1890 August 24, born in Honolulu. First surviving child of
Duke and Julia Kahanamoku, Fullblood Hawaiians
1893 Family moved to Waikiki’s Kalia area
1896 Enrolled in first grade at Waikiki-kai Elementary School
1899 Kahili bearer at Princess Kai’ulani’s royal funeral
1903 Transferred to Ka’ahumanu Elementary School
1904 Entered Kamehameha School for Boys
1908 Member of Kamehameha School’s championship soccer team
1908 One of the founders of Hui Nalu Canoe Club
1910 Transferred to Mckinley High School
1911 Broke 3 freestyle world records in his first races, in Honolulu Harbor
1912 Won Olympic gold medal and set world record for 100-meter freestyle,
Stockholm; also won a silver medal on the 4 x 200-meter freestyle relay team
1912 Introduced surfing to U.S.’s Atlantic Coast
1914-15 Introduced surfing to Australia and New Zealand
1915-1932 Helped popularize swimming and surfing in California
1917 Rode a monster wave 1-1/8 miles at Waikiki on a finless board, probably the
longest ride in modern times
1918 Swam in exhibitions In about 30 mainland cities to raise money for
Liberty Bonds for the U.S. war effort. Bolstered the popularity of swimming.
Reinforced Hawai’i’s reputation as preeminent provenience of world class
swimmers-through the next decade
1919 – 1921 Won 9 National Gold Medals in swimming
1920 Recommended surfing as an Olympic event.
1920 Antwerp Olympics; gold medals in 100-meter freestyle and 4 x 200-meter
freestyle relay, fourth place in water polo
1924 Qualified for the US Olympic swim team with his two brothers, Sam & David
1924 Paris Olympics; silver medal in 100-meter freestyle
1922-1930 Lived in Los Angeles; Played small parts in about 30 movies
1925 Heroic board rescue of 8 drowning men at Newport Beach, California
1928 Qualified for US Olympic swim team & competed in Amsterdam Olympics
1932 Los Angeles Olympics; awarded bronze medal as alternate on the U.S. water
polo team
1934 Elected City and County of Honolulu Sheriff. re-elected 12 times
1940 August 2, married Nadine Alexander
1956 Official representative at Melbourne Olympics
1960 Sheriff position abolished when Hawai'i achieved Statehood and government
reorganized. Appointed Hawai'i's Ambassador of Aloha.
1963 Third visit to Australia to judge surf races
1964 Official guest at Tokyo Olympics
1965 First person inducted into both the swimming Hall of Fame and the Surfing Hall
of Fame
1965 First annual Duke Kahanamoku Invitational Surf Meet, Sunset Beach
1968 January 22, died in Honolulu; Waikiki beachboy funeral
1969 Plaque and bust dedicated at Huntington Beach, California
1984 Posthumously inducted into U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame
1990 Statue dedicated at Waikiki on centennial of his birth
1990 Duke Kahanamoku Way dedicated at Rockaway Beach, New York
1994 Statue dedicated at Freshwater, Sydney, Australia
1994 Biarritz, France Surf Festival named in his honor
1994 First name inscribed in the Huntington Beach Surfing Walk of Fame
1994 Identification plaques placed on Waikiki statue on his birthday
1999 Duke was named “Surfer of the Century” by Surfer Magazine
2002 United States Post Office issued a stamp to honor Duke.
