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands 1942 Event Japanese troops lands on Attu, Aleutian Islands 1942 Event Japanese troop attack Tulagi, Gavutu and Tanambogo, Solomon Islands 1942 Event Japanese forces occupy Andaman Islands in Indian Ocean 1939 Birthday John Cheek, Falkland Islands advocate 1938 Event 8.3 earthquake shakes East of Shumagin Islands, Alaska 1938 Event Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicates Thousand Islands Bridge connecting U.S. and Canada 1937 Event William H. Hastie becomes 1st black federal judge (Virgin Islands) 1936 Event Virgin Islands receives a constitution from U.S., Organic Act 1935 Event Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaims Philippine Islands a free commonwealth 1932 Birthday Robert Cowan, CEO, Highlands and Islands Enterprises 1930 Birthday Ron de Lugo, born in Englewood, New Jersey, Representative-D-Virgin Islands, 1973 - 1979, 1981 - 1995 1930 Birthday June Knox-Mawer, British radio host/novelist, World of Islands 1927 Birthday Alfred Kraus, Las Palmas Canary Islands, tenor, La Scala 1926 Event Tokelau (Union) Islands in South Pacific transfers to New Zealand 1920 Event Japan receives League of Nations mandate over Pacific islands 1919 Birthday Edward L Feightner, U.S. rear-admiral, WW II-Santa Cruz Islands 1917 Event U.S. purchases Danish West Indies for $25M and renames them Virgin Islands 1917 Event U.S. pays Denmark $25 million for Virgin Islands 1916 Event Denmark cedes Danish West Indies, including the Virgin Islands, to the U.S. for $25 million 1905 Event Cyclone hit Tahiti and adjacent islands, killing some 10,000 people 1904 Event Islands of Manu'a group (Samoa) ceded to U.S. by their chiefs 1902 Event Denmark sells Virgin Islands to USA 1901 Event Cook Islands annexed and proclaimed part of New Zealand 1875 Event German SS Schiller sinks near Scilly Islands, 312 killed 1867 Event Mail packets "Rhone" and "Wye" capsizes off St. Thomas Virgin Islands 1867 Event Midway Islands formally declared a U.S. possession 1867 Event U.S. occupies Midway Islands in Pacific 1864 Event Great Britain gives Isotope Islands back to Greece 1860 Event Queen of Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) arrives in New York City 1859 Event Captain N. C. Brooks discovers Midway Islands 1850 Event Yerba Buena and Angel Islands (SF Bay) reserved for military use 1848 Event Slaves freed in Danish West Indies (now U.S. Virgin Islands) 1844 Birthday Robert Stout, Shetland Islands Scotland, New Zealand prime minister, 1884-87 1836 Event HMS Beagle anchors in Postage Praia, Cape Verde Islands 1836 Event Charles Darwin aboard HMS Beagle reaches Cocos Islands 1835 Event HMS Beagle sails into Bay of Islands (New Zealand) 1835 Event HMS Beagle and Charles Darwin reache Galapagos Islands 1834 Event HMS Beagle anchors at Berkeley Sound, Falkland Islands 1833 Event Britain seizes control of Falkland Islands in South Atlantic 1833 Event British government demands Falkland islands 1832 Event HMS Beagle and Charles Darwin reaches Barnevelts Islands 1832 Event Ecuador annexes Gal pagos Islands 1778 Event Captain Cook discovers Maui in the Sandwich Islands, now Hawaii 1778 Event Captain James Cook stumbles over Sandwich Islands (Hawaiian Islands) 1777 Event Captain Cook leaves Society Islands 1771 Event Spain cedes Falkland Islands to Britain 1728 Birthday James Cook, Scotland, captain/explorer, discovered Sandwich Islands 1648 Event Dutch and French agree to divide St. Maarten, Leeward Islands 1641 Death Matthijs H Quast, fleet guardian (Gold Islands), dies in battle 1535 Event Bishop Tomas de Berlanga discovers Galapagos Islands 1534 Event Jacques Cartier discovers Prince Edward Islands Canada 1503 Event Columbus discovers Cayman Islands 1501 Event Joao da Nova Castell discovers Ascension Islands 1492 Event Columbus' fleet leaves Gomera, Canary islands
