Tuvalu became independent from the United Kingdom in 1978. The nine low-lying islands, then called the Ellice Islands, had been part of the British Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony, together with the Gilbert Islands, which are now Kiribati. The people of the Ellice Islands are Polynesian, while the Gilbertese are Micronesian, and in 1974 Ellice voters chose in a referendum to separate. The islands were renamed Tuvalu, meaning eight standing together, and Toaripi Lauti became the first prime minister. Independence made Tuvalu one of the smallest states in the world by population. Its highest point is only a few metres above sea level, so it has become a prominent voice in international discussions about rising seas and climate change.
Before and after
- 23 August 1978Birth of Kobe Bryant
- September 1978Human insulin is made in bacteria
- 17 September 1978Camp David Accords
- 28 September 1978Death of John Paul I
- 1 October 1978Founding of Tuvalu
- from 9 October 1978 to 3 June 1979Uganda–Tanzania War
- November 1978Kurdistan Workers' Party insurgency
- 8 December 1978Death of Golda Meir
- 18 December 1978Deng Xiaoping launches China's 'reform and opening up'
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The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.