Governor-General
Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
Canberra
Canberra ( )
is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
by the
Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport
The Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport was an Australian government department. It was formed in December 2011, absorbing the former Department of Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government ...
.
Christmas Island
Christmas Island, located in the Indian Ocean, is a non-self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport.
*Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia: Sir Peter Cosgrove (since March 28, 2014)CIA Factbook: Christmas Island retrieved Feb 23, 2010
*
Administrator
Administrator or admin may refer to:
Job roles Computing and internet
* Database administrator, a person who is responsible for the environmental aspects of a database
* Forum administrator, one who oversees discussions on an Internet forum
* N ...
Cocos (Keeling) Islands, located in the Indian Ocean, is a non-self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport.
*Governor General: Sir Peter Cosgrove (since March 28, 2014)
*Administrator: Natasha Griggs (since October 5, 2018)
Coral Sea Islands
The
Coral Sea Islands
The Coral Sea Islands Territory is an external territory of Australia which comprises a group of small and mostly uninhabited tropical islands and reefs in the Coral Sea, northeast of Queensland, Australia. The only inhabited island is W ...
is a territory of Australia administered from Canberra by the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts, and Sport.
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island (, ; Norfuk: ''Norf'k Ailen'') is an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, directly east of Australia's Evans Head and about from Lord Howe Island. Together with ...
is a self-governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts, and Sport.
*Administrator: Eric Hutchinson (since April 1, 2017)
Queen Elizabeth
Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elisabeth or Elizabeth the Queen may refer to:
Queens regnant
* Elizabeth I (1533–1603; ), Queen of England and Ireland
* Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022 ...
(1970-1987)
**
George Konrote
Major-General Jioji Konousi "George" Konrote, (born 26 December 1947) is a Fijian politician and retired Major-General of the Fiji Military who served as the President of Fiji from 2015 to 2021. After commanding a peacekeeping mission in Leba ...
Taneti Mamau
Taneti Maamau (modern spelling: Taaneti Mwamwau, born 16 September 1960) is an I-Kiribati politician who has served as the 5th President of Kiribati since 11 March 2016.
Political career
A member of Tobwaan Kiribati Party, he began his career ...
David W. Panuelo
David W. Panuelo (born April 13, 1964) is a Micronesian politician who is serving as the president of the Federated States of Micronesia. His term started on May 11, 2019.
Biography
Panuelo was born on the island of Pohnpei, where he complete ...
Raynold Oilouch
Raynold B. Oilouch (born 1965 or 1966) is a Palauan politician who served as the Vice President of Palau from 19 January 2017 to 21 January 2021. Oilouch was elected vice president in the 2016 elections.http://www.mechanglagoon.com/2016/09/tr-a ...
Governor-General of New Zealand
The governor-general of New Zealand ( mi, te kāwana tianara o Aotearoa) is the viceregal representative of the monarch of New Zealand, currently King Charles III. As the King is concurrently the monarch of 14 other Commonwealth realms and li ...
Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand
The deputy prime minister of New Zealand ( mi, Te pirimia tuarua o Aotearoa) is the second most senior member of the Cabinet of New Zealand. The officeholder usually deputises for the prime minister at official functions. The current deputy pr ...
The Cook Islands is a self-governing country in free association with New Zealand.
* Queen's Representative: Tom Marsters (since July 27, 1973)
*
Prime Minister of the Cook Islands
The prime minister of the Cook Islands is the head of government of the Cook Islands, a self-governing territory in Associated state, free association with New Zealand. The office was established in 1965, when Hi ...
Speaker of the Cook Islands Parliament
The Speaker of the Cook Islands Parliament is the presiding officer of the Cook Islands Parliament. The manage the House in accordance with its Standing Orders and according to the traditions of the Westminster system.
The current Speaker is ...
:
Niki Rattle
Niki Rattle (born 1951) was Speaker of the Cook Islands Parliament from 22 May 2012 to 15 February 2021.
Rattle was born in Manihiki. She is a Registered Nurse. Before her appointment she served as Secretary of the Cook Islands Red Cross for 1 ...
(since May 22, 2012)
Niue
Niue is a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand.
*
Premier of Niue
The Premier of Niue is Niue's head of government. They are elected by the Niue Assembly, and forms a Cabinet consisting of themselves and three other members of the Assembly.
Sir Robert Rex was continuously re-elected every three years from N ...
:
Toke Talagi
Toke may refer to:
* Toke (lake) in Norway
* Toke (given name)
* Toke Atoll in the Marshall Islands
* Toke Station in Japan
* Toke, as in 'toke it up', refers to the smoking of cannabis
''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the ...
(since June 19, 2008)
Tokelau
Tokelau is a self-administering dependent territory of New Zealand.
*
Administrator of Tokelau
The Administrator of Tokelau is an official of the New Zealand Government, responsible for supervising the government of the dependent territory of Tokelau.
Powers and functions
Certain of the Administrator's powers and functions are set f ...
:
Ross Ardern
David Ross Ardern (born 28 February 1954) is a New Zealand diplomat and former police officer. He was the Administrator of Tokelau from 2018 to 2022, having previously served as the High Commissioner of New Zealand to Niue from 2014 to 2018, a ...
(since May 2018)
*
Head of Government of Tokelau
The office of head of government of Tokelau ( tkl, Ulu-o-Tokelau), often simply called the , rotates yearly between the (leaders) of Tokelau's three atolls: Atafu, Fakaofo, and Nukunonu. The current is Siopili Perez, the Faipule of Nukunonu ...
:
Kerisiano Kalolo
Aliki Kelihiano Kalolo,"University has new chancellor" ''
(since March 12, 2019).
Samoa
The
Independent State of Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); a ...
Prime Minister of Samoa
The prime minister of the Independent State of Samoa ( sm, Palemia o le Malo Tuto’atasi o Sāmoa) is the head of government of Samoa. The prime minister is a member of the Legislative Assembly, and is appointed by the O le Ao o le Malo (Hea ...
The Solomon Islands became independent from the United Kingdom in 1978 and is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
*Governor-General:
David Vunagi
Sir David Okete Vuvuiri Vunagi, (born 5 September 1950), is a retired Solomon Islands Anglican bishop and incumbent governor-general of Solomon Islands. He was the archbishop of Melanesia and bishop of the Diocese of Central Melanesia from 2009 ...
(since July 8, 2019)CIA Factbook: Solomon Islands retrieved 26 Feb 2020
*Prime Minister: Rick Hou (since November 16, 2017)
Tonga
The
Kingdom of Tonga
Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesia, Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has List of islands and towns in Tonga, 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its tota ...
became independent from British protection in 1970 and became a constitutional monarchy in 2010.
*Head of state: Monarch:
King Tupou VI
Tupou VI (; born 12 July 1959) is the King of Tonga. He is the younger brother and successor of the late King George Tupou V. He was officially confirmed by his brother on 27 September 2006 as the heir presumptive to the Throne of Tonga, as h ...
(since March 18, 2012; coronation July 4, 2015)
*Head of government: Prime Minister: Pohiva Tuʻiʻonetoa (since October 8, 2019)
**Deputy Prime Minister: vacant
Republic of Vanuatu
Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu; bi, Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of no ...
became independent from France and the United Kingdom in 1980 and is a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations.
*Head of state:
President of Vanuatu
The president of Vanuatu (french: Président du Vanuatu) is the head of state of Vanuatu. The president is elected for a five-year term by an electoral college consisting of Parliament and the presidents of the regional councils.
The preside ...
:
Tallis Obed Moses
Tallis Obed Moses (born 24 October 1954) is a Vanuatuan politician and pastor who served as the president of Vanuatu from 6 July 2017 to 6 July 2022.
Biography
Moses was originally from Port Vato, West Ambrym. He attended Primary School from 196 ...
(since July 6, 2017)
*Head of government:
Prime Minister of Vanuatu
The prime minister of Vanuatu is the head of government of the Republic of Vanuatu.
