Honolulu history

Although scholars can't pinpoint when the first Polynesians set foot in the southeastern region of Oahu now known as Honolulu, oral histories and artefacts suggest there was a settlement there as early as the 12th century.

Honolulu means 'protected bay', which aptly describes the calm, deepwater harbour that borders it. British captain, James Cook, who is credited with discovering Hawaii for the Western world in 1778, sailed by Oahu in the night on that fateful journey, entirely missing the bay and the little fishing village that stood beside it.

Sixteen years later, another English seaman, Captain William Brown, came upon the bay and dubbed it Fair Haven, echoing the Hawaiians' name for it.

When word spread about Brown's discovery, traders were ecstatic. They soon were dropping anchor in the large, safe bay by the hundreds, and the once-peaceful fishing village grew into a bustling seaport, then the capital of the Hawaiian kingdom in 1845, the capital of the territory of Hawaii in 1898 and finally, the capital of the state of Hawaii in 1959.