The following is a timeline of the history of the city of
Honolulu
Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...
, on
Oahu
Oahu () ( Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over two-thirds of the population of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The island of O ...
, in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...
.
1700s-1800s
* 1794 - Honolulu’s safe harbour discovered.
* 1795 - Area populated by " Kamehameha's chiefs and followers."
* 1810 -
Kamehameha I
Kamehameha I (; Kalani Paiea Wohi o Kaleikini Kealiikui Kamehameha o Iolani i Kaiwikapu kaui Ka Liholiho Kūnuiākea; – May 8 or 14, 1819), also known as Kamehameha the Great, was the conqueror and first ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaii. Th ...
relocates to inner harbour of Honolulu from Waikiki.
* 1816 - Fort built.
* 1820 - Honolulu becomes capital of Hawaii and the principal residence of the sovereign.
* 1826 - C. Brewer & Co. founded.
* 1833
** Oahu Charity School founded.
** Brinsmade, Ladd, and Hooper in business.
* 1836
** Lahaina, Maui becomes capital from 1837 to 1845.
**
Royal Hawaiian Band
The Royal Hawaiian Band is the oldest and only full-time municipal band in the United States. At present a body of the City & County of Honolulu, the Royal Hawaiian Band has been entertaining Honolulu residents and visitors since its inception i ...
founded.
** ''Sandwich Island Gazette and Journal of Commerce'' begins publication.
* 1840
** Royal School founded.
** ''
The Polynesian
''The Polynesian'' was a 4-8 page weekly newspaper published in Honolulu, that had two periods of publication: from June 6, 1840, to December 11, 1841, and then from May 18, 1844, to February 6, 1864. From 1845 to 1861, it was the official publicat ...
'' newspaper begins publication.
* 1842 -
Kawaiahaʻo Church
Kawaiahaʻo Church is a historic Congregational church located in Downtown Honolulu on the Hawaiian Island of Oʻahu. The church, along with the Mission Houses, comprise the Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site, which was designated a U.S. Nati ...
built.
* 1843
**
Paulet Affair (1843)
The Paulet affair, also known as British Hawaii, was the unofficial five-month 1843 occupation of the Hawaiian Islands by British naval officer Captain Lord George Paulet, of . It was ended by the arrival of American warships sent to defend Haw ...
**
Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace
The Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace (French: ''Cathédrale de Notre Dame de la Paix''; Portuguese: ''Catedral de Nossa Senhora da Paz''; Hawaiian: ''Malia o ka Malu Hale Pule Nui''; Latin: ''Basilicæ cathedralis Sanctæ Mariæ de Pac ...
built.
* 1845
** The capital is moved from Lahaina to Honolulu, with
ʻIolani Palace
The Iolani Palace ( haw, Hale Aliʻi ʻIolani) was the royal residence of the rulers of the Kingdom of Hawaii beginning with Kamehameha III under the Kamehameha Dynasty (1845) and ending with Queen Liliʻuokalani (1893) under the Kalākaua D ...
as the royal residence.
* 1846 -
Honolulu Police Department
The Honolulu Police Department (HPD) is the principal law enforcement agency of the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, headquartered in the Alapa'i Police Headquarters in Honolulu CDP.
Officially recognized as a part of the government of the ...
established.
* 1849
** August–September:
French invasion of Honolulu
The French invasion of Honolulu (also known as the Sacking of Honolulu, or the Tromelin Affair) was an attack on Honolulu, capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom, by French admiral Louis Tromelin in 1849 in retribution for the local persecution of Cath ...
.
** Hackfeld and Company in business.
* 1850 - City becomes capital of the islands.
* 1851
**
Honolulu Fire Department
The Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) provides fire protection and first responder emergency medical services to the City & County of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, under the jurisdiction of the Mayor of Honolulu. Founded on December 27, 1850, by K ...
organized.
**
Castle & Cooke
Castle & Cooke, Inc., is a Los Angeles-based company that was once part of the Big Five companies in territorial Hawaii. The company at one time did most of its business in agriculture, including becoming, through mergers with the modern Dole F ...
in business.
* 1853
**
Oahu College
Punahou School (known as Oahu College until 1934) is a private, co-educational, college preparatory school in Honolulu, Hawaii. More than 3,700 students attend the school from kindergarten through 12th grade. Protestant missionaries establish ...
active.
** British Club founded.
* 1854 -
Melchers Building
The Melchers Building is a historic commercial building in Downtown Honolulu, Hawaii. Located at 51 Merchant Street, it is the oldest commercial building in Honolulu. Designed in the Classical Revival style by an unknown architect, it was construc ...
constructed.
