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Kwajalein Atoll

Kwajalein Atoll

Kwajalein Atoll is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). It lies in the Ralik Chain, 2,100 nautical miles (3900 km) southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii at . Kwajalein is one the world's largest coral atolls as measured by area of enclosed water. Comprising 97 islets, it has an land area of 6.33 km², and surrounds one of the largest lagoons in the world, measuring 839.30 km² in size. Since 1944, when the U.S. captured the atoll from the Japanese in the Battle of Kwajalein, it has been used for military purposes, while escaping the tragic fate of nearby Bikini Atoll. Eleven of the 97 islands are leased by the United States and are part of the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site (RTS), formerly known as Kwajalein Missile Range. RTS includes radar installations, optics, telemetry, and communications equipment which are used for ballistic missile and missile interceptor testing and space operations support. More recently, the extensive infrastructure has attracted SpaceX, which built a commercial launch site on Omelek Island for its Falcon 1 and Falcon 5 rockets. The U.S. Army makes some of its technology available for commercial endeavors in exchange for range fees. Kwajalein Island is the southernmost, and the largest, of the islands in the Kwajalein atoll. The northernmost, and second largest, island is Roi-Namur. These are the two main islands used by the U.S. staff and their families are accommodated in trailers or hard housing. Unaccompanied personnel live in apartment style housing. The population of Kwajalein island is approximately 2,500, all of whom are U.S. staff. The primary mode of personal transportation is the bicycle and housing is free for all personnel. Roi-Namur The military history of Kwajalein has made tourism almost non-existent and has kept the environment in pristine condition. Kwajalein lagoon offers excellent wreck diving of mostly Japanese ships, a few planes and a very large German heavy cruiser, the Prinz Eugen. Spear fishing and deep sea fishing are also exceptional. 80 degree water temperature and 100 foot visibility are common when scuba diving on the ocean side of the atoll. A neighboring island Ebeye has the largest population in the atoll, with approximately 12,000 native residents living on 80 acres (320,000 m²) of land. Ebeye is one of the most densely populated places in the world. Roi-Namur used to be 3 separate islands: Roi, Namur and Enidrikdrik. After WWII, while the US had control of the atoll, they mostly paved over Enidrikdrik and renamed the resulting island Roi-Namur. Since 1961 several tests of anti-ballistic missiles were performed on Kwajalein. Therefore there are launchpads on Illeginni Island ( ), Roi-Namur Island ( ) and Kwajalein Drop Zone, Pacific Ocean ( ).

Other islands in the Kwajalein atoll

Ebeye
- Ebeye is not part of the Reagan Test Site, it is a Marshallese island-city with hotels, restaurants and an active commercial port.
- Ebadon is the largest island in the atoll, located at the westernmost tip of the atoll. It is a Marshallese island and not part of the Reagan Test Site.
- Meck is a launch site for anti-ballistic missiles.
- Roi-Namur has several radar installations. Japanese bunkers and buildings from World War II are still in good condition.
- Bigej (Marshallese "Pikeej") is uninhabited and has no buildings on it but many people from Kwajalein island in the south of the atoll come up to visit it. It is covered with lush tropical palm trees and jungle.
- Legan (Marshallese "Ambo") is uninhabited but does have a few buildings on the southern part of the island. Most of the island is thick jungle like most islands in the Marshall Islands. Unlike most islands though, Legan has a very small lake in the middle.
- Omelek Uninhabited, leased by the US military. Site of SpaceX launch facility.
- Little Bustard (Marshallese "Drebubbu") is the first island north of Kwajalein on the East reef.
- Nell (Marshallese "Nell") is a popular destination for Kwajalein boat owners who like to drink beer and sleep in the jungle.

Passes near Kwajalein Island

- SAR Pass (Search And Rescue Pass) is closest to Kwajalein on the West reef. This pass is manmade and was created in the 1970's, it is very narrow and shallow compared to the other natural passes in the lagoon and is only used by small boats. It is often misprounounced "Zar Pass."
- South Pass is also on the West reef, north of SAR Pass. It is very wide.
- Bijej Pass is the first pass on the East reef North of Kwajalein & Ebeye. The shallow reef on the South side makes a fun but hazardous surfing destination.

