Hawaiian History
The people of Hawaii developed a tribal society in relative isolation. Famed British explorer Captain James Cook landed on Waimea Bay on the island of Kauai in early 1778 and named the islands the Sandwich Islands, in tribute of his patron, John Montagu, The Earl of Sandwich. A Year Later, Captain Cook was killed at Kealakekua Bay on The Big island of Hawaii.
By the 1790s, westerners had settled all across the islands of Hawaii. Influenced by the western newcomers, the diet and living standards of the natives changed significantly. While the changes included many positive ones, there were also many that were not welcome at all to the natives, such as alcoholism and deadly diseases which were imported with the westerners. These diseases decimated many of the native inhabitants, who had no real developed resistance to these forms of disease.
Between the years of 1790 and 1810, the islands were united under the leadership of King Kamehameha I, 
whose successors all bearing the title of Kamehameha ruled after his death for several generations.
In the early 1800's, Missionaries from America began preaching to the native Hawaiians that their current lifestyle was sinful. In the early 19th century, Whaling ships would winter in the islands, and their influence threatened the indigenous culture of the native Hawaiians.
For many centuries, the economy of Hawaii was dominated by agriculture, including many sugar and pineapple plantations. Many early missionaries and their children founded sugar companies that dominate the sugar industry of Hawaii until today.
In 1893, the American Colonists who dominated the economy of Hawaii overthrew the reigning Hawaiian Kingdom in a peaceful, although controversial, coup. In 1898, Hawaii became a territory of the United States. 61 years later in 1959, the territory of Hawaii was recognized as the 50th state.
On December 7, 1941, the Japanese Forces launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in O'ahu. At approximately 8:00 in the morning, 353 Japanese planes attacked the island of O'ahu after flying over the ocean for several hours. They struck Battleship Row, several ships anchored nearby, as well as Hickam Field where the United States Army's airplanes were based. Three days later, Adolf Hitler declared war on the United States, and the Navy and Marine Corps devoted most of their effort to fighting Japan. Four years later, on September 2nd, 1945, Japan signed its unconditional surrender to the Allies on the USS Battleship Missouri, which is still in Pearl Harbor today.
Some Famous Hawaiians include: Her Majesty Queen Liliuokalani, the last monarch of Hawaii; actress Bette Midler; and astronaut Lieutenant Colonel Ellison Onizuka, who perished in the tragedy of the Challenger Shuttle to space. Ellison is interred at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Rene Thompson,
Friday, February 6th