Person

Michael Somare

1936–2021 · 20th century

Michael Somare was the founding prime minister of Papua New Guinea. He helped found the Pangu Party in 1967, which pressed for self-government, became chief minister in 1972 and led the territory to self-government in 1973 and independence on 16 September 1975. He served as prime minister three times, for about seventeen years in all, and is called the father of the nation.

Michael Somare
Image: Unknown · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Territory of Papua and New Guinea

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Michael Somare. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/michael-somare
MLA
“Michael Somare.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/michael-somare. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Michael Somare.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/michael-somare.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Michael Somare’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/michael-somare (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