10 Fun Facts about Hawaii

Basic information and fun common sense about Hawaii, the 50th state.

1.When it comes to Hawaii, people usually think of Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Lanai, Molokai, Nihou, Kaho Olawae, and Hawaii. In fact, the state of Hawaii includes Hawaiian islands in the northwest, several small islands, and a sea and sandbank that stretches 2,172 km northwest of the 'main island'. With its diverse seabirds and marine life, it is collectively referred to as the largest adjacent conservation reserve among Papahanomokuakia Marine National Monument, World Heritage Site, and U.S. territory. Papahanomokuakia covers 1,508,870 m2 of the Pacific Ocean, and is larger than all national parks in the U.S. combined.

2. On Feb. 14, 1779, Captain James Cook was killed in a war with the Native Hawaiians at the island of Hawaii's Kealakekua Bay (he was an English captain who discovered the island of Hawaii a year before his death). In 1877, Hawaii's Princess Miriam Likelike donated an area equivalent to 528 m2 of the site where Captain Cook died to the United Kingdom for $1 under the clause "used to honor and maintain a monument in honor of Captain Cook." Walk to the white obelisk, which measures 8.2 m, and you will be in British territory.

3.English and Hawaiian are the official languages of Hawaii. Hawaii had no written language before the arrival of a Christian missionary in 1820. Births, deaths, genealogies, battles, stories of great chiefs, and descriptions of natural beauty have been passed down orally through songs, chants, and poems from generation to generation. The missionaries developed the written language of Hawaii, which is only 12 letters that consist of five vowels and seven consonants (h, k, l, m, n, p, and w). There is also a 'okina' sign, which is denoted by a low accent '', or a left lower quotation mark ''. Meaning 'separation', it is a gender closure sound considered a consonant.


4.Hawaii is the most isolated population center on Earth. It is 3,862 km from the nearest U.S. home country. That's why Hawaii has its own time zone, Hawaii Standard Time, and it does not follow daylight saving time. From the second Sunday of March, Hawaii is three hours behind Pacific Time (for example, the West Coast of the United States) and two hours behind from the first Sunday of November.


5.Hawaii coins were yellow hibiscus (pua mao haau hele), minted Hawaiian geese (Branta sandvicensis), main fish was Rhinecanthus regangulus, main mammal was Hawaiian monkey seal, main marine mammal was humpback whale, main land mammal was Hawaiian white bat, main yews moluccana, main motto was Ua Mau ke Ea o ka Aina i ka Pono ("Life on the Land Goes Right On").

6.Hawaii-born celebrities include former President Barack Obama, AOL co-founder Steve Case, dancer/choreographer Carrie Ann Inaba, singer/actor Aui Kravallho, vocalist Bruno Mars, Bette Midler and Nicole Scherzinger, actor Jason Momoa, Don Strawwood, Timothy Oliphant, actress Nicole Kidman, Maggie Kew, Kelly Preston, Tia Carere, Kelly Hu, Janelle Parish, Lauren Graham, sports stars Michelle Wie, Marcus Mariota, Shane Victorino, Sid Fernandez, Colton Wong, Benny Agbayani, Vijay Pen, John Florence, and Max Hallaway.


7.Many movies were shot in Hawaii, including the following Academy Awards: From Earth to Eternity (1953), the South Pacific (1958), Dora Dora (1970), Raiders (1981), Jurassic Park (1993), Avatar (2009), and The Decent (2011). Among the celebrities who own real estate in Hawaii are Oprah Winfrey, Roseanne Barr, Mark Zuckerberg, Mick Fleetwood, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Stiller, Woody Harrelson, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Alex O'Rourin, and Charles Schwab. Famous aviator Charles Lindbergh was buried under the Java plum tree of the Palapala Hoomau Church as Mau loved Kipahulu so much.


8.Kilauea means 'extraction', which is a fitting name for the Shield volcano, which is considered one of the most active volcanoes in the world. The latest eruption began on Jan. 3, 1983, with no signs of abating. From early May to early August 2018, lava flowed, adding 3540 m2 to the island's eastern coastline.


9.The only place to enjoy a tan on the beach in the morning and make snowballs in the afternoon is Hawaii. It is the only state in the U.S. where coffee, cacao, and vanilla are commercially grown. Hawaii's black coral is the only state gem that is not a mineral. The black coral is an animal related to sea anemones and makes beautiful jewelry by using its skeleton. Hawaii is the only state that can claim the royal family's history and palace. The three palaces are Hulihe Palace, located on the Hawaiian island of Kailua Kona, Queen Emma Summer Palace, and the Iolani Palace in Honolulu, where electricity began in 1866, five years before the White House.

10. We round up the best and organize them. Founded in 1843 in downtown Honolulu, The Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace is the oldest continuously used Catholic church in the United States.

Located on the northern coast of eastern Molokai, the sea cliff is 1 km above the sea and has a reputation as the tallest cliff on Earth.

Founded in 1831, Lahainaluna High School in Maui is the oldest school west of the Rocky Mountains.

Ka Lae on the Hawaiian island is widely known as South Point, the southernmost point of the United States.

Mauna Kea is the highest mountain in the world, more than 10 kilometers tall, as measured from a submarine base.