2021 in Hawaii

Events from 2021 in Hawaii.

Incumbents

Events

Ongoing – COVID-19 pandemic in Hawaii

January 31 – Shirlene Ostrov resigns as chairwoman of the Hawaii Republican Party following a series of tweets posted by vice chairman Edwin Boyette on the party's Twitter account defending people who supported the QAnon conspiracy theory. Additionally, Boyette resigned on January 24 after the tweets were posted the day before.{{Cite web |date=2021-04-20 |title=Hawaii GOP chair resigns after party tweets about QAnon |url=https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-gop-chair-resigns-qanon-tweets-587b54cd8b1accd01ef907324df6d6e5 |access-date=2022-09-26 |website=AP NEWS |language=en}}
March 8 – Hawaii reports their first case of the COVID-19 501.V2 variant that originated in South Africa in a person from Oahu with no known travel history.{{Cite web |date=2021-03-08 |title=Virus variant from South Africa detected in Hawaii |url=https://apnews.com/article/africa-south-africa-coronavirus-pandemic-honolulu-hawaii-1c4ecb70b6939b5981023748b1ab2a45 |access-date=2022-09-26 |website=AP NEWS |language=en}}
May 13 – Governor David Ige says that the state will keep its mask mandate despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saying that fully vaccinated Americans can go to places without wearing a mask.{{Cite web |last=Burnett |first=John |date=2021-05-14 |title=Ige: State to continue mask mandate for now |url=https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2021/05/13/hawaii-news/ige-state-to-continue-mask-mandate-for-now/ |access-date=2022-09-26 |website=Hawaii Tribune-Herald |language=en-US}}
June 14 – Hawaii reports their first case of the Lineage B.1.617 Delta variant in an Oahu resident who traveled to Nevada.{{Cite web |first=Sophie |last=Cocke |date=2021-06-15 |title=Delta coronavirus variant, which may cause more severe illness, detected in Hawaii |url=https://www.staradvertiser.com/2021/06/14/breaking-news/delta-coronavirus-variant-which-may-cause-more-severe-illness-detected-in-hawaii/ |access-date=2022-09-26 |website=Honolulu Star-Advertiser |language=en-US}}
July 2 – Transair Flight 810 experienced an engine failure shortly after takeoff from Honolulu's Daniel K. Inouye International Airport and attempted to return to the airport but was unable to maintain altitude and ditched into the ocean approximately 2 miles off the coast around 1:30 a.m.{{Cite web |last=Yancey-Bragg |first=N'dea |title='It doesn't look good out here': Coast Guard rescues 2 pilots after Hawaii cargo plane crash |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/07/02/boeing-737-cargo-plane-emergency-landing-off-hawaii/7839679002/ |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}
September 8 – The Alohilani Resort in Honolulu will require COVID-19 vaccinations for workers, becoming the first resort hotel in Hawaii to do so. The mandate will take effect on October 15.
October 23 – Scientists at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa announce the discovery of 2M0437b, one of the youngest exoplanets ever found at a distant star. The exoplanet was discovered using the Subaru Telescope at the observatory on Mauna Kea.{{Cite web |date=2021-10-23 |title=Astronomers Discover Infant Planet – One of the Youngest Exoplanets Ever Observed |url=https://scitechdaily.com/astronomers-discover-infant-planet-one-of-the-youngest-exoplanets-ever-observed/ |access-date=2022-09-26 |website=SciTechDaily |language=en-us}}
November 29 – Red Hill water crisis: The Hawaii Department of Health issues an advisory to stop using water from a U.S. Navy-operated water system that serves Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam and adjacent areas due to petroleum contamination.{{cite news| last=Jedra | first=Christina | title=State Tells Pearl Harbor Navy Families Not To Drink Or Use Tap Water | date=November 29, 2021 | website=Honolulu Civil Beat | url=https://www.civilbeat.org/2021/11/navy-investigating-chemical-smell-in-military-housing-drinking-water/ | access-date=January 2, 2025}}{{cite news| last=Jedra | first=Christina | title=How The Red Hill Fuel System Has Threatened Oahu’s Drinking Water For Decades | date=December 12, 2021 | website=Honolulu Civil Beat | url=https://www.civilbeat.org/2021/12/how-the-red-hill-fuel-system-has-threatened-oahus-drinking-water-for-decades/ |access-date=January 2, 2025}}

Deaths

January 26 – Billy Kenoi, 52, American politician, mayor of Hawaii County (2008–2016){{Cite web |title=Billy Kenoi, former Hawaii County mayor, dies after lengthy battle with cancer |url=https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2021/01/27/billy-kenoi-former-hawaii-county-mayor-has-died-after-lengthy-battle-with-cancer/ |access-date=2022-09-26 |website=hawaiinewsnow.com |language=en}}
February 4 – William Bains-Jordan, 104, American politician, member of the Hawaii House of Representatives (1959–1962){{Cite web |last=Ordonio |first=Cassie |date=2021-02-22 |title=William Bains-Jordan, first Aiea state legislator, dies at 104 |url=https://www.staradvertiser.com/2021/02/22/hawaii-news/william-bains-jordan-1916-2021-banker-first-aiea-state-legislator-dies-at-104/ |access-date=2022-09-26 |website=Honolulu Star-Advertiser |language=en-US}}
February 20 – Dean Ho, 88, American professional wrestler (WWWF, PNW, NWA Hawaii), complications from chronic traumatic encephalopathy{{Cite web |website=Heel By Nature |date=2021-02-28 |title=Former WWWF Tag Team Champion Dean 'Ho' Higuchi Passes Away • |url=https://heelbynature.com/wrestling-news/former-wwwf-tag-team-champion-dean-ho-higuchi-passes-away/ |access-date=2022-09-26 |language=en-US}}
July 3 – Haunani-Kay Trask, 71, American Hawaiian nationalist and author{{Cite web |date=2021-07-03 |title=Beloved kumu hula, Hawaiian activist Haunani-Kay Trask dies at age 71 - Honolulu, Hawaii news, sports & weather - KITV Channel 4 |url=https://www.kitv.com/story/44236641/beloved-kumu-hula-hawaiian-activist-haunanikay-trask-dies-at-age-71 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210703225115/https://www.kitv.com/story/44236641/beloved-kumu-hula-hawaiian-activist-haunanikay-trask-dies-at-age-71 |archive-date=2021-07-03 |access-date=2022-09-26 }}
July 12 – Bob Nakata, 80, American politician, member of the Hawaii House of Representatives (1983–1987) and Senate (1999–2003){{Cite web |last=Blair |first=Chad |date=2021-07-15 |title=Former Hawaii Lawmaker Bob Nakata Dies At 80 |url=https://www.civilbeat.org/2021/07/former-hawaii-lawmaker-bob-nakata-dies-at-80/ |access-date=2022-09-26 |website=Honolulu Civil Beat |language=en}}

References

Category:2021 in Hawaii

Category:2020s in Hawaii

Category:Years of the 21st century in Hawaii

Hawaii