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A 7.7 magnitude earthquake strikes the Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia, causing tsunami warnings in Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and other countries in the South Pacific, and generating a 60 cm tsunami in Lenakel, Vanuatu.
2023-05-19

Tonga enters a nationwide lockdown after the country reported its first locally transmitted COVID-19 cases.
2022-02-2

Tonga is hit by ashfall and a tsunami after the eruption of Hunga Tonga, destroying homes as locals struggle to find higher ground. Major flooding is reported in the capital Nukuʻalofa. Shock waves from the eruption are detected as far away as Alaska, United States. Other Pacific countries have also advised their citizens to seek higher ground. Internet access has reportedly been disrupted in Tonga.
2022-01-15

Tonga reports its first case of COVID-19 in a person who travelled from Christchurch, New Zealand to Nukuʻalofa and is now in isolation.
2021-10-29

Tonga pays an outstanding fee in order not to lose its voting rights at the United Nations General Assembly. Tonga was among seven countries suspended last week for not paying their assessed contributions.
2020-01-14

Tonga and Fiji declare a state of emergency as part of an ongoing measles outbreak. Conditions worsen in Samoa where the death toll continues to rise and schools remain closed. There are 1,797 confirmed cases as of Saturday, with 153 detected on Friday alone.
2019-11-23

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake strikes west of the Pacific Island of Tonga. There are no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
2017-08-19

Tongan Crown Prince Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala marries Sinaitakala Fakafanua in a wedding ceremony in Nukuʻalofa. The marriage, the first for a Crown Prince of Tonga in 65 years, sparks controversy as the couple are second cousins.
2012-07-12

Tonga is in mourning following the death of King George Tupou V.
2012-03-19

Cyclone Rene hammers Tonga with gusts of 160 kilometres an hour, isolating Tongans for several days. Widespread damage is reported in the capital, Nukuʻalofa, and contact is lost with the northern island of Vavaʻu.
2010-02-15