Today is a state holiday, King Kamehameha Day. King Kamehameha I was born in the 1700's on the Big Island. He was credited for uniting the islands under one ruler, prior to him each island was ruled by a different king. There's a song about a huge battle here on Oahu. His army marched up the pali (todays Pali Lookout) and kept moving forward until the Oahu king's army was pushed over the side. That's how he won the battle of Oahu. Think about this: all this travel between the islands was done by canoe and marching done on foot!So today, King Kamehameha Day, the statue that is in downtown Honolulu (across from Iolani Palace) is draped with flower and maile lei. All state offices are closed, there's actually a summer swell (surf) in town, so it's a REALLY big deal!
Interesting fact: a replica of this same statue stands in the Great Statue Hall in Washington, DC, representing the state of Hawai'i.
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