Jacob Nena and Yosiwo George were sworn in as Kosrae’s first elected governor and lieutenant governor under a district charter.

What happened

On 1 January 1979 Jacob Nena took the oath as governor and Yosiwo George as lieutenant governor. A Trust Territory release said this made Kosrae the first district after Truk to take on full internal self-government. Kosrae had separated from Ponape District only in 1977.

Why it matters

Both men later held national office: Nena became the fourth FSM president and George served as vice president from 2015 until his death in 2022.