Hawaii is a heavenly paradise for those who wish to experience some memorable moments in company with nature. From its white sandy beaches and blissful waterfalls to multi-faceted culture and lush, green environment, every aspect of Hawaii will make you fall in love with it. But, how many of us know that the Hawaiian Islands boast of a history that is more than a thousand years old? Hard to believe, isn’t it? Then, read on!
About 70 million years ago, there happened to be a huge fissure on the floor of the Pacific Ocean. This fissure, which was more than 1600 miles, created a chain of islands what we know today as the Hawaiian Islands. The chain constitutes of six major islands namely Oahu, Kauai, Maui, Lanai and Hawaii, which is also known as the “Big Island”.
However, human inhabitation took place only around the 4th or 5th century AD. It is believed that the initial settlers in Hawaii were originally from the Marquesas Islands. After a gap of 500 years, came the Polynesian voyagers from Tahiti who dominated Hawaii with their weird religious systems and beliefs.
Just like every other country of the ancient times, Hawaii was also ruled by many valiant kings and queens. Among all of them, there is one emperor who has secured a special place in the hearts of the Hawaiians- Kamehameha I. Widely known as Kamehameha, the Great, he is widely accredited for the unification of the Hawaiian Islands.
Following him, Hawaii was ruled by the heirs of Kamehameha for many years together. As days passed on, the Kamehameha dynasty was then replaced by the Kalaimamahu dynasty and the Kalākaua dynasty. The last ruler of Hawaii was Liliuokalani.
The islands of Hawaii were introduced to the rest of the world by the famous explorer Captain James Cook. On January 18, 1778, he and his men landed on Kauai where he was treated like a God by the natives. The captain named his discovery as the Sandwich Islands in order to honor the English Earl of Sandwich.
Since then, Hawaii has kept its doors open to millions of people across the world. The 20th century witnessed the settlement of immigrants from other countries such as China, Japan, Portugal and Philippines. This resulted in the versatile culture and cuisine of Hawaii which serve as major attractions in the country today. On August 21, 1959, Hawaii was declared as the 50th state of the United States, thereby gaining a prestigious position amongst the other countries of the world.
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