ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Timeline of Honolulu

Oh, hi there kiddo! So, you want to know all about the timeline of Honolulu? Sure thing!

Well, a long, long time ago (more than a thousand years ago!), there were some brave people who left their homes in Polynesia and sailed across the vast ocean to get to the Hawaiian Islands. They're called the Polynesians! They settled on the island we now call Oahu, where Honolulu is located.

For many years, these people lived off the land and the sea, fishing and growing crops, and enjoying the beautiful nature around them. However, in the late 1700s, some curious foreigners started to visit the islands. They were mostly explorers, traders, and missionaries, and they brought with them new ideas, technology, and religion. One of these foreigners was a British sailor named Captain James Cook, who was the first European to set foot on Hawaiian soil in 1778 (they call him "Keoki" in Hawaiian).

After Cook's arrival, other Westerners came to the islands, including some Americans who saw the potential for making money from sugar and pineapple plantations. In 1845, a man named King Kamehameha III moved the royal capital from Lahaina, Maui, to Honolulu, making it the center of government and commerce in Hawaii.

In the late 1800s, the Hawaiian Kingdom was overthrown by a group of American businessmen and politicians who wanted Hawaii to become part of the United States. In 1900, Hawaii officially became a U.S. territory, and Honolulu became its largest city. From then on, Honolulu grew rapidly, with more and more people moving there to work and live. In the 1920s and 30s, Honolulu became a popular tourist destination, and famous landmarks like the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and the Waikiki Natatorium were built.

During World War II, Honolulu was the site of a famous attack by Japanese airplanes on the military base at Pearl Harbor, which brought the United States into the war. After the war, Honolulu continued to grow and modernize, with new highways, buildings, and neighborhoods being built all the time. In 1959, Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States, and Honolulu remained its capital city.

So, there you have it, kiddo! That's a brief overview of the timeline of Honolulu, from its Polynesian origins to its modern-day status as a bustling city on the island of Oahu. Pretty neat, huh?