External links

work on Kwajalein
- [http://www.smdc.army.mil/RTS.html U.S. Army Space & Missile Defense Command, Reagan Test Site]
- [http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/facility/kwaj.htm work performed at Reagan Test Site]
- [http://www.bechtel.com/Briefs/0803/Data_Base.htm Bechtel summary of Kwajalein]
- [http://www.krsjv.com/ Kwajalein Range Services overview and job opportunities] Kwajalein community
- [http://www.smdc.army.mil/KWAJ/Hourglass/Hourglass.html Kwajalein's newspaper, The Hourglass]
- [http://www.qsl.net/v73ax/ Kwajalein Amateur Radio Club V73AX]
- [http://www.kwajaleinscubaclub.com/ Kwajalein Scuba Club]
- [http://www.kwajyachtclub.com/ Kwajalein Yacht Club]
- [http://www.smdc.army.mil/kwaj/logistics/Personnel/housing.html Kwajalein housing]
- [http://www.geocities.com/gseskwaj/GeorgeSeitzElementary.html George Seitz Elementary School]
- [http://kwajaleinhigh.tripod.com/ Kwajalein Junior/Senior High School] Local government
- [http://www.rmiembassyus.org/ Embassy of the Republic of the Marshall Islands] Transportation
- [http://www.angelfire.com/hi2/kwa/0avi_kwa.html KWA - Kwajalein's airport, Bucholz Army Airfield]
- [http://www.airmarshallislands.com/ Air Marshall Islands]
- [http://www.continental.com/ Continental Air Micronesia] History
- [http://www.worldwar2database.com/html/Kwajalein.htm World War II and Kwajalein]
- [http://www.coretek.org/gsmith/kwajaleinbattle.html World War II Kwajalein photos]
- [http://www3.uakron.edu/majuro/Oldpix/Kwaj1.html World War II Kwajalein photos] Category:Geography of the Marshall Islands Category:Pacific Ocean atolls ja:クェゼリン環礁

Marshall Islands

The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) is a Micronesian island nation in the western Pacific Ocean, located north of Nauru and Kiribati, east of the Federated States of Micronesia and south of the U.S. territory of Wake Island.

History

While settled by Micronesians in the 2nd millennium BC, little is known of the early history of the islands. Spanish explorer Alonso de Salazar was the first European to sight the Marshalls, but the islands remained virtually unvisited by Europeans for several more centuries, before being visited by English captain John Marshall in 1788; the islands owe their name to him. A German trading company settled on the islands in 1885, and they became part of the protectorate of German New Guinea some years later. Japan conquered the islands in World War I, and administered them as a League of Nations mandate. In World War II, the United States invaded the islands (1944), and they were added to the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (including several more island groups in the South Sea). The U.S. started conducting nuclear tests on the islands immediately after the war, continuing until the 1960s as the Pacific Proving Grounds. Many Marshallese suffered from high radiation levels because of this, and compensation claims still continue to this day. In 1979 the Republic of the Marshall Islands was established and a Compact of Free Association with the U.S. government was signed, becoming effective in 1986. The independence was formally completed under international law in 1990, when the UN officially ended the trust given to the USA.

Politics

The Marshallese president is both head of state and head of government. The president, who is elected by and from the members of the Nitijela (parliament), appoints his own cabinet. Elections for the parliament, which has 33 seats, are held every four years.

Municipalities

1986 1986]The Marshall Islands are divided into 24 legislative districts, which correspond to the inhabited islands and atolls of the country. See Geography.

Geography

The country consists of 29 atolls and 5 isolated islands. The most important atolls and islands form two groups: the Ratak Chain and the Ralik Chain (meaning "sunrise" and "sunset" chains). Two-thirds of the nation's population lives on Majuro (which is also the capital) and Ebeye. The outer islands are sparsely populated due to lack of employment opportunities and economic development. Life on the outer atolls is generally still fairly traditional, and the nutrition of the rural population, being grown and caught, is superior that of most of the urban residents, who rely considerably on white rice. The climate is hot and humid, with a wet season from May to November. The islands occasionally suffer from typhoons.
- Ailinginae Atoll (uninhabited)
- Ailinglaplap Atoll (legislative district)
- Ailuk Atoll (legislative district)
- Arno (legislative district)
- Aur Atoll (legislative district)
- Bikar Atoll (or Bikaar; uninhabited)
- Bikini Atoll
- Bokak Atoll (uninhabited)
- Ebon Atoll (legislative district)
- Enewetak Atoll (legislative district)
- Erikub Atoll (uninhabited)
- Jabat Island (legislative district)
- Jaluit Atoll (legislative district)
- Jemo Island (uninhabited)
- Kili Island (legislative district)
- Kwajalein Atoll (legislative district)
- Lae Atoll (legislative district)
- Lib Island (legislative district)
- Likiep Atoll (legislative district)
- Majuro Atoll (legislative district)
- Maloelap Atoll (legislative district)
- Mejit Island (legislative district)
- Mili Atoll (legislative district)
- Nadikdik Atoll (or Knox; uninhabited)
- Namorik Atoll (or Namdrik; legislative district)
- Namu Atoll (legislative district)
- Rongelap Atoll (legislative district)
- Rongerik Atoll (uninhabited)
- Toke Atoll (uninhabited)
- Ujae Atoll (legislative district)
- Ujelang Atoll (uninhabited)
- Utirik Atoll (or Utrik; legislative district)
- Wotho Atoll (legislative district)
- Wotje Atoll (legislative district)

