Congress created the six-member Future Political Status Commission to study Micronesia’s political options.

What happened

The Congress had asked President Johnson to set up a commission on Micronesia’s future and got no response, so it created its own. Chaired by Lazarus Salii of Palau, the commission traveled widely to gather opinions before reporting in 1969.

Why it matters

It began Micronesian-led negotiations over the islands’ political future.