Northern Mariana Islands Day

TERRITORIAL DAY January 8 STATUS Official (Commonwealth Day) DATE OF ADMISSION TO UNITED STATES January 8, 1978 (as a territory) FORMER DESIGNATIONS Mariana Islands South Pacific Mandate Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands HISTORY Following the defeat of Japan and the end of World War II, the Northern Mariana Islands became a Trust Territory of the United Nations under the administration of the United States. In the years that followed, the people of the Northern Mariana Islands expressed a desire to strengthen their political affiliation with the United States. This culminated with the Northern Mariana Islands becoming a self-governing commonwealth in political union with the United States on January 8, 1978. On May 28, 1986, the United Nations Trusteeship Council discharged the United States from its obligations to the islands, and on November 4 of the same year, United States citizenship was granted to the people of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands. On December 22, 1990, the United Nations officially dissolved its trusteeship responsibilities to the islands. -World Trade Press