Economy

United States Government assistance is the mainstay of this tiny island economy. Agricultural production is concentrated on small farms, and the most important commercial crops are coconuts, tomatoes, melons, and breadfruit. Small-scale industry is limited to handicrafts, fish processing, and copra. The tourist industry, now a small source of foreign exchange employing less than 10% of the labor force, remains the best hope for future added income. The islands have few natural resources, and imports far exceed exports. Around 1999 a tuna loining plant was built and employed upwards to 400 people, mostly women. After absorbing significant training costs and lack of government assistance the plant was closed in 2005. Although providing almost $6 million into the economy, and a significant number of jobs that previoulsy had not existed, the government let the plant close and chose to not provide any incentives to the owners to keep it open. Under the terms of the Compact of Free Association, the US provides roughly $65 million in annual aid. Negotiations were under way in 1999 for an extended agreement. Government downsizing, drought, a drop in construction, and the decline in tourism and foreign investment due to the Asian financial difficulties caused GDP to fall in 1996-98. The United States also maintains The U.S. Army's Reagan Test Site (RTS) on Kwajalein Atoll. It is an important aspect of the Marshallese economy, as the Marshallese land owners receive rent for the base, and a large number of Marshallese work on base.

Demographics

The Marshallese are of Micronesian origin and migrated from Asia several thousand years ago. Although English is an official language and is spoken widely, although not fluently, Marshallese is used by the government. Japanese is also occasionally spoken in some areas of Marshall Islands. Virtually all Marshallese are Christian, most of them Protestant.

Culture

Although now in decline, the Marshallese were once able navigators, using the stars and stick and shell charts. They are also experienced in canoe building and still hold annual competitions involving the unique Oceanic sailing canoe, the proa.

Nuclear Testing

Between 1946 and 1958 the USA tested 67 nuclear weapons in the Marshall Islands, including the largest nuclear test the US ever conducted, the Castle Bravo disaster, which resulted in the radiation poisoning of 236 Marshallese. In 1994 documents were released which showed this act was premeditated by the Atomic Energy Commission in human radiation experiments known as Project 4.1.[http://www.rmiembassyus.org/Nuclear%20Issues.htm] Nuclear Claims between the United States and the Marshall Islands are ongoing, and health effects still linger from these tests.

Miscellaneous topics

- Communications in the Marshall Islands
- Foreign relations of the Marshall Islands
- Military of the Marshall Islands
- Transportation in the Marshall Islands

External links

- [http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/rm.html CIA World Factbook - Marshall Islands]
- [http://www.rmiembassyus.org/ Marshall Islands embassy to the US - information on Marshall Islands]
- [http://marshall.csu.edu.au Marshall Islands Digital Archive and Library]
- [http://www.yokwe.net/ Yokwe Online - Everything Marshall Islands]
- [http://www.janeresture.com/marshalls/marshalls.htm Jane's Marshall Islands Home Page]
- [http://www3.uakron.edu/majuro/Links.html Marshall Islands Maps, Nutrition, Historic and Current Photos - University of Akron]
- [http://www.bikiniatoll.com/ Atomic Testing Information] Category:Freely associated states Category:Island nations
- Category:Micronesia Category:Archipelagoes Category:Oceanic countries zh-min-nan:Marshall Kûn-tó ko:마셜 제도 ja:マーシャル諸島 simple:Marshall Islands th:สาธารณรัฐหมู่เกาะมาร์แชลล์

Honolulu, Hawaii

Honolulu is the capital and largest community of the U.S. State of Hawaii. In the Hawaiian language, honolulu means "sheltered bay" or "place of shelter." The census-designated place (CDP) is located along the southeast coast of the island of Oahu. The term also refers to the District of Honolulu (see Geography below). As of July 1, 2004, the U.S. Census Bureau estimate for Honolulu puts the population at 377,260 and that of the city and county (essentially, the Island of Oahu) is 900,000. In Hawaii, municipal governments operate only at the county level, and the City & County of Honolulu encompasses all of the Island of Oahu (approximately 600 square miles).

