Timeline December 1899

Events in December 1899 2

• 1899 Tripartite Convention partitions Samoa The US, Germany, and Britain divide the islands The United States, Germany, and Britain signed a convention dividing the Samoan Islands, with Germany taking the western islands and the United States the eastern islands including Pago Pago. Britain withdrew its claims in exchange for concessions elsewhere. The agreement ended years of rivalry among the three powers over the archipelago.
• 1899 Churchill escapes Boer POW camp A daring escape that made him famous Winston Churchill, then a war correspondent captured by Boer forces, escaped from the State Model School prison in Pretoria on 12 December 1899. He made his way roughly 480 kilometers to Portuguese East Africa, evading capture. The escape made him a celebrity in Britain and helped launch his political career.