Hawaii is the newest state, becoming the 50th U.S. state in 1959, but its history goes back more than a dozen centuries. About 1,500 years ago, Polynesians from the Marquesas Islands sailed more than 3,200 kilometers by canoe to the uninhabited island of Hawai'i by starlight.

 

Five hundred years later, many immigrants arrived from Tahiti. They brought with them the belief in gods and demigods that formed the basis of ancient Hawaiian beliefs, and introduced a strict social hierarchy based on kapu (taboos). Hawaiian culture flourished over the centuries, giving birth to the art of hula and the sport of surfing. Politically, however, there were frequent disputes over the division of land among chiefs.

 

In 1791, Kamehameha, born in North Kohala, united the hostile forces on the Big Island of Hawaii, and further united all of the Hawaiian Islands into a single kingdom in 1810, giving birth to the Kingdom of Hawaii. Kapu rule continued, including strict commandments, but in 1819, less than a year after the death of King Kamehameha the Great, his son Liholiho abolished kapu.

 

 

In 1820, the first Protestant missionaries landed on the Big Island of Hawaii from Boston on the U.S. East Coast and later built an institution in Honolulu to carry out missionary work, renewing the values of the Hawaiian people that had been lost since the demise of Kapu. Hawaii became a port for sailors, traders, and whalers, and the whaling industry flourished in Lahaina Harbor on Maui. It was during this time that many Native Hawaiian lives were lost to diseases introduced from the West as Hawaii's economy grew.

 

Western influence continued to grow, and finally in 1893, settlers from the United States, who had almost completely taken over Hawaii's economy, overthrew the kingdom in a peaceful coup that pitted them against Hawaiians who supported the Hawaiian Kingdom. 1898, Hawaii became a territory of the United States.

 

In the 20th century, sugar and pineapple plantations drove Hawaii's economy and attracted Japanese, Chinese, Filipinos, and Portuguese immigrants. The success of James Dole's business made Lanai one of the world's leading producers of pineapple for export, and the island became known as the "Pineapple Island. Because of this variety in the racial makeup of the immigrants, Hawaii's population composition today is very diverse.

 

 

On December 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on Oahu's Pearl Harbor, and four years later, on September 2, 1945, Japan signed an unconditional surrender on board the USS Missouri, which is still located in Pearl Harbor today, marking the end of World War II. In 1959, Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States.

 

Today, Hawaii attracts people from all over the world to experience the spirit of Aloha. In addition to experiencing the sun, beautiful ocean, and other natural wonders, Hawaii's rich history and culture will make your trip even more enjoyable.