History

It is not known when Honolulu was first settled by the original Polynesian migrants to the archipelago. Oral histories and artifacts indicate that there was a settlement where Honolulu now stands in the 12th century. However, after Kamehameha I conquered Oahu in the Battle of Nuuanu Pali, he moved his royal court from the Island of Hawaii to Waikīkī in 1804. His court later relocated, in 1809, to what is now downtown Honolulu. Captain William Brown of England was the first foreigner to sail, in 1794, into what is now Honolulu Harbor. More foreign ships would follow, making the port of Honolulu a focal point for merchant ships traveling between North America and Asia. Asia In 1845, Kamehameha III moved the permanent capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom from Lāhainā on Maui to Honolulu. He and the kings that followed him transformed Honolulu into a modern capital, erecting buildings such as St. Andrew's Cathedral, Iolani Palace, and Aliiolani Hale. At the same time, Honolulu became the center of commerce in the Islands, with descendants of American missionaries establishing major businesses in downtown Honolulu. Despite the turbulent history of the late 19th century and early 20th century, which saw the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, Hawaii's subsequent annexation by the United States, and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Honolulu would remain the capital, largest city, and main airport and seaport of the Hawaiian Islands. An economic and tourism boom following statehood brought rapid economic growth to Honolulu and Hawaii. Modern air travel would bring thousands, eventually millions (per annum) of visitors to the Islands. Today, Honolulu is a modern city with numerous high-rise buildings, and Waikīkī is the center of the tourism industry in Hawaii, with thousands of hotel rooms.

Geography and climate

Honolulu is located at 21°18'32" North, 157°49'34" West (21.308950, -157.826182). While this is clearly in the tropics, the climate (temperature and humidity) is moderated by the mid-ocean location and some cooling achieved by the California Current that passes through the islands much of year. The average daily low and high temperatures in January are 65/80 °F (18/27 °C) and in July are 74/88 °F (23/31 °C). Temperatures exceed 90 °F (32 °C) only rarely, with lows in the 50's °F (15 °C) occurring perhaps once or twice in a year. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Honolulu was 95 °F (35 °C) on September 19, 1994 and the coldest temperature ever recorded was 53 °F (11.6 °C) on January 31, 1998, 1972 and 1948 and on January 20, 1969 and on February 1 and 2, 1976 and on February 9, 1981 and on February 12, 1983. 1983 The Honolulu District is located on the southeast coast of O‘ahu between Makapuu and Hālawa. The District boundary follows the Koolau crestline, so Makapuu Beach is in the Koolaupoko District. On the west, the district boundary follows Hālawa Stream, then crosses Red Hill and runs just west of Āliamanu Crater, so that Aloha Stadium, Pearl Harbor (with the USS Arizona Memorial), and Hickam Air Force Base are actually all located in the island's Ewa District. Most of the city's commercial and industrial developments are located on a narrow but relatively flat coastal plain, while numerous ridges and valleys located inland of the coastal plain divide Honolulu's residential areas into distinct neighborhoods: some spread along valley floors (like Mānoa in Mānoa Valley) and others climb the interfluvial ridges. Within Honolulu proper can be found several volcanic cones: Punchbowl, Diamond Head, Koko Head (includes Hanauma Bay), Koko Crater, Salt Lake, and Āliamanu being the most conspicuous. Honolulu and Juneau, Alaska are the only 2 US state capitals that cannot be reached directly by road from the contiguous 48 States. Direct connections to these capitals require a boat or a plane.

Government

Originally governed by a Board of Supervisors, the City & County of Honolulu is administered under a mayor-council system of governance overseeing all municipal services: civil defense, emergency medical, fire, parks and recreation, police, sanitation, streets, water, among others. One of the largest municipal governments in the United States, the City & County of Honolulu has an annual operating budget of $1 billion. The current mayor of Honolulu is Mufi Hannemann (term ends January 2009).

