page_title: Leone, American Samoa
section_title: Tsunami
hierarchical_section_title: Leone, American Samoa / History / Modern times / Tsunami
caption_attribution_description: English: Leone Healing Garden in Leone, American Samoa
context_page_description: Leone is a village on the south-west coast of Tutuila Island, American Samoa. Leone was the ancient capital of Tutuila Island. Leone was also where the Samoan Islands’ first missionary, John Williams, visited on October 18, 1832. A monument in honor of Williams has been erected in front of Zion Church. Its large church was the first to be built in American Samoa. It has three towers, a carved ceiling and stained glass. Until steamships were invented, Leone was the preferred anchorage of sailing ships which did not risk entering Pago Pago Harbor. Much early contact between Samoans and Europeans took place in Leone.
  Besides the oldest church in American Samoa, Leone is home to a post office, high school, Pritchard's Bakery and Kruse Supermarket. Buses from Fagatogo to Leone leave every few minutes throughout the year. An airstrip was built at Leone during World War II. The village is home to two historical sites listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places: Fagalele Boys School, which may be the oldest building on Tutuila Island, and Tataga-Matau Fortified Quarry Complex.
context_section_description: Leone was devastated by a tsunami on September 29, 2009. The tsunami was generated by a magnitude 8.0 undersea earthquake. Eleven people in Leone were killed by the tsunami. The victims were two children and nine adults, including elderly parents. The day of the tsunami is called the “Black Tuesday” and the village has erected a special monument known as Leone Healing Garden (Garden of Healing). The monument is near the seaside of the main road, and it was erected in order to commemorate the passing and to celebrate the lives of those who perished in the tsunami.
caption: Leone Healing Garden
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