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Oahu, “the gathering place,” is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is also the most populous – about 75% of all Hawaii’s residents call Oahu home.
The island was the first of the “Sandwich Islands” sighted by Captain Cook on his third Pacific expedition. Cook and his crew were surprised to find high islands this far north in the central Pacific. Yet Oahu wasn’t visited by Europeans until 1779, when Captain Clerke, who had taken control after Cook was killed at Kealakekua Bay on February 14th, stepped ashore at Waimea Bay
King Kamehameha III was to move his kingdom to Oahu in 1845. Iolani Palace, situated in the capitol district of downtown Honolulu, today remains as evidence of the only monarchy on American soil.
The opening battle of World War II for Americans was the Imperial Japanese Navy Attack on Pearl Harbor, Oahu, on the morning of December 7, 1941. This surprise attack was aimed at the US Navy and its defending Army Air Corps and Marine air forces. The attack damaged or destroyed 12 American war ships, killing 2,403 servicemen and 68 civilians.
Today, over 5 million visitors flock to Oahu each year to enjoy the island’s beautiful beaches and numerous attractions, including Pearl Harbor, Waikiki, Diamond Head, the USS Arizona Memorial, not to mention Hawaii’s thriving capital, Honolulu.
