Hawaiian Historical Society

Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea (Sovereignty Restoration Day) is a historic national holiday of the Hawaiian Kingdom celebrated annually on July 31. It honors the 1843 restoration of Hawaiian sovereignty by British Rear-Admiral Richard Darton Thomas after a brief occupation, inspiring King Kamehameha III's famous motto, “Ua mau ke ea o ka ‘āina i ka pono.”

Restoration Anthem, Composed by Edwin Oscar Hall, sung at Kamehameha III’s lūʻau, honoring Admiral Thomas, August 2, 1843. The Anthem was originally sung to the tune of ‘God Save the King.’

Hail! To Our Rightful King! Aloha Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea!

Image: Restoration Anthem, composed by Edwin Oscar Hall, August 2, 1843, Hawaiian Historical Society, Call No. MS 784 H14.

On this day in 1836: The first English newspaper in Hawaiʻi, The Sandwhich Island Gazette, was published in Honolulu, Oʻahu.

On the front page is a poem, Female Faith, by Miss London. "She loved you when…”

Image: The Sandwhich Island Gazette, vol. 1 no. 1, Saturday, July 30. Hawaiian Historical Society Newspaper Collection.

On this day in 1934: President Franklin D. Roosevelt arrives at Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi Island. He was the first U.S. president to visit the islands. While here, President Roosevelt dedicates Ala Moana Park and plants a kukui tree at ʻIolani Palace.

Image: President Franklin D. Roosevelt (center) with General MacArthur (left) and Admiral Nimitz (right), photo by Ray Jerome Baker, c. 1934. Hawaiian Historical Society, Call No. 2065.

HHS is going on vacation! We need some R&R, but promise to come back re-energized and ready to share even more amazing programs and reference services with you all.

HHS will be closed from Wednesday, July 22, 2026 to Monday, August 3, 2026. We will resume operating hours on Tuesday, August 4, 2026. Business hours are Tuesdays-Saturdays 9am to 4pm and reference hours, by appointment, is Thursdays-Fridays 10am to 4pm and Saturdays from 10am to 2pm.

Email [email protected] or call (808) 537-6271 with any questions. We will do our best to reply. Mahalo!

On this day in 1860: The steamer, Kilauea, makes its first regular inter-island run.

Image: Kilauea, photo by Tai Sing Loo, date unknown, Hawaiian Historical Society, Call No. 3292.

Mahalo for an amazing book talk on your most recent publication, Nā Hunahuna 'Ike Hawai'i: Hawaiian Insights by John Papa 'Ī'ī , translated by M. Puakea Nogelmeier, last night with Hawaiian Historical Society and

If you missed our event, be sure to check out for details on their "official" book launch and signing.

Need the book? E-mail [email protected] to secure your own copy before it's too late! HHS Members get a discount!

Not a member? visit hawaiianhistory.org to sign up today and be the first to know about amazing events like last night!

In observance of Fourth of July, HHS will be closed Saturday, July 4, 2026. We will resume our regular hours on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. Reference hours Thursdays-Fridays 10am to 4pm and Saturdays from 10am to 2pm. Email [email protected] to schedule yours today!

As LGBTQ+ Pride Month comes to a close, we wanted to highlight the lead article and cover of the latest issue the Hawaiian Journal of History, volume 59 (2025).

“Histories of Gender & Sexual Diversity in Hawaiʻi” by Lei Pua ‘Ala directors, Dean Hamer & Joe Wilson.

Abstract: This article surveys the histories of gender and sexual minorities in Hawaiʻi from early times to the present, revealing a complex narrative of inclusion, foreign-influenced rejection, and continuing advancement. It explores diverse expressions of identity, societal and institutional responses, and their impact on q***r people’s lived experiences of love, intimacy, and identity. A key objective is to understand the interconnected matrix of social, cultural, legal, religious, and other factors that account for Hawaiʻi’s distinct and progressive stance toward LGBTQ+ (Le***an, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, and other sexual orientations and gender identities) and Māhū individuals and rights.

Visit hawaiianhistory.org to purchase your own copy or become a member! The Journal is included as a benefit of your annual or lifetime membership.

Image: Queen’s Surf Beachgoers, 1980, Photo Courtesy of Mel Lantaka.

The Kewalo Theater was an elegant Art Deco landmark in Honolulu's Kakaʻako district. The theater officially opened its doors on November 5, 1937, with a screening of Shirley Temple's Wee Willie Winkie. It operated for decades before closing in 2002. In 2022, Lonohana Estate Chocolate moved their production facility into this space. From cacao seedlings grown on their farms to the factory, Lonohana Estate Chocolates spearheads the entire process, using local resources and ensuring quality products.

To learn more about the historic Kewalo Theater, and Lonohana Estate Chocolate, be sure to join us for our collaborative event at Lonohana Estate Chocolate Factory.

Chocolate Tasting and Factory Tour with Historic Talk Story on Kakaʻako Featuring Guest Speaker, DeSoto Brown. 10:00am -12:00pm on Saturday, July 18, 2026 or Saturday, July 25, 2026. Tickets are $40 (HHS Members) and $45 (Non-members), limited seating.

To secure your tickets, visit:

Saturday, July 18, 2026 10:00am-12:00pm,
https://bit.ly/ChocolateTourJuly18

Saturday, July 25, 2026 10:00am-12:00pm
https://bit.ly/ChocolateTourJuly25

Mahalo to Lonohana Estate Chocolate for their generous support of this program.

Image: Poster of the New Kewalo Theater, artist unknown, ca. 1937. Photo Courtesy of DeSoto Brown.

HHS will be closed tomorrow, Friday, June 26, 2026. We will resume operating hours on Saturday, June 27, 2026. Reference hours are Thursdays-Fridays 10am-4pm and Saturdays from 10am-2pm. Please email to schedule your reference appointment. Mahalo!