The 1970s were a time of monumental change throughout the country, and Hawaii was no exception. Just more than a decade since Hawaii became a state, the tourism industry was booming. With more than 1.7 million visitors a year, infrastructure had to be adjusted for this influx in travelers. From major highways and cities that have since experienced exponential growth to natural wonders where it seems as though hardly a day has passed, these 16 photographs of Hawaii in the 1970s are sure to entrance you.
- President Richard M. Nixon meets with Apollo 13 astronauts in Hawaii.
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
- A U.S. Navy McDonnel Douglas F-4J Phantom II aircraft and a North American RA-5C Vigilante fly over Oahu in 1971 leading up to a combat deployment to Vietnam.
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
- It’s crazy to think about how much Waikiki has changed since 1973, when this photograph was taken.
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
- Mrs. Nixon was given the “key to the city” of Hilo, Hawaii in 1972.
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
- Women all dressed up for the Aloha Day Parade in October, 1973.
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
- Airliners on Maui in 1973: “Jet travel between the islands is a cause of rapid development. Sea travel has not been utilized in the tourist trade.”
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
- The Hawaiian State Capitol, as photographed in the 1970s.
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
- Even the traffic on H-1 in 1973 looks pretty terrible.
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
- The breathtaking Akaka Falls has changed very little in the last several decades.
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
- Honolulu, as photographed from the top of Diamond Head in the ’70s.
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
- Cat Stevens performing in Waikiki, circa 1974.
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
- A cinder cone on the southeast flank of Mauna Kea volcano photographed in 1975.
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
- The USS Kitty Hawk at Pearl Harbor in April 1975, before being deployed in the West Pacific from May to December of that year.
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
- A surfer leans against his car in the late 1970s.
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
- The R. W. Meyer Sugar Mill located off State Route 47 in Kualapuu, Molokai.
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
- Hickam Air Force Base, as photographed in 1977.
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
Do you have any photographs or memories from Hawaii in the 1970s? Share them with us on the Only In Hawaii Facebook page!
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
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