Neighborhoods and special districts

2009
- Downtown Honolulu is the financial, commercial, and governmental center of Hawaii. On the waterfront is Aloha Tower, which for many years was the tallest building in Hawaii. Currently the tallest building is the 438-foot-tall (134 m) First Hawaiian Center, located on King and Bishop Streets ([http://www.lightfantastic.org/imr/places/firsthawaiiancenter.html]).
- The Capitol District is the eastern part of Downtown Honolulu. It is the current and historic center of Hawaii's state government, incorporating the Hawaii State Capitol, Iolani Palace, Honolulu Hale (City Hall), State Library, and the statue of King Kamehameha I, along with numerous government buildings.
- Kakaako is a light-industrial district between Downtown and Waikīkī that has seen a large-scale redevelopment effort in the past decade. It is home to two major shopping areas, Ward Warehouse and Ward Centre. The John A. Burns School of Medicine, part of the University of Hawaii at Mānoa is also located there. A Memorial to the Ehime Maru Incident victims is built at Kakaako Waterfront Park.
- Waikīkī is the world famous tourist district of Honolulu, located between the Ala Wai Canal and the Pacific Ocean next to Diamond Head. Numerous hotels, shops, and nightlife opportunities are located along Kalākaua and Kuhio Avenues. World-famous Waikīkī Beach attracts millions of visitors a year. Just west of Waikīkī is Ala Moana Center, the world's largest open-air shopping center. A majority of the hotel rooms on Oahu are located in Waikīkī. Ala Moana Center
- Mānoa and Makiki are residential neighborhoods located in adjacent valleys just inland of downtown and Waikīkī. Mānoa Valley is home to the main campus of the University of Hawaii.
- Nuuanu and Pauoa are middle-class to upper-middle-class residential districts located inland of downtown Honolulu. The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific is located in Punchbowl Crater fronting Pauoa Valley.
- Palolo and Kaimukī are neighborhoods east of Mānoa and Makiki, inland from Diamond Head. Palolo Valley parallels Mānoa and is a residential neighborhood. Kaimukī is primarily a residential neighborhood with a commercial strip centered on Waialae Avenue running behind Diamond Head. Chaminade University is located in Kaimukī.
- Waialae and Kāhala are the upper-class districts of Honolulu located directly east of Diamond Head, where there are many high-priced homes. Also found in these neighborhoods are the Waialae Country Club and the Kāhala Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
- East Honolulu includes the residential communities of Āina Haina, Niu Valley, and Hawaii Kai. These are considered upper-middle-class neighborhoods.
- Kalihi and Pālama are working-class neighborhoods with a number of government housing developments. Lower Kalihi, toward the ocean, is a light-industrial district.
- Salt Lake and Āliamanu are (mostly) residential areas built in extinct tuff cones along the western end of the Honolulu District, not far from the Honolulu International Airport.
- Moanalua is two neighborhoods and a valley at the western end of Honolulu, and home to Tripler Army Medical Center.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 371,657 people, 140,337 households, and 87,429 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,674.4/km² (4,336.6/mi²). There were 158,663 housing units at an average density of 714.8/km² (1,851.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 19.67% White, 1.62% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 55.85%Asian,6.85% Pacific Islander, 0.89% from other races, and 14.93% from two or more races. 4.37% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 140,337 households, 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.7% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size is 3.23. In Honolulu in 2000 the population was spread out with 19.2% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.5 males. The median income for a household in the city proper was $45,112, and the median income for a family was $56,311. Males had a median income of $36,631 versus $29,930 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $24,191. 11.8% of the population and 7.9% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 14.6% of those under the age of 18 and 8.5% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Notable Citizens

