King Kamehameha I moved his court lock, stock and barrel to Oahu after conquering the island in 1804, planting his palace in Honolulu in 1809. Kamehameha III declared Honolulu the kingdom’s capital in 1850, following attempts by the Brits and the French to grab the port for themselves.
Honolulu blossomed into a buzzing city, with merchants, missionaries and sailors all making their mark. Even the overthrow of the monarch in 1893 and subsequent US annexation five years later didn’t seem to make a dent in Honolulu’s stratospheric success.