The office of Prime Minister was created under the Constitution of Vanuatu upon the country's independence in 1980, with independence campaigner Walter Lini b ...
Bob Loughman
Bob Loughman Weibur (born 8 March 1961) is a Vanuatuan politician who served as Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu between April 2020 and November 2022.
(since April 20, 2020)
Dependencies
British Overseas Territories
The
British Overseas Territories
The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen dependent territory, territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remna ...
are territories that have not been granted independence. Most are self-governing and are lightly populated.
*Chief of state: Queen Elizabeth II (since February 6, 1952)
Pitcairn Islands
The
Pitcairn Islands
The Pitcairn Islands (; Pitkern: '), officially the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, is a group of four volcanic islands in the southern Pacific Ocean that form the sole British Overseas Territory in the Pacific Ocean. The four isl ...
are the only British Overseas Territory located in the Pacific Ocean.
*Governor (nonresident) of the Pitcairn Islands: Laura Clark (since January 25, 2018)CIA Factbook: Pitcairn Islands retrieved 26 Feb 2020
*Mayor and Chairman of the Island Council: Charlene Warren-Peu (since January 1, 2020)
Emmanuel Macron
Emmanuel Macron (; born 21 December 1977) is a French politician who has served as President of France since 2017. ''Ex officio'', he is also one of the two Co-Princes of Andorra. Prior to his presidency, Macron served as Minister of Econ ...
Prime Minister of France
The prime minister of France (french: link=no, Premier ministre français), officially the prime minister of the French Republic, is the head of government of the French Republic and the leader of the Council of Ministers.
The prime minister ...
French Polynesia
)Territorial motto: ( en, "Great Tahiti of the Golden Haze")
, anthem =
, song_type = Regional anthem
, song = " Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui"
, image_map = French Polynesia on the globe (French Polynesia centered).svg
, map_alt = Location of Frenc ...
is an overseas collectivity of France since 2003, though it is often referred to as an overseas country due to its degree of autonomy.
*
President of French Polynesia
, flag =
, flagsize =
, flagcaption =
, insignia = Coat of arms of French Polynesia.svg
, insigniasize =
, insigniacaption = Coat of arms of French P ...
:
Édouard Fritch
Winfred Édouard Tereori Fritch (born 4 January 1952) is a French politician who has served as President of French Polynesia since 2014. He previously presided over the Assembly of French Polynesia on three occasions: from April 2007 to February ...
Dominique Sorain
Dominique Sorain (born 31 July 1955 in Caudéran, France) is a French senior civil servant. He has been serving as High Commissioner of the Republic in French Polynesia
)Territorial motto: ( en, "Great Tahiti of the Golden Haze")
, anthem =
, ...
(since July 10, 2019)
New Caledonia
New Caledonia
)
, anthem = ""
, image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg
, map_alt = Location of New Caledonia
, map_caption = Location of New Caledonia
, mapsize = 290px
, subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...
is a special collectivity of France since 1998.
*High Commissioner: Laurent Prevost (since August 5, 2019)CIA Factbook: New Caledonia retrieved 25 Feb 2020
*President of the Government: Thierry Santa (since July 9, 2019)
**Temporary Vice President: Gilbert Tuienon (since July 9, 2019)
Wallis and Futuna
Wallis and Futuna is an overseas collectivity of France since 2003.
*High Administrator: Thierry Queffelec (since 7 January 2019)CIA Factbook: Wallis and Futana retrieved 7 March 2020
*President of the Territorial Assembly David Verge (since 4 April 2017)
*There are three traditional kings with limited powers.
Mike Pence
Michael Richard Pence (born June 7, 1959) is an American politician who served as the 48th vice president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 under President Donald Trump. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 50th ...
Northern Mariana Islands is a commonwealth in political union with and under the sovereignty of the United States.
*Governor:
Ralph Deleon Guerrero Torres
Ralph Deleon Guerrero Torres (born August 6, 1979) is a Northern Marianan politician currently serving as the ninth governor of the Northern Mariana Islands since December 29, 2015. He is a Republican from Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mar ...
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge System is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the system of public lands and waters set aside to c ...
s. They are unincorporated territories of the U.S.
Events
January
*January 1
**
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is a festival observed in most of the world on 1 January, the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian calendar. 1 January is also New Year's Day on the Julian calendar, but this is not the same day as the Gregorian one. Wh ...
***
2020 New Year Honours
The 2020 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebration ...
South Coast South Coast is a name often given to coastal areas to the south of a geographical region or major metropolitan area.
Geographical
Australia
*South Coast (New South Wales), the coast of New South Wales, Australia, south of Sydney
* South Coast (Q ...
of New South Wales, Australia, rises to seven.
*January 2
**Takai Commission Holiday, Niue
**Premier
Daniel Andrews
Daniel Michael Andrews (born 6 July 1972) is an Australian politician serving as the 48th and current premier of Victoria since December 2014. He has been the leader of the Victorian branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) since December ...
declares a
state of disaster
A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...
for six local government areas and three alpine resorts in Victoria, Australia, due to unprecedented risk from bushfires. Two people are confirmed to have died in eastern Victoria from the fires, with 17 people missing.
*January 5 – The
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
2020 Australia Day Honours
The 2020 Australia Day Honours are appointments to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by Australian citizens. The list was announced on 26 January 2020 by the Governor General of Australia, David Hurley.
The Australia ...
*January 29
**Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga of American Samoa declared a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The state of emergency was extended on February 28.
** The Northern Mariana Islands declares a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
**81 Chinese nationals who arrived in Dravuni,
Kadavu Kadavu may refer to:
* Kadavu Island, the fourth largest island in Fiji
* Kadavu Group, an archipelago in Fiji including Kadavu Island
* Kadavu Province, a province of Fiji including Kadavu Group
* Kadavu Airport or Vunisea Airport, an airport on K ...
, and Suva; Fiji, via cruise liner
Majestic Princess
''Majestic Princess'' is a British-registered operated by Princess Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc. Built by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri in Monfalcone and delivered in March 2017, she became the third ''Royal-''class sh ...
, were deemed safe by health officials.
February
*February 3
**The tourism industry in Queensland, Australia, is hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
**A state of emergency is declared in Milford Sound, New Zealand, as rain and flooding hit the region.
*February 6 –
Waitangi Day
Waitangi Day ( mi, Te Rā o Waitangi), the national day of New Zealand, marks the anniversary of the initial signing – on 6 February 1840 – of the Treaty of Waitangi, which is regarded as the founding document of the nation. The first Wait ...
in New ZealandCIA Factbook: Tokelau retrieved Feb 23, 2020 and Niue
*February 17 – Washington's Birthday, United States and territories
*February 20 – Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announces that a royal commission will look into the bushfires that devastated the country last summer. 18 million hectares (44 million acres) burned, 28 people died, and 3,000 homes were destroyed.
*February 28
**New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern state visit to Fiji.
** The first case of the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand is confirmed. They had recently returned from Iran via
Bali
Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nu ...
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman, politician, philanthropist, and author. He is the majority owner, co-founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P. He was Mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013, and was a ca ...
(49.9%) wins four delegates for the Democratic presidential nomination and Tulsi Gabbard (29.3%) gets two. On March 4 Bloomberg drops out and endorses Joe Biden.
*March 3 to 10 – 2020 Democrats Abroad primary: Proportional to the numbers of people from different regions voting, the Asia-Pacific region is allocated one of the nine regional delegates. Overall,
Bernie Sanders
Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Vermont since 2007. He was the U.S. representative for the state's at-large congressional district from 1991 to 2007 ...
Missionary Day
Missionary Day (french: Arrivée de l'Évangile) is an official holiday in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France. It is celebrated annually on 5 March, to mark the arrival of the London Missionary Society (LMS) missionaries in 1797 ...
, French Polynesia
**A truck collides with a sacred stone figure on Easter Island.
*March 7 - Guam History and Chamorro Heritage Day
*March 8 –
International Women's Day
International Women's Day (IWD) is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 as a focal point in the women's rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against wom ...