Transportation

Located on the western end of Honolulu proper, Honolulu International Airport (HNL) is the principal aviation gateway to the state of Hawaii. Two freeways serve Honolulu:
- Interstate H-1, which, coming into the city from the west, passes Hickam Air Force Base and Honolulu International Airport, runs just north of Downtown and continues eastward through Makiki and Kaimukī, ending at Waialae/Kāhala. West of the city proper, H-1 connects to Interstate H-2 from Wahiawā and Interstate H-3 from Kāneohe.
- Interstate H-201—also known as the Moanalua Freeway and formerly numbered Hawaii State Rte. 78—connects two points along H-1: at Aloha Stadium and Fort Shafter. Close to H-1 and Aloha Stadium, H-201 has an exchange with the western terminus of Interstate H-3 to the windward side of Oahu (Kāneohe). This complex of connecting ramps, some directly between H-1 and H-3, is in Hālawa. Other major highways that link Honolulu proper with other parts of the Island of Oahu are:
- Pali Highway, State Rte. 61, crosses north over the Koolau range via the Pali Tunnels to connect to Kailua and Kāneohe on the windward side of the Island.
- Likelike Highway, State Rte. 63, also crosses the Koolau to Kāneohe via the Wilson Tunnels.
- Kalanianaole Highway, State Rte. 72, runs eastward from Waialae/Kāhala to Hawaii Kai and around the east end of the island to Waimānalo Beach.
- Kamehameha Highway, State Rte. 99, runs westward from near Hickam Air Force Base to Aiea and beyond, paralleling the H-1. Like most major American cities, the Honolulu metropolitan area experiences heavy traffic congestion during rush hours, especially to and from the western suburbs of Kapolei, Ewa, Aiea, Pearl City, Waipahu, and Mililani. Land for expanding road capacity is at a premium everywhere on Oahu. Established by former Mayor Frank F. Fasi, Honolulu's public transit system has been twice honored by the American Public Transportation Association bestowing the title of "America's Best Transit System" for 1994-1995 and 2000-2001. Oahu Transit Services' "TheBus" operates 93 routes with a fleet of 525 buses. Currently, there is no fixed-rail mass transit system in Honolulu. However, in 2004, the City & County of Honolulu and the State of Hawai‘i approved development of an action plan for a fixed rail mass transit system to be built in several phases. The initial line could link Kapolei in West Oahu to Iwilei near Downtown Honolulu (port area). Several attempts had been made since the 1980s and 1990s to construct a fixed rail mass transit system but stalled during Honolulu City Council hearings. Also in 2004, construction had started on a bus rapid transit (BRT) system using dedicated rights-of-way for buses. The system, proposed by former Mayor Jeremy Harris, was expected to link the Iwilei neighborhood with Waikīkī. However, current Mayor Mufi Hannemann has largely dismantled the BRT system and deployed its buses along other express bus routes.

Cultural institutions

Performing arts

Established in 1900, the Honolulu Symphony is the oldest symphony orchestra west of the Rocky Mountains. Other classical music ensembles include the Hawaii Opera Theatre. Honolulu is also a center for Hawaiian music. The main music venues include the Neal Blaisdell Center Concert Hall, the Waikīkī Shell, and the Hawaii Theatre. Honolulu also includes several venues for live theatre, including the Diamond Head Theatre and the Manoa Valley Theatre.

Visual arts

Located near downtown Honolulu, the premier venue for visual arts in Hawaii is the Honolulu Academy of Arts. The Honolulu Academy of Arts features the largest collection of Western and Asian art in Hawaii and also hosts a year-round film and video program dedicated to the presentation of arthouse and world cinema in the museum's Doris Duke Theatre. The Contemporary Museum in Makiki is the main museum of contemporary art in the state.

Other museums, aquariums, zoos, and cultural centers

- The Bishop Museum is the largest museum in the State of Hawaii and houses thousands of natural history specimens and cultural artifacts relating to Hawaii and the Pacific.
- The Waikīkī Aquarium and the Honolulu Zoo are both located at the eastern end of Waikīkī in Kapiolani Park.
- The Hawaii State Art Museum (HISAM) ([http://www.state.hi.us/sfca/ official site]) is located in the downtown district in the old YMCA building and features local artists. Blessed with both a great collection and a competent house staff.

Sports

Currently, Honolulu has no professional sports teams. However, Honolulu hosts the NFL's annual Pro Bowl each February in addition to the NCAA football Hawaii Bowl. Fans of spectator sports in Honolulu generally support the football, volleyball, basketball, and baseball programs of the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Highschool sporting events, especially football, are especially popular. Venues for spectator sports in Honolulu include:
- Aloha Stadium (football)
- Les Murakami Stadium at UH-Manoa (baseball)
- Stan Sheriff Center at UH-Manoa (basketball and volleyball)
- Neal Blaisdell Center Arena (basketball) Honolulu's mild climate lends itself to year-round fitness activities as well. In 2004, Men's Fitness magazine named Honolulu the fittest city in the U.S. Honolulu is also home to two large road races:
- The Great Aloha Run is held annually on Presidents' Day.
- The Honolulu Marathon, held annually on the second Sunday in December, draws more than 20,000 participants each year, about half to two thirds of them from Japan.

Media

Newspapers

Honolulu is served by three daily newspapers: the Honolulu Advertiser, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, and "Ka Leo O Hawaii". Ka Leo is a newspaper published by the University of Hawaii at Manoa. It is one of the few remaining cities of its size in the U.S. to have more than one daily newspaper.

