For 150 years, The Honolulu Advertiser has been both a part of Hawai'i's community and the first draft of its history.
First as the Pacific Commercial Advertiser and then as The Honolulu Advertiser, it has chronicled the political, economic, social and cultural life of these Islands.
The Advertiser's own story begins on July 2, 1856, when Henry Whitney, born on Kaua'i and the son of missionaries, printed the first edition of what would become the longest continuously published newspaper in the Islands. It was four pages, a weekly, and advertising dominated the front page.
The Advertiser has been a daily paper since 1882 and technology, of course, has revolutionized how we reach our readers, whether with ink and paper or online.
But the one constant through it all has been our essential core function as a local chronicle.
In his prospectus, Whitney wrote that he intended his paper to be "devoted to inter-island commerce, agriculture and the whaling interests in the Pacific, and independent of government control and patronage. ... "
Today, our mission statement includes a pledge to be a "voice for all the community."
From that very first paper until today, the pages of The Advertiser have told the story of the events and people that have changed and shaped Hawai'i.
In this special section, "150 Years of Hawai'i's History," we look back at some of those events and people.
We do not presume this to be a definitive list but rather snapshots through the years that highlight some of the life and times of the past 150 years of our history.
So take a stroll with us that begins in July 1856, when King Kamehameha IV was on the throne and huge economic, political and cultural changes were not far off.
Some of the people and events in these six sections are familiar, others less so. All in some way put an indelible stamp on this special place.
As Hawai'i's story continues to unfold, the people who make up The Advertiser's family will continue to strive to provide a voice for the community and to write that first draft of history. Our future will build on the traditions of the past as we expand our news and information offerings in print and online. We will continue to tell Hawai'i's story.
