Events
- January 23 – Federal officials grant a request to extend housing assistance to survivors of the 2023 Hawaiʻi wildfires until February 2027.[1]
- March 21 – 230 people are rescued, ten of whom are hospitalized for hypothermia, during floods and storms. Around 5,500 people are evacuated ahead of a second storm.[2]
- March 25 – The city of Honolulu agrees to pay $975,000 in a settlement to a homeless man who was forcibly institutionalized for two years after being mistaken for another man with an arrest warrant.[3]
- March 27 – Three people are killed in a helicopter crash at Kalalau Beach on Kauaʻi.[4][5]
- April 22 – Hawaiian Airlines officially joins the Oneworld member alliance.[6][7]
- April 23 – Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke announces she is taking an indefinite unpaid leave of absence amid a bribery investigation.[8]
- May 5 – A 38-year-old tourist from Covington, Washington is filmed throwing a rock at a Hawaiian monk seal near Lahaina.[9] He is arrested by federal authorities on May 13 and charged with criminal violations of the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act.[10][11]
- May 11 – The Hawaiʻi Rainbow Warriors beat the UC Irvine Anteaters 3–1 to win the 2026 NCAA men's volleyball tournament.[12]
- May 22 – A 6.0 earthquake occurs near Hōnaunau-Nāpōʻopoʻo on Hawaiʻi Island, and is felt as far away as Oʻahu and Kauaʻi.[13][14][15] 18 homes were destroyed and 104 homes sustained major damage.[16]
- May 25–26 – Three elderly men, two aged 69 and one aged 79, are killed in three separate attacks within a span of 26 hours across Hawaiʻi Island, sparking an island-wide manhunt for the suspect, who is arrested on May 28.[17][18]
- June 25 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Wolford v. Lopez that a Hawaiʻi state law requiring people to get permission from business owners to bring firearms into their publicly-accessible property is unconstitutional.[19]
Deaths
- April 19 – George Ariyoshi, 100, Governor of Hawaiʻi (1974–1986) and first U.S. governor of Asian-American descent (b. 1926)[21][22]
References
- Aoun Angueira, Gabriela; Sinco Kelleher, Jennifer (January 23, 2026). "FEMA extends housing aid for Maui wildfire survivors until 2027". The Associated Press. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
- "Thousands evacuated as Hawaii faces worst flooding in 20 years". www.bbc.com. March 21, 2026. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
- Angarone, Ben (March 26, 2026). "Man institutionalized due to mistaken identity will get $975K settlement". Honolulu Civil Beat. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
- Sinco Kelleher, Jennifer; Johnson, Gene (March 27, 2026). "3 killed in tourist helicopter crash off the coast of the Hawaiian island of Kauai". AP News. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
- "Kauai helicopter crash: 2 victims identified; company suspends tour operations". Hawaii News Now. March 27, 2026. Retrieved March 28, 2026.
- "Aloha! oneworld welcomes Hawaiian Airlines to alliance". oneworld.com (Press release). April 23, 2026. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
- Parker, Jordan (April 24, 2026). "Hawaiian Airlines joins Fort Worth-based Oneworld airline alliance". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
- Blair, Chad; Lovell, Blaze (April 24, 2026). "New Acting Lt. Gov. Chosen in Hawaii As Luke Takes Leave Of Absence". The Associated Press. Honolulu Civil Beat. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
- Shafiq, Saman (May 7, 2026). "Man caught on video throwing rock at Hawaiian monk seal in Maui". USA Today. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
- "Federal agents arrest visitor accused of throwing rock at Hawaiian monk seal". Hawaii News Now. May 13, 2026. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
- Harjo Livingston, Sandy (May 13, 2026). "Washington Man arrested for throwing rock at endangered monk seal on Maui". KHON2. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
- Chinen, Kyle (May 11, 2026). "'Bows beat UC Irvine 3-1 to claim third NCAA national championship". Hawaii News Now. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- U.S. Geological Survey (May 22, 2026). "M 6.0 - 13 km S of Honaunau-Napoopoo, Hawaii". Retrieved May 22, 2026.
- Gutierrez, Ben (May 22, 2026). "Magnitude 6.0 earthquake on Hawaii island shakes the state; no tsunami generated". Hawaii News Now. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
- Unebasami, Trent; Kamoku, Keila. "6.0 magnitude earthquake rocks Big Island". KHON2. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
- Harriman-Pote, Savannah (June 9, 2026). "Emergency officials say 18 homes destroyed in South Kona quake". Hawaiʻi Public Radio. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
- "Police search for armed suspect linked to 3 Puna homicides". KHNL-TV. May 28, 2026. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- "Pahoa man wanted for three homicides reported in the Puna area". KITV-TV. May 28, 2026. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- Whitehurst, Lindsay (June 25, 2026). "Supreme Court strikes down Hawaii law requiring permission to carry guns in stores and hotels". The Associated Press. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
- "The Sunshine Blog: Mike Gabbard For Governor?". Honolulu Civil Beat. November 18, 2024.
I'm deeply engaged in preparing for the 2025 session and I have no interest in running for governor in 2026 as a Republican or a Democrat.
- McFadden, Robert D. (April 20, 2026). "George Ariyoshi, 100, America's First Governor of Asian Descent, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
- Cruz, Catherine (April 20, 2026). "Remembering George Ariyoshi, America's first Asian American governor". Hawaiʻi Public Radio. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
- "Hawaii State Holidays 2026". Public Holidays Global. Archived from the original on November 14, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
- "State Observed Holidays". Dhrd.hawaii.gov. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
