Historical eventJune 41970

Tonga

Tonga gains independence from the British Empire.

Everything on June 4Original source

In context

When
Thursday, June 4 197056 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1970s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1970.

What happened

Tonga, officially known as the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about 750 km2 (290 sq mi), scattered over 700,000 km2 (270,000 sq mi) in the southern Pacific Ocean. As of September 2026, Tonga has a population of 103,291, 70% of whom live on the main island, Tongatapu. The country stretches approximately 800 km north-south. It is surrounded by Fiji and Wallis and Futuna (France) to the northwest,

June 4 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1970Tonga
  2. 1996Ariane 5
  3. 1998Terry Nichols
  4. 2004Granby, Colorado
  5. 2005Civic Forum of the Romanians of Covasna, Harghita and Mureș
  6. 2010Dragon Spacecraft Qualification Unit
  7. 2020Death of Giovanni López
  8. 20232023 Polish protests
  9. 2023Cessna Citation V
  10. 20252025 Bengaluru crowd crush
  11. 2025Crowd collapses and crushes

Also in 1970

  • May 11Lubbock, TexasLubbock, Texas, was struck by a tornado that left 26 people dead.
  • September 9Popular Front for the Liberation of PalestineA British airliner is hijacked by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and flown to Dawson's Field in Jordan.
  • September 17AmmanThe Jordanian army entered Amman as part of operations to oust Palestinian fedayeen from the country in events later known as Black Septe…
  • September 51970 Italian Grand PrixDuring the practice session of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza Circuit, Jochen Rindt was killed and subsequently became motor racing's on…
  • September 5Vietnam WarVietnam War: Operation Jefferson Glenn begins: The United States 101st Airborne Division and the South Vietnamese 1st Infantry Division i…
  • November 17Vietnam WarVietnam War: Lieutenant William Calley goes on trial for the My Lai Massacre.
  • November 17Luna programmeLuna programme: The Soviet Union lands Lunokhod 1 on Mare Imbrium (Sea of Rains) on the Moon. This is the first roving remote-controlled…
  • November 5Military Assistance Command, VietnamThe Military Assistance Command, Vietnam reports the lowest weekly American soldier death toll in five years (24).

Everything we record for 1970 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Tonga”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/tonga-1970-june-4, accessed October 24, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Tonga happen?

June 4 1970 — 56 years ago, on a Thursday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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