(celebrated in some localities on March 9)
*March 10 – Niue becomes the world's first dark sky country.
*March 13 – New Zealand reports six cases of COVID-19,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
reports 248, including three deaths.
French Polynesia
)Territorial motto: ( en, "Great Tahiti of the Golden Haze")
, anthem =
, song_type = Regional anthem
, song = " Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui"
, image_map = French Polynesia on the globe (French Polynesia centered).svg
, map_alt = Location of Frenc ...
Bernie Sanders
Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Vermont since 2007. He was the U.S. representative for the state's at-large congressional district from 1991 to 2007 ...
(62.7%) wins four delegates for the Democratic presidential nomination and Joe Biden (35.8%) gets two.
*March 15
**Guam reports its first three cases of COVID-19.
**In a historic first, all Peace Corps volunteers worldwide are withdrawn from their host countries.
*March 16 – The government of Guam shuts down for 14 days, including all schools.
*March 19 – Two cruise ships are prevented from disembarking in Honolulu despite not having any cases of COVID-19 on board.
*March 20 –
2020 Vanuatuan general election
General elections were held in Vanuatu on 19–20 March 2020. The elections were initially intended to be held on 19 March, but logistical problems resulted in some areas voting the following day.
Electoral system
The 52 members of Parliament w ...
The preliminary count gives 30 of the 52 seats available to the four leading parties. None of the 16 women who ran for election came close to winning.
*March 25 – A State of National Emergency is declared in response to coronavirus in New Zealand. New Zealand is upgraded to alert level 4, and the country enters a four-week lockdown period.
*March 26
**The perpetrator of the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings in New Zealand pleads guilty to all 51 murder charges, as well as 40 charges of attempted murder and one charge of engaging in a terrorist act laid under the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002.
**
Prince Kūhiō Day
Prince Kūhiō Day is an official holiday in the state of Hawaii in the United States. It is celebrated annually on March 26, to mark the birth of Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaole — heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Hawaii, prince of t ...
Space Fence
The ''Space Fence'' is a second-generation space surveillance system operated by the United States Space Force in order to track artificial satellites and space debris in Earth orbit.
Contracts were issued for development and construction in 20 ...
opens in
Kwajalein Atoll
Kwajalein Atoll (; Marshallese: ) is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island, which its majority English-speaking residents (about 1,000 mostly U.S. civilia ...
*April 1 – With between 150 and 200 cases of COVID-19, healthy sailors aboard the USS ''Theodore Roosevelt'' disembark to be quarantined in hotels on Guam. Infected crew members will stay on Naval Base Guam. About 10% of the crew are required to remain on the ship nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
*April 2 – The 5,000 crew members of the USS ''Roosevelt'' cheered Captain
Brett Crozier
Brett Elliott Crozier (born February 24, 1970) is a retired captain in the United States Navy. A United States Naval Academy graduate, he became a naval aviator, first flying helicopters and then switching to fighters. After completing naval nu ...
after he was relieved of duty for speaking up about the coronavirus outbreak on the ship. 60,000 people had signed a petition from
Change.org
Change.org is a worldwide nonprofit petition website, based in California, US, operated by the San Francisco-based company of the same name, which has over 400 million users and offers the public the ability to promote the petitions they care abo ...
asking for his reinstatement.
*April 3
**Easter Island (or ''Rapa Nui'') reports two cases of COVID-19. The 3,000 inhabitants of the island are nearly 100% dependent upon tourism which has been shut off. There is a daily curfew from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. and people fear they may soon be forced to beg for food.
**The Solomon Islands says dozens of people could be lost at sea as Cyclone Harold hits the islands.
*April 4
**Vanuatu is on alert for Cyclone Harold.
**COVID-19
***Fiji announces a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases from seven to twelve.
***Guam has two more COVID-19 deaths and two more positive tests, bringing the total number of cases to 84.COVID-19 wrap: What happened on 4 April RNZ News, 4 Apr 2020
***New Caledonia president Thierry Santa moves into self-isolation after a member of her crisis management team tested positive.
***New Zealand reports 52 new confirmed infections, bringing the total to 950.
***Seventy-eight New Zealanders remain on 12 cruise ships because of COVID-19-related travel restrictions around the world.
*April 7 – The High Court of Australia unanimously quashes Cardinal George Pell convictions and substitutes verdicts of acquittal.
*April 8 – National Health Day, Kiribati
*April 10 –
Good Friday
Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Hol ...
(Christian holiday)
*April 13
**
Easter Monday
Easter Monday refers to the day after Easter Sunday in either the Eastern or Western Christian traditions. It is a public holiday in some countries. It is the second day of Eastertide. In Western Christianity, it marks the second day of the Octa ...
(Christian holiday)
**Since March 23, 561 Fijians have been repatriated and 1,157 visitors to Fiji have been evacuated.
*April 14 – A week after Tropical Cyclone Harold, a Category 5 superstorm, 35% of the population (100,000 people) of Vanuatu is homeless. Three people died, but the death toll is expected to rise. 27 people died in the Solomon Islands and one died in Fiji. No deaths were reported in Tonga, but 400 homes were destroyed.
*April 19 – Twenty-two new cases of COVID-19 infections in Taiwan are reported in sailors who recently visited Palau. Palau has not had any reported cases.
*April 20
**The U.S.
Air Force Global Strike Command
Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. AFGSC provides combat-ready forces to conduct strategic nuclear deterrence and global stri ...
announces that after 16 years it is ending its ending the continuous bomber presence (CBP) mission in Guam in favor of forward-deploying bombers to the Indo-Pacific. The B-1B Lancer, B-52, and B-2 Spirit used to rotate back and forth to
Andersen Air Force Base
Andersen Air Force Base (Andersen AFB, AAFB) is a United States Air Force base located primarily within the village of Yigo in the United States territory of Guam. The host unit at Andersen AFB is the 36th Wing (36 WG), assigned to the Pacific ...
, but the B-1 was phased out in 2018. On April 18, B-1s flew from
Ellsworth Air Force Base
Ellsworth Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force base located about northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota, just north of the town of Box Elder, South Dakota, Box Elder.
The host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing (28 BW). Assi ...
, South Dakota, to Misawa Air Base, Japan.
**French Polynesian president Edouard Fritch says he is against across-the-board pay cuts for ministers and assembly members as suggested by the opposition.
**Second round of
2020 Kiribati parliamentary election
Parliamentary elections were held in Kiribati in 2020 to elect members of the House of Assembly. The elections were originally planned on 7 April 2020, with a second round of voting to be held on 15 April 2020. However, in late March the Elector ...
.
*April 25
**
Anzac Day
, image = Dawn service gnangarra 03.jpg
, caption = Anzac Day Dawn Service at Kings Park, Western Australia, 25 April 2009, 94th anniversary.
, observedby = Australia Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Cook Islands New ...
: Most public celebrations cancelled, but private memorials are held.
**Former Tonga Prime Minister Sialeʻataongo Tuʻivakanō receives a two-year suspended sentence, and a $US1,700 fine for passport, perjury, and firearm offenses.
**Trade unions in French Polynesia reject the government's COVID-19 pandemic relief package.
*April 28 – St. Peter Chanel Day, Wallis and Fortuna. Chanel is the Catholic patron saint of Oceania, buried on
Fortuna Island
Fortuna ( la, Fortūna, equivalent to the Greek goddess Tyche) is the goddess of fortune and the personification of luck in Roman religion who, largely thanks to the Late Antique author Boethius, remained popular through the Middle Ages until at ...
.
May
*May 1
**
International Workers' Day
International Workers' Day, also known as Labour Day in some countries and often referred to as May Day, is a celebration of labourers and the working classes that is promoted by the international labour movement and occurs every year on 1 May, ...
Mothers' Day
Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the ...
