At 1:01 p.m. in Koror, Palau steps out from under the UN trusteeship for good

For nearly half a century, Palau had answered to a trusteeship born out of World War II, administered by the United States on behalf of the United Nations. That ended on October 1, 1994, when the Compact of Free Association between Palau and the United States entered into force at 1:01 p.m. local time, following a proclamation President Bill Clinton had signed days earlier. Celebrations filled Koror as the island nation became fully self-governing. Palau was the last piece of the old Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands to reach independence…