* 1856
** ''
Pacific Commercial Advertiser
''The Honolulu Advertiser'' was a daily newspaper published in Honolulu, Hawaii. At the time publication ceased on June 6, 2010, it was the largest daily newspaper in the American state of Hawaii. It published daily with special Sunday and In ...
Queen's Hospital Queens is a borough of New York City.
Queens or Queen's may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Queens (group), a Polish musical group
* "Queens" (Saara Aalto song), 2018
* ''Queens'' (novel), by Stephen Pickles, 1984
* "Queens", a song by ...
Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii
Royal may refer to:
People
* Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name
* A member of a royal family
Places United States
* Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Royal, Illinois, a village
* Royal, Iowa, a ...
Kapiolani Park
Queen Kapiolani Regional Park is the largest and second-oldest public park in Hawaii, located in Honolulu on the east end of Waikiki just beyond Kuhio Beach Park and the Waikiki residential neighborhood. The park, named after Queen Kapiolani, ...
opens.
* 1879
**
ʻIolani Palace
The Iolani Palace ( haw, Hale Aliʻi ʻIolani) was the royal residence of the rulers of the Kingdom of Hawaii beginning with Kamehameha III under the Kamehameha Dynasty (1845) and ending with Queen Liliʻuokalani (1893) under the Kalākaua D ...
built.
** Honolulu Library and Reading Room Association founded.
* 1884 - Kapuāiwa Building constructed.
* 1886 - Fire in Chinatown.
* 1889 - Bishop Museum and Manoa Chinese cemetery founded.
* 1890 - Population: 22,907.
* 1891 - Scottish Thistle Club founded.
* 1892
** Hawaiian Historical Society established.
** Harbour deepened.
* 1893 - January 17:
Overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii
The overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom was a ''coup d'état'' against Queen Liliʻuokalani, which took place on January 17, 1893, on the island of Oahu and led by the Committee of Safety, composed of seven foreign residents and six non-abori ...
by
Hawaiian League
The Committee of Safety, formally the Citizen's Committee of Public Safety, was a 13-member group of the Annexation Club. The group was composed of mostly Hawaiian subjects of American descent and American citizens who were members of the '' Mi ...
.
* 1894 - Theo H. Davies & Co. in business.
* 1896 - ''Yamato Shinbun'' Japanese/English-language newspaper begins publication.
* 1898
** City becomes part of the U.S.
Territory of Hawaii
The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory ( Hawaiian: ''Panalāʻau o Hawaiʻi'') was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from April 30, 1900, until August 21, 1959, when most of its territory, excluding ...
.
** Honolulu Stock and Bond Exchange established.
* 1899 - U.S. Naval Station, Honolulu established.
* 1900
** Population: 39,306.
** Alexander Young Hotel built.
** Honolulu Japanese Merchants Association and
Young Women's Christian Association
The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries.
The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swi ...
chapter organized.
**
Alexander & Baldwin
Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. is an American company that was once part of the Big Five companies in territorial Hawaii. The company currently operates businesses in real estate, land operations, and materials and construction. It was also the last ...
University of Hawaiʻi
The University of Hawaiʻi System, formally the University of Hawaiʻi and popularly known as UH, is a public college and university system that confers associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees through three universities, seven com ...
,
Honolulu County
Honolulu County (officially known as the City and County of Honolulu, formerly Oahu County) is a consolidated city–county in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The city–county includes both the city of Honolulu (the state's capital and largest cit ...
, and Pacific Scientific Institution established.
* 1908 - Honolulu Japanese Sake Brewing Co. in business.
* 1909 - Joseph J. Fern becomes mayor.
* 1910 - Population: 52,183.
* 1912 - '' Honolulu Star-Bulletin'' in publication.
* 1913 -
Hawaii State Library
The Hawaii State Library is a historic building in Honolulu, Hawaii, that serves as the seat of the Hawaii State Public Library System, the only statewide library system and one of the largest in the United States. The Hawaii State Library buil ...
building constructed.
* 1920
** John H. Wilson becomes mayor.
**
Mission Houses Museum
The Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives Honolulu, Hawaii, was established in 1920 by the Hawaiian Mission Children's Society, a private, non-profit organization and genealogical society, on the 100th anniversary of the arrival of ...
established.
* 1922
** Princess Theatre opens.
** Hawaii Theatre built.
** KGU signs on the air as Honolulu and Hawaii's first radio station
* 1924 - Central Union Church dedicated.
* 1926 - Honolulu Stadium opens.
* 1927
**
John Rodgers Airport
Daniel K. Inouye International Airport , also known as Honolulu International Airport, is the main airport of Oahu, Hawaii.Honolulu Academy of Arts
The Honolulu Museum of Art (formerly the Honolulu Academy of Arts) is an art museum in Honolulu, Hawaii. The museum is the largest of its kind in the state, and was founded in 1922 by Anna Rice Cooke. The museum has one of the largest single co ...