, Samoa
*May 4
** Youth Day, Fiji
**Authorities from Australia and New Zealand meet to establish a coronavirus-free travel zone.
*May 8
**
Vavaʻu
Vavau is an island group, consisting of one large island ( ʻUtu Vavaʻu) and 40 smaller ones, in Tonga. It is part of Vavaʻu District, which includes several other individual islands. According to tradition, the Maui god created both Tongata ...
Festival Week and
ʻEua
Eua is an island in the kingdom of Tonga. It is close to Tongatapu, but forms a separate administrative division. It has an area of , and a population in 2021 of 4,903 people.
Geography
Eua is a hilly island, the highest peaks are the ''Teemo ...
Tourism Festival, Tonga
**New Zealand announces its support for the inclusion of Taiwan in the World Health Organization.
*May 10 – Constitution Day, Micronesia
*May 16 –
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
opens an embassy in Kiribati.
*May 20
**Restoration of Independence, East Timor
**COVID-19 pandemic: Alyza Alder, 18, from Gilbert, Arizona, was visiting Hawaii when she was arrested after allegedly violating the state's mandatory order that tourists and returning residents self-isolate for 14 days. Hawaii has had 643 confirmed cases and 17 deaths from COVID-19.
*May 22
** May 2020 New Zealand National Party leadership election.
Todd Muller
Todd Michael Muller (; born 23 December 1968) is a New Zealand politician who served as the Leader of the New Zealand National Party and the Leader of the Opposition from 22 May to 14 July 2020.
Muller entered Parliament at the 2014 general el ...
2020 Hawaii Democratic presidential primary
The 2020 Hawaii Democratic presidential primary had been scheduled to take place on April 4, 2020, a Saturday, in the Democratic Party primaries for the 2020 presidential election, but in-person voting was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemi ...
Bernie Sanders
Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Vermont since 2007. He was the U.S. representative for the state's at-large congressional district from 1991 to 2007 ...
(35.2%) gets eight.
*May 23 – The former prime minister of Papua New Guinea, Peter O'Neill, is arrested and taken in for questioning over alleged misappropriation and corruption involving the purchase of two power generators from Israel for 50 million kina ($14.2 million).
*May 23 and 24 – ''
Eid al-Fitr
, nickname = Festival of Breaking the Fast, Lesser Eid, Sweet Eid, Sugar Feast
, observedby = Muslims
, type = Islamic
, longtype = Islamic
, significance = Commemoration to mark the end of fasting in Ramadan
, dat ...
'' Muslim holiday (breaking the fast)
*May 24 – A 5.8Mw earthquake strikes New Zealand; Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern continues a television interview. No damages or injuries are reported.
*May 25 – Memorial Day, Hawaii and U.S. territories
June
*June 1
** Queen's Official Birthday, New Zealand and associated islands
**Independence Day, Samoa
*June 1 to 5 – Thousands of demonstrators march across
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and New Zealand in protest of police brutality in the United States as well as Racism in Australia and discrimination against the Māori people in New Zealand.
*June 2 – Three thousand demonstrators in Sydney, Australia, protest the murder of George Floyd in the United States. Amelia Brace, a reporter for Australian television network Channel 7, is knocked down by police live on air as she covered
George Floyd protests in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States, experienced a series of protests and riots following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Some of the events involved violence, looting, and destruction.
Timeline May 29
The White ...
Bernie Sanders
Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Vermont since 2007. He was the U.S. representative for the state's at-large congressional district from 1991 to 2007 ...
Bounty Day
Bounty Day is a holiday on both Pitcairn Island, destination of the ''Bounty'' mutineers, and on Norfolk Island. It is celebrated on 23 January on Pitcairn, and on 8 June on Norfolk Island, the day that the descendants of the mutineers arrived on ...
, Pitcairn Islands and Norfolk Island
**
Haʻapai
Haʻapai is a group of islands, islets, reefs, and shoals in the central part of Tonga. It has a combined land area of . The Tongatapu island group lies to its south, and the Vavaʻu group lies to its north. Seventeen of the Haʻapai islands are ...
Tourism Festival, Tonga
*June 11 – King Kamehameha I Day, Hawaii
*June 13 – Birthday of Queen Elizabeth II (celebrated in the Commonwealth and in British territories)CIA Factbook: Pitcairn Islands retrieved Feb 23, 2020
*June 29 – Internal Autonomy Day, French Polynesia
July
*July 1 – Flights from
Canberra
Canberra ( )
is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
to Wellington resume.
*July 2 – Discovery Day, Pitcairn Islands
*July 3 – Fishermen's Holiday, Marshall Islands
*July 4 – COVID-19 pandemic: 3,000 people in nine residential towers in Melbourne, Australia are confined to their buildings in the country's strictest lockdown as new infections rise in the area.
*July 4 – Independence Day, United States (celebrated in Hawaii and U.S. territories)
*July 7
**COVID-19 pandemic
***Fourteen flight attendants from Hawaiian Airlines test positive for coronavirus and go into quarantine.
***Authorities in New Zealand say they will press charges against a 32-year-old coronavirus patient who escaped quarantine in Auckland and went shopping at a supermarket.
*July 8
**Heilala Festival Week, Tonga
**A new study from
Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
shows that people from four island sites in French Polynesia bore DNA indicative of interbreeding with South Americans most closely related to present-day indigenous Colombians at around 1200 AD. People from Chile's Rapa Nui (Easter Island) also had South American ancestry.
*July 9
**Constitution Day, Palau (1981)
**Australia ends its extradition treaty with Hong Kong.
*July 10 – Gospel Day, Kiribati
*July 12 – Independence Day, Kiribati
*July 14 – Bastille Day (celebrated in French territories)
*July 17 – A 7.0Mw earthquake with an epicenter in Morobe Patrol Post, New Guinea, is recorded. Only minor damages are reported.
*July 21 – Liberation Day, Guam
*July 23 – Remembrance Day, Papua New Guinea
*July 24 – Children's Day, Vanuatu
*July 29 –
Territory Day
Territory Day is a holiday widely celebrated in the Northern Territory of Australia on 1 July that commemorates the territory achieving self-government in 1978. The holiday has been famously commemorated with fireworks since the early 1980s. Pop ...
, Wallis and Futuna
*July 30 –
Independence Day
An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...
, Vanuatu
August
*August 3
**
Labour Day
Labour Day ('' Labor Day'' in the United States) is an annual holiday to celebrate the achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for ...
SOS
is a Morse code distress signal (), used internationally, that was originally established for maritime use. In formal notation is written with an overscore line, to indicate that the Morse code equivalents for the individual letters of "SOS" ...
in the sand.
*August 9 – COVID-19 pandemic: New Zealand goes 100 days without any new infections.
*August 11
** COVID-19 pandemic in Hawaii: The state records the highest transmission rate in the U.S. at 1.6, although overall infections remain low at 3,638 cases total.
** COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand: Authorities are looking into the possibility that a new outbreak of the virus was introduced in a freight shipment.
*August 15 – Assumption of Mary (Christian holiday)
*August 18 – The United States Department of Defense investigates two masked, uniformed soldiers who joined American Samoa Governor Lolo Matalasi Moliga (D), who appeared online during the
2020 Democratic National Convention
The 2020 Democratic National Convention was a presidential nominating convention that was held from August 17 to 20, 2020, at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and virtually across the United States. At the convention, delegates of ...
.
*August 22 –
2020 Northern Territory general election
The 2020 Northern Territory general election was held on 22 August 2020 to elect all 25 members of the Legislative Assembly in the unicameral Northern Territory Parliament.
Members were elected through full preferential instant-runoff voting in ...
*August 24 – COVID-19 pandemic: Ten countries (Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu) have not had confirmed cases of coronavirus, although their economies have been hurt by a fall in tourism.
*August 26 – Repentance Day, Papua New Guinea
*August 30 – Popular Consultation Day, East Timor
*August 31 – COVID-19 pandemic: Hawaii requires visitors to complete a "Safe Travels" digital app 24 hours before their flights.
