Spotlight's Oahu Gold Magazine

Looking at the Hawaiian Islands, you may ask yourself, "how did explorers centuries ago ever find these tiny islands in such a vast ocean?" You might be surprised to find that the early Polynesians discovered Hawai‘i through impressive feats of celestial navigation. These brave explorers crossed the uncharted ocean in huge sailing canoes, using the stars, winds and currents as navigational aids. They arrived in Hawai‘i with their families, animals, plants, and everything they needed to survive in an uninhabited island.

Hula dancers perform for the Aloha Festivals Royal Court as they watch from the steps of ‘Iolani Palace.

In 1778, British navigator Captain James Cook "discovered" the Hawaiian Islands. He found that each island was its own kingdom, organized in a feudal manner with chiefs, priests and commoners. By 1810, Kamehameha I, King of Hawai‘i Island, had united all of the Hawaiian Islands. He and his descendants reigned until 1872 and were followed by other families. In 1893, Queen Lili‘uokalani was overthrown by prominent businessmen and the U.S. military. Hawai‘i was suddenly under the jurisdiction of an United State provisional government. The Republic of Hawai‘i came into existence on July 4, 1894, with Sanford B. Dole, a missionary descendant, as president. The islands were annexed by the United States in 1898 and made a territory in 1900.

Between annexation and World War II, sugar and pineapple industries flourished and the number of immigrants brought in to work the plantations increased. The military's interest in the islands resulted in the construction of numerous bases, including the huge Naval base at Pearl Harbor, the site of the Dec. 7, 1941, surprise attack by the Japanese.

‘Iolani Palace. The only royal palace in the United States, ‘Iolani Palace was completed in 1882.

Hawai‘i became the 50th state in 1959, ending the campaign for statehood that had had begun at the turn of the century. Today Hawaii's population exceeds one million and Honolulu is the country's 11th largest city. Unique in so many ways, our islands offer endless opportunity for informative exploration, sightseeing and cultural enrichment.

Hawai‘i's "melting pot" society can be attributed to many factors. Immediately following Captain Cook, traders and whalers stopped here to rest and replenish provisions, bringing with them Western culture and technology. Companies of missionaries arrived from New England in 1820 and introduced island society to Christianity and the printed word and helped make Hawaiian a written language.

As sugarcane and pineapple plantations proliferated, thousands of immigrant laborers from China, Portugal, Japan, and the Philippines were brought in to work the land. They brought with them their customs and traditions, all of which helped shape modern Hawaiian society.