Television

([http://www.hawaiiradiotv.com/ from hawaiiradiotv.com])

Low-power TV channels

- 42 K42CO
- 46 KHLU-LP (Univision) to move from channel 60 soon
- 48 KHHI-LP (HSN)
- 56 K56EX
- 64 K64FN

Radio stations

17 AM radio stations

- 590 KSSK Adult Contemporary
- 650 KRTR Asian
- 690 KORL Ethnic
- 760 KGU Religious
- 830 KHVH News/Talk
- 870 KAIM Country
- 940 KKNE Ethnic
- 990 KHBZ Talk
- 1040 KLHT Religious
- 1080 KWAI Talk
- 1130 KRUD New;TBA
- 1170 KHCM Country
- 1210 KZOO Japanese Pop
- 1270 KNDI Ethnic
- 1370 KUPA Ethnic
- 1420 KKEA Sports
- 1460 KHRA Asian
- 1500 KUMU Talk
- 1540 KREA Asian

20 FM radio stations

- 88.1 KHPR Classical, News (National Public Radio)
- 89.3 KIPO News, Information, Jazz (National Public Radio)
- 90.3 KTUH Modern Rock, Progressive music
- 92.3 KSSK Adult Contemporary
- 93.1 KQMQ Top 40
- 93.9 KIKI Rhythmic Top 40
- 94.7 KUMU-FM Adult Contemporary
- 95.5 KAIM-FM Contemporary Christian
- 96.3 KRTR-FM Adult Top 40
- 97.5 KHNR Talk
- 98.5 KDNN Hawaiian Contemporary
- 99.5 KHUI Hawaiian Adult Contemporary
- 100.3 KCCN Hawaiian Top 40
- 101.1 KLHI Modern Rock
- 101.9 KUCD Modern Rock
- 102.7 KDDB Rhythmic Top 40
- 104.3 KPHW Rhythmic Top 40
- 105.1 KINE Traditional Hawaiian
- 105.9 KPOI Classic Rock
- 107.9 KGMZ Oldies

Cable and satellite television

Oceanic-Time Warner Cable (a division of Time Warner Cable) is the primary cable television carrier in the Honolulu metropolitan area. Satellite television (DIRECTV, Dish Network, some C-Band) is also available as an alternative.

Tourist attractions

- Bishop Museum
- Honolulu Academy of Arts
- Diamond Head
- Lyon Arboretum
- National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
- Waikīkī Beach

Colleges & universities

- University of Hawaii Mānoa — Students: 21,000 (Manoa Campus)²
- Chaminade University — Students: 1,130; Tuition: $13,380/yr²
- Hawaii Pacific University — Students: 8,500; Tuition: $10,922/yr²
- Brigham Young University–Hawaii (Lāie) — Students: 2,400; Tuition: $15,000/yr

References

# Geographic references. # [http://www.HONOLULUADVERTISER.com/localnews/ Honolulu Advertiser], Section B. Monday, June 7, 2004. Estimated student body size and annual tuition for selected colleges on Oahu.

External links

-
- [http://www.honolulu.gov City & County of Honolulu] official site
- [http://www.gohawaii.com/ Hawaii Vistors and Convention Bureau]
- [http://www.eng.hawaii.edu/Trafficam/ Honolulu Traffic Information Center (includes camera links)]
- [http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/ National Weather Service Honolulu office] Honolulu Honolulu ko:호놀룰루 ja:ホノルル simple:Honolulu, Hawaii

Atoll

. Its lagoon is shallower than is the case for most atolls (thus, the light blue color in this satellite image{

Lagoon

This article is about natural lagoons. For articial "lagoons" used to treat waste water, please see Anaerobic lagoons and Aerated lagoon. A lagoon is a body of comparatively shallow salt water separated from the deeper sea by a shallow or exposed sandbank, coral reef, or similar feature. Thus, the enclosed body of water behind a barrier reef or barrier islands or enclosed by an atoll reef is called a lagoon. This application of lagoon in English dates from 1769. It adapted and extended the sense of the Venetian laguna (cf Latin lacuna, 'empty space'), which specifically referred to Venice's shallow, island-studded stretch of salt water, protected from the Adriatic by the barrier beaches of the Lido (see Venetian Lagoon). Lagoon refers to both coastal lagoons formed by the buildup of sandbanks or reefs along shallow coastal waters, and the lagoons in atolls, formed by the grow of coral reefs on slowly sinking cental islands. Coastal lagoons are usually found on coasts with relatively small tidal ranges. They constitute approximately 13 percent of all coastlines. They generally extend parallel to the coastland, separated from the sea by barrier islands, sand and shingle bars or coral reefs. Non-reef lagoon barriers are formed by wave-action or longshore currents piling up coarser sediments off shore of the beach. Once a lagoon barrier has formed, finer sediments can settle out in the relatively quiet water behind the barrier, including sediments brought into the lagoon by rivers. Coastal lagoons typically have only constricted openings to the sea. As a result, water conditions in the lagoon can differ significantly from the open water of the sea in temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen and sediment load. In many English-speaking countries, coastal lagoons often are called sounds, bays, rivers, or lakes. Albemarle Sound in North Carolina, Great South Bay, between Long Island and the barrier beaches of Fire Island in New York, Banana River in Florida and Lake Illawarra in New South Wales are all lagoons. In Mexico often the use of "laguna", which lagoon translates to, is used to describe a lake, such as Laguna Catemaco.
See also