Foster Botanical Garden
Foster Botanical Garden, measuring , is one of five public botanical gardens on Oahu. It is located at 50 North Vineyard Boulevard, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, near Chinatown, Honolulu, Chinatown at the intersection of Nu'uanu Avenue and Vine ...
Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu
The Catholic Diocese of Honolulu ( la, Diœcesis Honoluluensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church that comprises the entire state of Hawaii and the unincorporated Hawaiian Islands.
The Diocese of Honol ...
established.
** December 7: Japanese forces attack US naval base at Pearl Harbor.
* 1947 -
Honolulu Zoo
The Honolulu Zoo is a zoo in Queen Kapiʻolani Park in Honolulu, Hawaii. It is the only zoo in the United States to be established by grants made by a sovereign monarch and is built on part of the royal Queen Kapiʻolani Park. The Honolulu Z ...
established.
* 1948 - Foodland opens its first store.
* 1951 - ''Chung-Hua Hsin Pao'' Chinese-language newspaper begins publication.
* 1952 - KGMB signs on the air as Honolulu's and Hawaii's first television station
* 1953 - Cherry Blossom Festival begins.
* 1955 - ''Waikiki Beach Press'' newspaper begins publication.
* 1959
** Honolulu Diamond Sangha founded.
**
Ala Moana Center
The Ala Moana Center, commonly known simply as Ala Moana, is a large open-air shopping mall in the Ala Moana neighborhood of Honolulu, Hawaii. Owned by Brookfield Properties, Ala Moana is the eleventh largest shopping mall in the United States an ...
opens
** City becomes part of U.S. State of Hawaii
* 1960
**
Hawaii National Bank
Hawaii National Bank is a privately held community bank, with branch offices in Hilo, Hawai'i, Oahu, and Maui. The bank was established on September 19, 1960, in the Chinatown neighborhood of downtown Honolulu.
In 1997, Hawaii National Bank ...
headquartered in city.
** Population: 248,034.
* 1961 - August 4: Birth of
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
.
* 1962 -
Honolulu International Airport
Daniel K. Inouye International Airport , also known as Honolulu International Airport, is the main airport of Oahu, Hawaii.Foreign trade zone established.
* 1968 - Oceanic Cable begins cable television operations.
* 1969 -
Hawaii State Capitol
The Hawaii State Capitol is the official statehouse or capitol building of the U.S. state of Hawaii. From its chambers, the executive and legislative branches perform the duties involved in governing the state. The Hawaii State Legislature—com ...
Hawaii Maritime Center
The Hawai`i Maritime Center was the principal maritime museum in the State of Hawai`i from 1988 until it closed in 2009. Located at Pier 7 of Honolulu Harbor east of Aloha Tower, the center was a campus of the Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop ...
opens.
* 1990 - Population: 365,272.
* 1993 - U.S.
Kunia Regional SIGINT Operations Center
The Kunia Regional SIGINT Operations Center (KRSOC, also pronounced "Kay-ARSock"), also known as the Kunia Tunnel or the Regional Signals Intelligence Operations Center Kunia, was a United States National Security Agency facility
that was locat ...
active near city.
* 1996 - City website online.
2000s
* 2005 -
Mufi Hannemann
Muliufi Francis Hannemann (born July 16, 1954) is an American politician, businessman, and non-profit executive. He was elected twice as Mayor of Honolulu in 2004 and 2008. Hannemann has served as a special assistant in Washington, D.C., with t ...
Kirk Caldwell
Kirk William Caldwell (born September 4, 1952) is an American politician who served as the mayor of Honolulu, Hawaii, from 2013 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Caldwell also held the position of acting mayor in 2010 following the resi ...
Honolulu Star-Advertiser
The ''Honolulu Star-Advertiser'' is the largest daily newspaper in Hawaii, formed in 2010 with the merger of ''The Honolulu Advertiser'' and the ''Honolulu Star-Bulletin'' after the acquisition of the former by Black Press, which already owned the ...
'' begins publications after the merger of the Advertiser and Star-Bulletin
** Population: 390,738.
* 2013 -
Kirk Caldwell
Kirk William Caldwell (born September 4, 1952) is an American politician who served as the mayor of Honolulu, Hawaii, from 2013 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Caldwell also held the position of acting mayor in 2010 following the resi ...
Europeana
Europeana is a web portal created by the European Union containing digitised cultural heritage collections of more than 3,000 institutions across Europe. It includes records of over 50 million cultural and scientific artefacts, brought togethe ...
Digital Public Library of America
The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) is a US project aimed at providing public access to digital holdings in order to create a large-scale public digital library. It officially launched on April 18, 2013, after two and a half years of dev ...
honolulu
Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...