Dated events associated with this case. Each event is a shared record: the same event appears identically wherever it is relevant.
· Constitutional change
The Commonwealth of the Philippines was established on 15 November 1935 under the 1934 Tydings-McDuffie Act, which set a ten-year transition to independence during which the US retained jurisdiction over defense and foreign affairs; Manuel L. Quezon became its first President.
Significance here: Established the ten-year transitional framework leading to independence.
· Conflict episode
Japan occupied the Philippines from 1942 to 1945, during which the Commonwealth government operated in exile; the occupation and subsequent US-led liberation campaign are estimated to have caused over 1 million Filipino deaths, with the near-total destruction of Manila.
Significance here: Interrupted the Commonwealth transition and caused substantial loss of life before independence.
· Declaration
President Harry S. Truman proclaimed the withdrawal of US sovereignty over the Philippines and recognised its independence on 4 July 1946, under authority granted by the Philippine Independence Act of 1934, the same day the two countries signed the Treaty of Manila.
Significance here: The proclamation that ended US sovereignty and established Philippine independence.
Dates show their real precision. Approximate or uncertain dates are labelled and never converted into an exact day.