THE HONOLULU 100 – Introduction

This month, HONOLULU Magazine has partnered with the city and county of Honolulu to celebrate the city’s 100th birthday. When people think of cities, they often think of their landscapes, or memorable buildings. But cities are really defined by the people who live in them, the personalities that drive their histories. To celebrate the city and county of Honolulu’s centennial anniversary, we honor, in these 40 pages, 100 such noteworthy citizens. How did we select these particular 100? The city’s Honolulu Centennial Celebration Commission solicited nominees from the general public, and the commission and HONOLULU Magazine formed a selection committee, which also proposed names. (To meet this committee, please see here.) We discussed hundreds of names and narrowed the list down.

Our shared goal was to determine “100 Honolulu residents who have made a significant contribution to the city, its life and culture.” Nominees must have spent a significant portion of their careers in Honolulu between 1905 and 2005. We sought a range of citizens, from all walks of life.

Some of these honorees will be familiar, others you may be meeting for the first time. But without any of them, Honolulu would be a different place.

To the city and county of Honolulu, and everyone who calls it home: Happy birthday!