September
*September 4
**Labor Day, Marshall Islands
**Palau invites the United States to construct land bases, port facilities, and airfields on its territory.
*September 7 –
Labor Day
Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United St ...
, Hawaii and U.S. territories
*September 8 – Members of the Colorado cult "Love has Won Cult” are deported after complaints of cultural appropriation.
*September 16 – Independence Day, Papua New Guinea
*September 18 – Independence Day, Chile
*September 20 – Two men who were working to clear unexploded World War II bombs are killed in an explosion in
Honiara
Honiara () is the capital and largest city of Solomon Islands, situated on the northwestern coast of Guadalcanal. , it had a population of 92,344 people. The city is served by Honiara International Airport and the seaport of Point Cruz, and lie ...
, Solomon Islands.
*September 23 – Ishmael Toroama, a former rebel leader, is elected president of Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea.
*September 24 – New Caledonia Day
*September 25
** Manit Day, Marshall Islands
** Youth Day, Nauru
October
*October 1
**Independence Day, Palau (1994)
** Tuvalu Day
*October 5
**Labour Day in Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and South Australia
**Education Day, Kiribati
** Constitution Day, Vanuatu
*October 6 – Territory Day, Christmas Island
*October 10 –
Fiji Week
Fiji Week is a week of festivities culminating in Fiji Day on 10 October (the anniversary of Fiji's independence from British colonial rule in 1970) annually. A different theme is chosen every year, but common elements include religious ceremonie ...
(Fiji Independence Day)
*October 11 –
White Sunday
White Sunday, (in the Samoan language ''Lotu Tamaiti'', literally "Children's Service"), is a national holiday in Samoa falling on the second Sunday of October, with the Monday following a public holiday. It is also celebrated in American Samoa ...
; Samoa, American Samoa, Tokelau, and Tonga
*October 12 – Columbus Day, Hawaii and U.S. territories; Chile and Easter Island
*October 22 – Peniamina Gospel Day, Niue
*October 26
** Gospel Day, Cook Islands
**
Angam Day
Angam Day is a holiday recognized in the Republic of Nauru. It is celebrated yearly on October 26.
Etymology
The Nauruan word ''angam'' means "jubilation", "celebration", "to have triumphed over all hardships" or "to have reached a set goal" ...
, Nauru
**Labour Day, New Zealand
*October (date unknown) –
Rowman & Littlefield
Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group is an independent publishing house founded in 1949. Under several imprints, the company offers scholarly books for the academic market, as well as trade books. The company also owns the book distributing compa ...
releases ''Poisoning the Pacific: The US Military's Secret Dumping of Plutonium, Chemical Weapons, and Agent Orange'' by
Jon Mitchell
Jon Mitchell is a British meteorologist and weather presenter.
Early life
He grew up in Morecambe in Lancashire, attending Lancaster Grammar School (since 1971 Lancaster Grammar School).
Career
Jon Mitchell started work with the Met Office o ...
(), which details how the U.S. military has exposed 600,000 people to toxins in Japan and Micronesia.
November
*November 1 – All Saints' Day, Christian holiday
*November 2 – All Souls' Day, Christian holiday
*November 3 – Independence Day, Micronesia
*November 6 – Arbor Day, Samoa
*November 9 – Heir to the Throne's birthday, Commonwealth countries
*November 11 – Veterans Day, Hawaii, U.S. territories, Micronesia; Armistice Day in France and French territories
*November 12 – National Youth Day, Anniversary of the Santa Cruz massacre; East Timor
*November 14 –
Diwali
Diwali (), Dewali, Divali, or Deepavali ( IAST: ''dīpāvalī''), also known as the Festival of Lights, related to Jain Diwali, Bandi Chhor Divas, Tihar, Swanti, Sohrai, and Bandna, is a religious celebration in Indian religions. It is ...
, Hindu festival of lights; Fiji
*November 17 – Presidents' Day, Marshall Islands
*November 26 – Thanksgiving, Hawaii and U.S. territories; Micronesia
*November 28 – Proclamation of Independence Day, East Timor
*November 29 – National Unity Day, Vanuatu
Santa Marian Kamalen
Santa Marian Kamalen also known as Our Lady of Camarin and informally known as Dulce Nombre ''(English: Sweet Name)'' is a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with a carved molave wood and ivory image venerated by the Roman Catholic faithf ...
Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
warns that the Marshall Islands and other island countries may disappear by mid-century due to climate change.
*December 17
**Fiji imposes a curfew in anticipation of
Cyclone Yasa
Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasa was the second Category 5 severe tropical cyclone in 2020 after Harold in the 2019–20 South Pacific cyclone season. Yasa was the second tropical disturbance, as well as the first tropical cyclone and severe tr ...
, a Category 5 storm that is expected to make landall on December 18.
**COVID-19 pandemic: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says that her country has contracts to buy more vaccine doses than are needed and will share the excess with neighbors.
*December 20
**The U.S. House of Representatives passes legislation to restore Medicaid to Marshall Islanders in the United States.
**COVID-19 pandemic: Samoa, Kiribati, Federated States of Micronesia, Tonga, Palau, Tuvalu, and Nauru plus North Korea and Turkmenistan in Asia are the only countries that have no reported cases of the virus.
*December 21 – Kīlauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island erupts.
*December 22 – Two Russian
Tupolev Tu-95
The Tupolev Tu-95 (russian: Туполев Ту-95; NATO reporting name: "Bear") is a large, four-engine turboprop-powered strategic bomber and missile platform. First flown in 1952, the Tu-95 entered service with the Long-Range Aviation of the ...
strategic bombers and four Chinese
H-6K
The Xian H-6 () is a twin-engine jet bomber of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). The H-6 is a license-built version of the Soviet Tupolev Tu-16 and remains the primary bomber aircraft of the People's Republic of China.
Del ...
East China Sea
The East China Sea is an arm of the Western Pacific Ocean, located directly offshore from East China. It covers an area of roughly . The sea’s northern extension between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula is the Yellow Sea, separated b ...
.
*December 28 – COVID-19 pandemic: The Associated Press reports that several island countries are facing food shortages, generally related to border closings.
2020 Kiribati parliamentary election
Parliamentary elections were held in Kiribati in 2020 to elect members of the House of Assembly. The elections were originally planned on 7 April 2020, with a second round of voting to be held on 15 April 2020. However, in late March the Elector ...
April 7 with a second round on August 15
*Micronesia
**
Chuukese independence referendum
An independence referendum for Chuuk State to secede from the Federated States of Micronesia was originally scheduled to take place in March 2015. However, it has been delayed three times and it is uncertain if it will take place. The most popul ...
2020 New Zealand general election
The 2020 New Zealand general election was held on Saturday 17 October 2020 to determine the composition of the 53rd parliament. Voters elected 120 members to the House of Representatives, 72 from single-member electorates and 48 from closed ...
and
2020 New Zealand cannabis referendum
The 2020 New Zealand cannabis referendum was a non-binding referendum held on 17 October 2020 in conjunction with the 2020 general election and a euthanasia referendum, on the question of whether to legalise the sale, use, possession and prod ...
, September 19
*Election for the Niue Fono Exeule (Niuean Assembly) May 31 (not confirmed)
*
2020 Palauan general election
General elections were held in Palau on 3 November 2020 to elect a President and the National Congress.
Electoral system
The President of Palau is elected using the two-round system.
The 13 members of the Senate are elected from a single nation ...
November
*
2020 United States elections
The 2020 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. Democratic presidential nominee, former vice president Joe Biden, defeated incumbent Republican president Donald Trump in the presidential election. Despite losing seats ...
Presidential election
A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President.
Elections by country
Albania
The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public.
Chile
The pre ...
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Though it originated as a holiday to give gifts to the poor, today Boxing Day is primarily known as a shopping holiday. It ...
, Commonwealth
*December 31 – National Heroes Day, East Timor
Neighbours
''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera, which has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons an ...
