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Honolulu, Hawaii

"The Gathering Place"
Where Polynesian voyagers landed a thousand years ago and Japanese bombs fell on December 7, 1941 — Honolulu is America's most remote major city and its window to the Pacific.
Founded 1809 | Population 350,964 | Peak 371,657 (1970) | County Honolulu County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Honolulu, Hawaii

1
1941Attack on Pearl Harbor: On December 7, Japan launched a surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, killing 2,403 Americans, sinking or damaging 19 ships, and destroying 188 aircraft. The attack brought the United States into World War II.
2
1893Overthrow of Hawaiian Kingdom: American sugar planters, backed by U.S. Marines, overthrew Queen Lili'uokalani and established a provisional government. The coup ended the Hawaiian monarchy after nearly a century of rule.
3
1959Hawaii Becomes 50th State: Hawaii was admitted as the 50th state on August 21, making it the most recent state and the only one composed entirely of islands. The vote was 17-to-1 in favor of statehood.
4
2023Maui Wildfires: Wind-driven wildfires devastated the historic town of Lahaina on Maui, killing over 100 people and destroying thousands of structures. It was the deadliest U.S. wildfire in over a century.
5
1961Barack Obama Born in Honolulu: Barack Obama was born at Kapiolani Medical Center on August 4. He grew up in Honolulu and became the 44th President — the first president born in Hawaii.
6
1778Captain Cook Arrives: British explorer Captain James Cook became the first European to reach Hawaii, landing on Kauai. His arrival began the transformation of Hawaiian society through trade, disease, and Western influence.
7
1898U.S. Annexation: The United States formally annexed Hawaii as a territory, driven by the strategic importance of Pearl Harbor and the economic interests of American sugar planters.
8
1810Kamehameha Unifies Hawaii: King Kamehameha I unified the Hawaiian Islands under a single monarchy, establishing Honolulu as the kingdom's commercial center.
9
1993Apology Resolution: The U.S. Congress passed a formal apology to Native Hawaiians for the 1893 overthrow, acknowledging that it was illegal — though sovereignty has never been restored.
10
2011APEC Summit: Honolulu hosted the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, showcasing Hawaii's role as America's bridge to the Pacific Rim.
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Population Over Time

0 92,914 185,829 278,743 371,657 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

Latest News in Honolulu

News articles will appear here as they're published.

Complete Historical Timeline

1778 Culture
Captain Cook reaches Hawaii
1810 Government
Kamehameha unifies the Hawaiian Islands
1820 Culture
First Christian missionaries arrive
1893 Politics
American-backed coup overthrows Queen Lili'uokalani
1898 Politics
U.S. annexes Hawaii
1941 Politics
Japan attacks Pearl Harbor
1959 Government
Hawaii becomes 50th state
1961 Politics
Barack Obama born in Honolulu
1993 Civil Rights
U.S. Congress apologizes for overthrow
2011 Politics
APEC summit hosted
2023 Disaster
Maui wildfires kill over 100

Did You Know?

1
Honolulu is the most isolated major city in the world — the nearest major city is San Francisco, over 2,400 miles away across open ocean.
2
The USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor sits directly above the sunken battleship, which still leaks oil into the harbor 80+ years later — about a quart per day.
3
Hawaii's state fish is the humuhumunukunukuapua'a — a reef triggerfish whose Hawaiian name is longer than the fish itself.
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