In 1779, British navigator Captain James Cook (1728-1779) was the first European to set foot in Hawaii. The Polynesians on the island believed Cook was a Polynesian god bearing gifts, as prophesied in Polynesian legend.
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Hawaii's average daytime temperature in July is 82 degrees F, in January it is 72 degrees F.
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In 1810, King Kamehameha (1795-1819) united the Hawaiian Islands under one rule. The king's birthday, June 11, is a Hawaii state holiday.
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There are no snakes in the wild in Hawaii.
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During the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, the territory of Hawaii had an exhibit promoting its products, tourism and Hawaiian music. Over 17 million people attended the exposition.
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The Blue Hawaiian cocktail gets its color from blue curacao liqueur. The drink also has light rum, pineapple juice and cream of coconut and is topped with a pineapple spear.
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American engineer Henry Ginaca (1876-1918) revolutionized the canned fruit industry with his 1911 invention. The Ginaca Machine peeled and cored pineapples, readying the fruit for canning. The machine handled 80 to 100 pineapples per minute.
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In 1907, James Dole (1877-1958), founder of the Dole Food Company, began a nationwide consumer ad campaign to promote his pineapples. It was the first nationwide ad campaign in the United States.
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Can you name the eight major Hawaiian islands? See answer at end.
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Passion fruit is ripe when the skin is deeply wrinkled.
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The bikini was first introduced to the public in 1946 in Paris. The revealing swimsuit got its name from Bikini Island in the South Pacific where, in the same year, the United States tested the hydrogen bomb.
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The humuhumunukunukuapuaïa is a type of triggerfish that lives in the shallow reef waters of Hawaii.
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A lei represents one person's affection for another. When the flower garland is offered, it should never be refused.
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In the 1800s, visitors departing the Hawaiian islands tossed their leis from the ship into the ocean. If the lei floated back to the beach, it meant that the person would return to the islands someday.
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A plumeria blossom tucked behind a woman's left ear means she is spoken for. Behind the right ear means she is single.
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The Latin name for sugar cane is saccharum officinarum.
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Actress Sandra Dee (1942-2005) starred as perky teenager Gidget in the 1959 movie "Gidget." Deborah Walley (1943-2001) took on the role in "Gidget Goes Hawaiian" (1961). Sally Fields (born 1946) starred in the television series "Gidget" from 1965-1966.
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Answer: The eight major islands are Hawaii, Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe and Niihau. Hawaii is the largest island, Kahoolawe is uninhabited and Niihau is privately owned.
Know It All is by Kerry McArdle. It runs in the weekend and Wednesday editions of the Daily Journal. Know any trivia or facts you would like to share? E-mail knowitall@smdailyjournal.com or fax 344-5290
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