'' continues filming by limiting studio access and practicing social distancing. As of April 21, the country reported 6,547 cases of infection and 67 deaths related to COVID-19.
2020 Fiji Premier League
The 2020 Fiji Premier League was the 44th season of the Fiji Premier League (Vodafone Premier League for sponsorship reasons), the top-tier football league in Fiji organized by the Fiji Football Association since its establishment in 1977. The s ...
*
2019–20 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League The 2019–20 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League, for sponsorship reasons also known as the Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited National Soccer League, was the 14th edition of the Papua New Guinea National Soccer League, the top-tier football lea ...
*
2019–20 Solomon Islands S-League
The 2019–20 Telekom S-League is the 16th season of the Telekom S-League, the top football league in the Solomon Islands.
The league kicked off on 14 September 2019. and finished on 29 January 2020. It was originally scheduled to finish in Decem ...
*
2019–20 Tahiti Ligue 1
The 2019–20 Tahiti Ligue 1 is the 73rd season of the Tahiti Ligue 1, the top-flight football league in Tahiti. The season started on 27 September 2019. Vénus are the defending champions.
Teams
A total of ten teams compete in the league. Aru ...
2020 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football team
The 2020 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football team represented the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Rainbow Warriors played their final home games at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu as members of the ...
2019–20 NBL regular season
The regular season of the 2019–20 NBL season, the 42nd season of the National Basketball League (Australia) started on 3 October 2019 and finished on 16 February 2020. Nine teams participated, with the South East Melbourne Phoenix entering the le ...
, basketball
*November 8, 2019 to 2020 –
2019–20 Tahiti Cup
The 2019–20 Tahiti Cup (also known as Coupe de Polynésie or Coupe Tahiti Nui) is the 81st edition of the national cup in Tahitian football. A.S. Vénus are the defending champions. The winner will earn the right to represent Tahiti in the 20 ...
, association football
*October 11, 2019 to May 16 or 17, 2020 –
2019–20 A-League
The 2019–20 A-League, also known as the 2019–20 Hyundai A-League for sponsorship reasons, was the 43rd season of national level soccer in Australia, and the 15th since the establishment of the A-League in 2004. The regular season commenced o ...
, Australia
*November 16, 2019 to February 1 or 2, 2020 –
2019–20 Y-League
The 2019–20 Y-League season (also known as the 2019–20 Foxtel Y-League season for sponsorship reasons) was the twelfth season of the Australian Y-League, the premier national competition for youth football in the country.
Teams
Ten teams com ...
, Australia
*January 6 to 12 –
2020 BNP Paribas de Nouvelle-Calédonie
The 2020 BNP Paribas de Nouvelle-Calédonie was a professional tennis tournament played on hard courts. It was the seventeenth edition of the tournament which was part of the 2020 ATP Challenger Tour. It took place in Nouméa, New Caledonia betw ...
, New Caledonia tennis
*January 3 to 12 – ATP Cup, Australian tennis
*January 6 to 18 –
2020 ASB Classic
The 2020 Auckland Open (sponsored by ASB Bank) was a joint ATP and WTA tennis tournament, played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 35th edition of the women's event, and the 44th edition of the men's event. It took place at the ASB Tennis Ce ...
, New Zealand tennis
*January 15 to March 17 –
2020 UCI Oceania Tour
The 2020 UCI Oceania Tour was the 16th season of the UCI Oceania Tour. The season began on 15 January 2020 with the New Zealand Cycle Classic
The New Zealand Cycle Classic (previously known as the Tour of Wellington) is a road cycling r ...
,
New Zealand Cycle Classic
The New Zealand Cycle Classic (previously known as the Tour of Wellington) is a road cycling race held in and around the Wairarapa near Wellington, New Zealand. The race is a men's competition over five stages and part of the UCI Oceania Tour ...
*January 17 to February 16 –
2020 Toyota Racing Series
The 2020 Castrol Toyota Racing Series was the sixteenth running of the Toyota Racing Series, the premier open-wheel motorsport category held in New Zealand. The series consisted of fifteen races at five meetings. It began on 17 January at Highlan ...
*January 25 and 26, 2020
**
2020 New Zealand Sevens
The 2020 New Zealand Sevens was the third tournament within the 2019–20 World Rugby Sevens Series and the twenty first edition of the New Zealand Sevens. This event was the first in the series to only have one team from each pool qualify to the ...
, rugby
**
2020 New Zealand Women's Sevens
The 2020 New Zealand Women's Sevens was a tournament at the Waikato Stadium in Hamilton, New Zealand from 25-26 January 2020. It was the first edition of the New Zealand Women's Sevens for the World Rugby Women's Sevens Series and the fourth tour ...
South Africa women's cricket team in New Zealand in 2019–20
The South Africa women's cricket team played the New Zealand women's cricket team in January and February 2020. The tour consisted of three Women's One Day Internationals (WODIs), which formed part of the 2017–20 ICC Women's Championship, and ...
*January 26 –
2020 Hula Bowl
The 2020 Hula Bowl was a post-season college football all-star game played on January 26, 2020, at 5:30 p.m. HST (10:30 p.m. EST), at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The game featured "NCAA college football players from all divisi ...
2019–20 NBL season
The 2019–20 NBL season was the 42nd season of the National Basketball League since its establishment in 1979.
Teams
Nine teams competed in the 2019–20 Season with the addition of South East Melbourne Phoenix.
Off-season changes
*The ...
**
2020 WNBL Finals
The 2020 WNBL Finals was the postseason tournament of the WNBL's 2020 season. The Canberra Capitals were the two-time defending champions, but were defeated in the Semi-Finals by Melbourne. The Southside Flyers won the Grand Final, defeating the ...
won by
University of Canberra Capitals
The University of Canberra Capitals are an Australian professional women's basketball team competing in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). The team is based in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. In 2014 the University of Canbe ...
*February 22 –
2020 All Stars match
The 2020 All Stars match day was an annual pre-season fixture of Men's and Women's All Stars matches of Australian rugby league. Both games were played on 22 February 2020 at Queensland's Cbus Super Stadium, the original venue the fixture was f ...
, Australian rugby won by
New Zealand Māori rugby league team
New Zealand Māori rugby league team is a rugby league representative side made up of New Zealand Māori players. The side represents the New Zealand Māori Rugby league. Like its union counterpart, the rugby league team previously competed in ...
Fiji Warriors
The Fiji Warriors, also referred to as Fiji A, is a national representative rugby team of rugby union in Fiji. It is the second-tier side to the Fiji national team. The Warriors team is selected from players in the Fijian domestic competi ...
*March 8 to 15 –
2020 NBL Finals
The 2020 NBL Finals was the championship series of the 2019–20 NBL season and the conclusion of the season. The semi-finals started on 28 February and finished on 5 March 2020, with the following Grand Final starting on 8 March and being canc ...
2020 NRL season
The 2020 NRL season was the 113th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 23rd season run by the National Rugby League.
Teams
The lineup of teams remained unchanged for the 14th consecutive year.
; Notes
:
:
:
Pre-season
...
(suspension)
*March 20 to August 21 –
2020 WSBL season
The 2020 WSBL season was to be the 32nd season of the Women's State Basketball League (SBL). The regular season was set to begin on Friday 20 March, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, the season was cancelled.
Season that was scheduled
Followi ...
Melbourne City FC (W-League)
Melbourne City Women's Football Club, also known as the Melbourne City Women or simply as City, represents Melbourne City in the A-League Women, the top division soccer league in Australia. Founded in 2015, the club has its training and admin ...
beat
Sydney FC (W-League)
Sydney Football Club Women is an Australian women's football club based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It competes in the A-League Women, the top tier of women's football in Australia. The club is directly affiliated with Sydney FC ...
, 1-0
*April 24 – Vanuatu becomes the first country to host a live
cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
2020 Rugby Championship
The 2020 Tri Nations Series was the seventeenth edition of the annual southern hemisphere competition, involving Argentina, Australia and New Zealand. On 16 October 2020, 2019 Rugby Championship winners and 2019 Rugby World Cup champions South A ...
