Celebrating King Kamehameha

King Kamehameha is a big man in Hawaii's history, Hawaii landmarks and Hawaii holidays.

A great warrior, diplomat and leader, King Kamehameha I united the Hawaiian Islands two hundred years ago,  in 1810, into one royal kingdom,  after years of conflict.

He was destined for greatness even before his birth. Hawaiian legend prophesized that a light in the sky with feathers like a bird would signal the birth of a great chief. Historians believe Kamehameha was born in 1758, the year Halley’s comet passed over Hawaii.

The future king was hidden from warring clans in secluded Waipio Valley after birth.  After the death threat passed, he came out of hiding and was renamed Kamehameha (The Lonely One), and trained as a warrior. His legendary strength was proven when he overturned the Naha Stone, in Hilo today, which reportedly weighed between 2.5 and 3.5 tons.

Warfare between chiefs throughout the islands was widespread. In 1778, Captain James Cook arrived in Hawaii, dovetailing with Kamehameha’s ambitions. With the help of western weapons and advisors, Kamehameha won fierce battles at Iao Valley in Maui and the Nuuanu Pali on Oahu.  In 1810, when King Kaumualii of Kauai agreed to become a tributary kingdom under Kamehameha, the kingdom was united.

Kamehameha’s unification of Hawaii was significant not only because it was an incredible feat, but also because under separate rule, the Islands may have been torn apart by competing western interests.

Today, four commissioned statues stand to honor King Kamehameha’s memory. The most recognized Kamehameha statue stands in front of Aliiolani Hale (the judiciary building) across from Iolani Palace in historic downtown Honolulu a and a short walk from Chinatown. Dedicated in 1883, this was actually the second statue created after the ship delivering the original statue from Europe was lost at sea. The original statue was miraculously recovered and in 1912, the restored statue was installed near Kamehameha’s birthplace at Kapaau on Hawaii’s Big Island. In 1969, the third Kamehameha statue was unveiled in the U.S. Capitol’s National Statuary Hall where statues of historic figures from all 50 states are on display. Hilo was Kamehameha’s first seat of government and this statue, dedicated in 1997 at Wailoa State Park, is the tallest of the four statues at fourteen feet.

Look here to see a photo of the Oahu King Kamehameha statue draped with these huge, fresh flower leis which are put in place each year using a huge cherry picker.

Every June 11th, on Kamehameha Day, each of these statues are ceremoniously draped with flower lei to celebrate Hawaii’s greatest king. June 11 is a state holiday in Hawaii, This year, Hawaii's own President Obama proclaimed June 11 King Kamehameha Day as a national day of honor and recognition, broadening recognition of his achievement. 
 




Highways are other landmarks that commemorate King Kamehameha. Kamehameha Highway is one of the main highways serving suburban and rural O‘ahu in the U.S. state of Hawaii. Starting from Nimitz Highway near Pearl Harbor and Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu, it serves the island's older western suburbs, turning north across the O‘ahu Central Valley to the North Shore. At the North Shore, Kamehameha Highway heads northeast around the northern tip of O‘ahu, then southeast to and just beyond Kāne‘ohe Bay on the windward coast on state  highways 99, 80 and 83. It interconnects with these state highways and with the interstate highways, H1, H2 & H3 as well as the Pali Highway, Moanalua Highway and Farrington Highway. You don't travel far in Oahu without traveling on Kam Highway which pretty much unites Oahu.  How appropriate a tribute to the King who united the Hawaiian Islands.