Everyone knows Hawaii enjoys many unique and appealing qualities, such as unparalleled beauty, gorgeous weather, crazy-good water activities, great foods and entertainment, and fascinating history and culture. Then, there are the people, who greet the world with open arms and the spirit of warmth called “Aloha.”
Hawaii is a wonderful place to visit for so many reasons, so it’s little wonder that it has spawned so many talented people born here—artists, musicians, writers, actors, athletes, and so many others who have gained fame and celebrity throughout the world. Here are just some you may recognize:
- Academy and Golden Globe award winner Nicole Kidman
- Marcus Mariota, Heisman Trophy recipient and Tennessee Titans football quarterback
- Grammy winning Bruno Mars, born Peter Gene Hernandez
- Entertainer Don Ho of “Tiny Bubbles” fame
- Academy Award nominee and Grammy, Emmy, and Golden Globe winner Bette Midler
- Tia Carrere, Grammy winner, singer and actress
- Michele Wie, professional golfer, who turned pro before age 16
- Carrie Ann Inaba, choreographer and actress best known for work on “Dancing with the Stars”
- Teila Tuli, former sumo wrestler and mixed martial artist, who appears on TV’s “Hawaii Five-O”
- Duke Kahanamoku, Olympic Gold Medalist and athlete who popularized surfing
- Hawaii singer, dancer, chanter, scholar Kealii Reichel
Hawaii also had its own royal families, starting with King Kamehameha I, who united the Islands under one rule in the 1800s. The monarchy ended in 1893, when Hawaii’s last monarch Queen Liliuokalani was deposed and Hawaii was annexed by the United States.
Many others have called Hawaii home over the years, such as actor Tom Selleck (“Magnum, P.I.”. “Blue Bloods”), Jack Lord (original “Hawaii Five-O”), Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, comedian Roseanne Barr, baseball’s founder Alexander Cartwright, industrialist Henry Kaiser, actor Richard Chamberlain, and lots of other famous people.
Hawaii is celebrated around the world as a great place to visit and a wellspring of talent that has entertained and inspired us for generations. For more information on Hawaii and two of its most popular islands of Maui and Hawaii, visit www.hawaiihotels.com.