*October 2020 to February 2021 –
2020–21 NBL season
The 2020–21 NBL season was the 43rd season of the National Basketball League since its establishment in 1979. A total of nine teams contested in the 2020–21 season. The regular season was played between January and June 2021, followed by a p ...
Deaths
January to March
*January 16 – Barry Tuckwell, Australian horn player and conductor (b.
1931
Events
January
* January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics.
* January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa.
* January 22 – Sir I ...
)
*January 18 –
Piri Sciascia
Piri John Ngarangikaunuhia Sciascia (6 November 1946 – 18 January 2020) was a New Zealand Māori people, Māori leader, kapa haka exponent, and university administrator. From 2016 until his death, he served as kaumātua and advisor to the gov ...
, Māori leader, kapa haka exponent, university administrator (b. 1946)
* January 19
**
Manfred Clynes
Manfred Edward Clynes (August 14, 1925 – January 19, 2020) was an Austrian-born scientist, inventor, and musician. He is best known for his innovations and discoveries in the interpretation of music, and for his contributions to the study of ...
, Australian scientist, inventor and musician (died in the United States) (b.
1925
Events January
* January 1
** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria.
* January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Italia ...
1928
Events January
* January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA.
* January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhanov, J ...
1942
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January 1 – WWII: The Declaration by United Nations is signed by China, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and 22 other nations, in wh ...
Peter Salama
Peter Salama (1968 – 23 January 2020) was an Australian epidemiologist who worked for UNICEF (2002–16) and the World Health Organization (2016–19). He was particularly known for his work at both organisations managing their responses to Ebo ...
, Australian epidemiologist (died in
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
) (b.
1968
The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide.
Events January–February
* January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.
* Januar ...
)
*January 25
**
Shirley Murray
Shirley Erena Murray (née Cockroft; 31 March 1931 – 25 January 2020) was a New Zealand hymn lyrics writer. Her hymns have been translated into numerous languages and are represented in more than 140 hymn collections.
Biography
Born in Inverc ...
, 88, New Zealand hymn writer
**
Alison Roxburgh
Dame Alison Mary Roxburgh (née Cameron; 6 September 1934 – 25 January 2020) was a New Zealand women's rights advocate and community leader.
In the 1986 New Year Honours, Roxburgh was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for pu ...
, 85, New Zealand women's rights advocate and community leader
*January 26 –
Gordon McLauchlan
Gordon William McLauchlan (9 January 1931 – 26 January 2020) was a New Zealand writer and social historian. He became a popular media personality through his work on both television and radio.
Early life and family
Born in Dunedin on 9 Januar ...
, 89, New Zealand author, social historian, and television and radio presenter
*January 31 – Tony Ford, 77–78, New Zealand lawyer and jurist, Chief Justice of the Kingdom of Tonga (2006–2010)
* February 2 – Mike Moore (New Zealand politician), former prime minister (b. 1949)
*February 3 –
Josefa Rika
Josefa Falani Rika (9 November 1987 – 3 February 2020) was a Fijian cricketer who made his debut for the Fijian national side in June 2006. Beginning in 2010, he captained the side in several international tournaments, and also worked for Cric ...
, 32, Fijian cricketer ( national team).
* February 4 – Andrew Brough, New Zealand singer, songwriter, and guitarist
*February 6 – Emma Jolliff, New Zealand journalist and television presenter ('' Newshub''); cancer
*February 13
** Sir Des Britten, 80, New Zealand television chef, restaurateur and Anglican priest, cancer.
**
Ronne Arnold
Ronne Arnold (1938 – 13 February 2020), also credited as Ronnie Arnold , was an African American performer, whose Australian-based career spanning some seven decades encompassed various genres. He was a dancer, choreographer, tutor, singer and ...
, Australian dancer, choreographer and actor (b.
1938
Events
January
* January 1
** The Constitution of Estonia#Third Constitution (de facto 1938–1940, de jure 1938–1992), new constitution of Estonia enters into force, which many consider to be the ending of the Era of Silence and the a ...
1986
The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles.
**Spain and Portugal ente ...
); complications from brain surgery
*February 15 –
Alan Henderson
Alan Lybrooks Henderson (born December 2, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He stands 6'9" (2.06 m) tall. Born in Morgantown, West Virginia, Henderson attended Brebeuf Jesuit ...
, 57, New Zealand television cameraman and puppeteer (
Thingee
Thingee is a puppet which was used as an unofficial ambassador and icon for New Zealand children's television during the 1990s, appearing in multiple television shows such as ''The Son of a Gunn Show'', and also children's programme, ''What Now''. ...
), prostate cancer.
*February 16 –
June Dally-Watkins
June Marie Dally-Watkins (; 13 June 1927 – 22 February 2020) was an Australian businesswoman and fashion model, recognised by the Australian honours system as an entrepreneur. In 1950 she started a personal-development school in Sydney to ...
, Australian model, businesswoman and etiquette coach (b.
1927
Events January
* January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General.
* January 7
* ...
)
*February 26 – Satya Nandan, Fijian diplomat, representative to the United Nations (1970–1976, 1993–1995) and ambassador to the Netherlands (1976–1980)
*February 28 –
Esala Teleni
Commodore Esala Teleni (born circa 1958 - died 28 February 2020) was a Fijian naval officer, who served the military-backed interim government as Commissioner of the Fiji Police Force from 1 July 2007 to mid-2010. He then served as Fiji's Amb ...
, Fijian rugby player and military officer
*March 4
**
Ivan Lee
Ivan Lee (born Ivan James Lee, March 31, 1981 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American sabre fencer, referee and coach.
Overview
Ivan Lee was a member of the 2001 U.S. Junior World Sabre team, anchoring the team to its first men's world title at t ...
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, ...
(1986–1989),
Tasman
Tasman most often refers to Abel Tasman (1603–1659), Dutch explorer.
Tasman may also refer to:
Animals and plants
* Tasman booby
* Tasman flax-lily
* Tasman parakeet (disambiguation)
* Tasman starling
* Tasman whale
People
* Tasman (name), ...
(1989–1998), and Nelson (2007–2010).
*March 5 – Jeanette Fitzsimons, 75, New Zealand politician and environmentalist, co-leader of the
Green Party
A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence.
Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...
(1995–2009) and MP (1996–2010), stroke.
*March 9 –
John Bathersby
John Alexius Bathersby (26 July 1936 – 9 March 2020) was an Australian bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the sixth archbishop of the Archdiocese of Brisbane, serving from 1991 until his retirement in 2011. Bathersby was conferred ...
, 83, Australian Roman Catholic prelate, Archbishop of Brisbane (1991–2011), Bishop of
Cairns
Cairns (, ) is a city in Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. The population in June 2019 was 153,952, having grown on average 1.02% annually over the preceding five years. The city is the 5th-most-p ...
(1986–1991).
*March 11 –
Rob Fenwick
Sir Robert George Mappin Fenwick (5 May 1951 – 11 March 2020) was a New Zealand environmentalist, businessman and professional director.
Fenwick co-founded the organic composting service Living Earth Ltd, the NZ Natural bottled water bra ...
, 68, New Zealand environmentalist and businessman, cancer.
*March 12
** Kevin Bacon, 87, Australian Olympic equestrian (
1964
Events January
* January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved.
* January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...
,
1968
The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide.
Events January–February
* January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.
* Januar ...
,
1976
Events January
* January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...
).
** Don Burrows, 91, Australian jazz musician.
*March 14 – Henry Smith, 64, Samoan Olympic athlete (
1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...
,
1988
File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...
).
*March 22 –
Peter Stapleton
Peter James Stapleton (25 April 1954 – 22 March 2020) was a musician from New Zealand who was best known as the drummer and co-founder of the alternative rock band The Terminals. Stapleton was also a member of the groups Vacuum, The Pin Group, ...
