Hawaiian History

O‘ahu in 1967: The Polynesian Cultural Center Was Once Considered Outlandish

But since it opened in 1963, some 38 million people have visited.

Robbie Dingeman,

Divided Over TMT: We Take a Look at Where Things Stand and How We Got Here

With tensions running high and a weeks-long standoff now stretching into its third month, no one seems to be able to predict what will happen next on Maunakea. Will the state or the protectors back down? Or will the Thirty Meter Telescope bow out? We take a look at where things stand and how we got here.

Christine Hitt, Photos by David Croxford,

From Our Files History Of Hawaii Swing Dance Cover

Swing Dancing Returns to O‘ahu in the Nineties and More From Hawai‘i’s History

A look back at Honolulu from 1948 to 2003. Stories taken from the archives of the Paradise of the Pacific and HONOLULU Magazine.

Cassidy Keola,

Tom Selleck Interview Honolulu Magazine 1981 Cover

O‘ahu in 1981: Extracts From an Interview With Tom Selleck, The O.G. Thomas Magnum

When the original “Magnum, P.I.,” went off the air in 1988, it was one of TV’s highest-rated shows. Twenty years later the reboot debuted. Its new season premiered Friday, Sept. 27.

Katrina Valcourt,

O‘ahu in 1957: The Day the Pali Highway Opened

One day in May, Hawai‘i drivers started going through the Ko‘olau mountain range to Kailua, instead of over it.

Christi Young,

O‘ahu in 1937: Stories From When the Vanderbilts, George F. Baker and Henry Robinson Luce Visited Hawai‘i

You had to be somebody to make this magazine’s society page back in the steamship and “China Clipper” days. Here we see how the other half lived on vacation—sometimes breaking the law in style—and even, in one instance, dying.

Don Wallace,

Photos Singing Their Stance About Mauna Kea On Sunday In Honolulu Cover

[PHOTOS] Many Gather in Downtown Honolulu in Support of Maunakea

Cultural practitioners from ʻĪlioʻulaokalani Coalition, including six hālau hula, and people from across Oʻahu gathered at ‘Iolani Palace on Sunday, August 11 in support of protecting Maunakea from future development.

Robbie Dingeman, Photos by David Croxford,

The Sacred History of Maunakea

As protests against the Thirty Meter Telescope on the Big Island stretch into a fourth week, we look at the history of the summit and why it is considered sacred to the Native Hawaiian community.

Christine Hitt,

O‘ahu in 1963: Housing the Royal Household Guards at the Halekoa

A modern state building was in the works. But a quiet coral-block barracks stood in its way.

Christi Young,

Armstrong Strums Ukulelemoon Landing Cover

Look Through NASA’s Photos of Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins Arriving in Hawai‘i

The Apollo 11 crew landed 812 miles off our shores and declared moon rocks at Pearl Harbor Customs.

Shinae Lee,

Webster Dictionary Definition Of Hawaiian Unsplash

Merriam-Webster Updates Definition of “Hawaiian” With a New Usage Note

The word has a new note next to it on Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, thanks, in part, to an email from a local writer.

Christine Hitt,

Apollo Landing In Hawaii After Moon Cover

Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong Declared Rocks and Dust at U.S. Customs After Walking on the Moon

On July 24, 1969, the command module Columbia landed in waters 812 miles southwest of Hawai‘i.

Site Staff,

O‘ahu in 2010: The Neon Signs of Honoulu

With only a few “benders” on the island, classic neon signs faced a dim future in 2010.

Stacey Makiya,

Vanishing Street Car Tracks Honolulu 1934

O‘ahu in 1934: Honolulu’s Vanishing Street Car Tracks

The advent of Honolulu’s new, technologically advanced fleet of Twin Coach buses signaled a new era in the city’s rapid transit system.

Christi Young,

Housing In Hawaii In 1978 Mililani Town Cover

O‘ahu in 1978: Housing Prices on the Rise in Hawai‘i

In the late 1970s, Hawai‘i’s housing prices hit an all-time high. Fast forward four decades, and we’re still singing the same tune.

Jayna Omaye,

But since it opened in 1963, some 38 million people have visited.

A look back at Honolulu from 1948 to 2003. Stories taken from the archives of the Paradise of the Pacific and HONOLULU Magazine.

When the original “Magnum, P.I.,” went off the air in 1988, it was one of TV’s highest-rated shows. Twenty years later the reboot debuted. Its new season premiered Friday, Sept. 27.

One day in May, Hawai‘i drivers started going through the Ko‘olau mountain range to Kailua, instead of over it.

​You had to be somebody to make this magazine’s society page back in the steamship and “China Clipper” days. Here we see how the other half lived on vacation—sometimes breaking the law in style—and even, in one instance, dying.

Cultural practitioners from ʻĪlioʻulaokalani Coalition, including six hālau hula, and people from across Oʻahu gathered at ‘Iolani Palace on Sunday, August 11 in support of protecting Maunakea from future development.

As protests against the Thirty Meter Telescope on the Big Island stretch into a fourth week, we look at the history of the summit and why it is considered sacred to the Native Hawaiian community.

A modern state building was in the works. But a quiet coral-block barracks stood in its way.

The Apollo 11 crew landed 812 miles off our shores and declared moon rocks at Pearl Harbor Customs.

The word has a new note next to it on Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, thanks, in part, to an email from a local writer.

On July 24, 1969, the command module Columbia landed in waters 812 miles southwest of Hawai‘i.

With only a few “benders” on the island, classic neon signs faced a dim future in 2010.

The advent of Honolulu’s new, technologically advanced fleet of Twin Coach buses signaled a new era in the city’s rapid transit system.

In the late 1970s, Hawai‘i’s housing prices hit an all-time high. Fast forward four decades, and we’re still singing the same tune.

You had to be somebody to make this magazine’s society page back in the steamship and “China Clipper” days. Here we see how the other half lived on vacation—sometimes breaking the law in style—and even, in one instance, dying.