, 65, New Zealand musician (
The Terminals
The Terminals were a New Zealand alternative rock band. They released material on the Xpressway and Flying Nun Records, Flying Nun labels.
History
The band was formed in 1988, with several members being veterans of other bands. Vocalist Stephe ...
,
Dadamah
Dadamah were a band from New Zealand, active during the early 1990s. The band consisted of Kim Pieters, Peter Stapleton, Roy Montgomery
Roy Montgomery (born 1959) is a composer, guitarist and lecturer from Christchurch, New Zealand. Mont ...
Arianne Caoili
Arianne Bo Caoili ( ; 22 December 1986 – 30 March 2020) was a Filipino-Australian chess player. She held the FIDE title of Woman International Master, won the Oceania women's chess championship in 2009 and competed in seven Women's Chess ...
, 33, Filipino-Australian chess player, traffic collision.
** Milutin Knežević, 71, Serbian Orthodox prelate, Bishop of
Australia and New Zealand
Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologica ...
Te Huirangi Waikerepuru
Huirangi Eruera Waikerepuru (1 April 1929 – 8 April 2020) was a New Zealand Māori language activist and trade unionist of Taranaki and Ngāpuhi descent. He was active in the foundation and governance of Māori language radio and television. ...
, 91, New Zealand trade unionist and
Māori language
Māori (), or ('the Māori language'), also known as ('the language'), is an Eastern Polynesian language spoken by the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. Closely related to Cook Islands Māori, Tuamotuan, and ...
activist
* April 14 –
Dean Parker
Dean Leo Parker (20 August 1947 – 14 April 2020) was a New Zealand screenwriter, playwright, journalist and political commentator based in Auckland. Known for the screenplay of iconic film ''Came a Hot Friday'' which he co-wrote with Ian Mune, th ...
, New Zealand screenwriter, journalist, political commentator (b. 1947)
*April 15 –
Finau Mara
Ratu Alifereti Finau Mara (1957– 15 April 2020) was a Fijian lawyer, politician, and diplomat. He was best known as the eldest son of former Prime Minister and President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara. Since December 2001, he held the official position ...
Laisenia Qarase
Laisenia Qarase (pronounced ; 4 February 1941 – 21 April 2020) was a Fijian politician. He served as the sixth Prime Minister of Fiji from 2000 to 2006. After the military quashed the coup that led to the removal of Mahendra Chaudhry, Qarase ...
, former Fijian Prime Minister and politician.
*April 23 –
Bruce Allpress
Bruce Robert Allpress (25 August 1930 – 23 April 2020) was a New Zealand actor.
Biography
Allpress grew up in Dunedin, the second son of William and Gladys Allpress. He began performing in the 1960s in a vaudeville minstrel show called the Che ...
Marlborough
Marlborough may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Marlborough, Wiltshire, England
** Marlborough College, public school
* Marlborough School, Woodstock in Oxfordshire, England
* The Marlborough Science Academy in Hertfordshire, England
Austral ...
Resident Representative
A resident representative is the head of a United Nations agency (such as UNDP, UNICEF, WHO) in a given country. As such, the resident representative has the same rank as an ambassador of a foreign state accredited to that country, under the Conv ...
(1984–1990)
*May 7 –
Margaret Loutit
Margaret Wyn Loutit (née Jeffery; 5 September 1929 – 7 May 2020) was a New Zealand microbiologist. She was a full professor at the University of Otago from 1981, and was the inaugural director of the university's Research Office from 1988 to ...
, 90, Australian-born New Zealand microbiologist
*June 11 –
Basil Meeking
John Basil Meeking (19 November 1929 – 11 June 2020) was the 7th bishop of Christchurch, New Zealand from 1987 to 1995.
Career
Having been ordained as a priest in 1953, he was appointed as Bishop of Christchurch by Pope John Paul II on 30 Mar ...
, 90, New Zealand Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Christchurch (1987–1995).
Toke Talagi
Toke may refer to:
* Toke (lake) in Norway
* Toke (given name)
* Toke Atoll in the Marshall Islands
* Toke Station in Japan
* Toke, as in 'toke it up', refers to the smoking of cannabis
''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the ...
, 69, Niuean diplomat and politician, MP (1999–2020) and
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
(2008–2020).
*July 18 –
Derek Ho
Derek Ho (September 26, 1964 – July 17, 2020) was a Hawaiian Chinese surfer who won the world surfing championship in 1993. Ho was born in Kailua, Honolulu County, Hawaii. He began surfing at the age of three, and won the world title at a ...
, 55, Hawaiian surfer
*August 15 – Tekii Lazaro, 66, Cook Islands politician, MP (2011–2018). (death announced on this date)
*September 4
** Nandi Glassie, 69, Cook Islands politician, MP (2006–2018); cancer.
** Joe Williams, 85, Cook Islands politician, Prime Minister (1999), Minister of Foreign Affairs (1999) and MP (1994–2004); COVID-19.
*September 8 –
Benedict To Varpin
Benedict To Varpin (24 July 1936 – 8 September 2020) was a Papua New Guinean Roman Catholic archbishop.
To Varpin was born in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), offici ...
, 84, Papua New Guinean Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of
Bereina
Bereina is a town in the Central Province of Papua New Guinea. It is located on the Hiritano Highway about north-west of Port Moresby, and contains the headquarters of both the Kairuku-Hiri District and the Kairuku Rural local-level government ...
Litokwa Tomeing
Iroij Litokwa Tomeing (14 October 1939 – 12 October 2020) was the President of the Marshall Islands from January 2008 until October 2009.
Biography Early and personal life
Litokwa Tomeing was born on Wotje Atoll, in the Japanese-administered ...
Kuniwo Nakamura
was a Palau, Palauan politician who served as the President of Palau from 1993 to 2001. He had earlier served as Vice President of Palau from 1989 to 1993, under Ngiratkel Etpison.
Background and early life
Nakamura was the son of a Japanese set ...
Allan Migi
Allan Rirme Migi (1960 – 22 October 2020) was a Papua New Guinean bishop who served as archbishop and primate of the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea from 3 September 2017 to 11 May 2020. He had previously served as Bishop of the New Guinea I ...
, 59–60, Papua New Guinean Anglican prelate, primate and archbishop of the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea (2017–2020).
*November 6 – Jim Marurai, 73, Cook Island politician, Prime Minister (2004–2010), Minister of Foreign Affairs (2009) and MP (1994–2017).
*November 13 – COVID-19 pandemic: Samoa reports its first case, although a second test in the same New Zealand sailor tests negative.
*November 26 –
Tevita Momoedonu
Ratu Tevita Momoedonu (13 January 1946 – 26 November 2020) was a Fijian politician who served as the fifth Prime Minister of Fiji twice – each time extremely briefly. Both appointments were to get around constitutional technicalities; hi ...
2019–20 Australian region cyclone season
The 2019–20 Australian region cyclone season was a below average tropical cyclone season for the waters surrounding Australia between longitudes 90°E and 160°E. The season officially began on 1 November 2019 and ended on 30 April 2020; howev ...
**
2020–21 Australian region cyclone season
The 2020–21 Australian region cyclone season was a below average but very deadly season when most tropical cyclones formed in the Southern Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans between 90°E and 160°E. It produced 8 tropical cyclones with 3 stren ...
2020–21 South Pacific cyclone season
The 2020–21 South Pacific cyclone season was an average season where most tropical cyclones formed within the South Pacific Ocean to the east of 160°E. The season officially started on November 1, 2020, and officially ended on April 30, 2021, h ...
***
Cyclone Yasa
Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasa was the second Category 5 severe tropical cyclone in 2020 after Harold in the 2019–20 South Pacific cyclone season. Yasa was the second tropical disturbance, as well as the first tropical cyclone and severe tr ...
COVID-19 pandemic on USS Theodore Roosevelt
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic, was detected on the aircraft carrier in March 2020 while she was at sea. Affected crew members were evacuated and the ship was ordered to Gua ...