- Atoll
- :Category:Atolls
- :Category:Lagoons
References

- Encyclopedia Britannica. 2005. Lagoon. Encyclopedia Britannica Premium Service. [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9046833] - accessed December 7, 2005.
External links

- [http://www.sms.si.edu/irlspec/Whatsa_lagoon.htm What is a lagoon?] - accessed December 7, 2005. Category:Landforms ja:ラグーン

1944

1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar).

Events

World War II

January

- January 4 - The Battle of Monte Cassino begins.
- January 5 - Murder of Danish playwright Kaj Munk.
- January 14 - The Soviet troops start the offensive at Leningrad and Novgorod.
- January 17 - British forces, in Italy, cross the Garigliano River.
- January 17 - Meat Rationing ends in Australia.
- January 20 - The Royal Air Force drops 2,300 tons of bombs on Berlin. The U.S. Army 36th Infantry Division, in Italy, attempts to cross the Rapido River.
- January 22 - Allies begin Operation Shingle, the assault on Anzio, Italy. The U.S. Army 45th Infantry Division stand their ground at Anzio against violent assaults for 4 months.
- January 27 - The two year Siege of Leningrad is lifted.
- January 29 - The Battle of Cisterna takes place.
- January 30 - United States troops invade Majuro, Marshall Islands.
- January 31 - American forces land on Kwajalein Atoll and other islands in the Japanese-held Marshall Islands.

February

- February 1 - United States troops land in the Marshall Islands.
- February 3 - United States troops capture the Marshall Islands.
- February 7 - In Anzio, Italian forces launch a counteroffensive.
- February 14 - Anti-Japanese revolt on Java.
- February 15 - Battle of Monte Cassino - the monastery atop Monte Cassino is destroyed by Allied bombing.
- February 17 - Battle of Eniwetok Atoll begins. The battle ended in an American victory on February 22.
- February 20 - "Big Week" begins with American bomber raids on German aircraft manufacturing centers.
- February 20 - The United States takes Eniwetok Island.
- February 29 - The Admiralty Islands are invaded in the American General Douglas MacArthur-led Operation Brewer.

March

- March - The Japanese launch an offensive in central and south China.
- March 1 - USS Tarawa and USS Kearsarge laid down.
- March 1 - Anti-fascist strike in northern Italy.
- March 2 - Train stalls inside a railway tunnel outside Salerno, Italy - 426 choke to death
- March 3 - The Order of Nakhimov and the Order of Ushakov were instituted in USSR
- March 10 - In Britain the Education Act lifts the ban on women teachers marrying.
- March 12 - The Creation of the politic Committee of national liberation in Greece.
- March 15 - Battle of Monte Cassino - Allied aircraft bomb German-held monastery and stage an assault.
- March 15 - The National Counsil of the French Resistance approves the Resistance programme.
- March 17 - The hitlerists assassinate at Rîbniţa almost 400 prisoners, Soviet citizens and anti-fascist Romanians.
- March 18 - German forces occupy Hungary.
- March 20 - RAF Flight Sergeant Nicholas Alkemade's bomber is hit over Germany and he has to bail out without a parachute from the height of over 4000 meters. Tree branches interrupt his fall and he lands safely on deep snow

May

- May 5 - Mohandas Gandhi released in India.
- May 9 - Soviet troops liberate Sevastopol.
- May 12 - Soviet troops finalize the liberation of Crimea.
- May 18 - Battle of Monte Cassino - Germans evacuate Monte Cassino and Allied forces take the stronghold after a struggle that claimed 20,000 lives.
- May 18 - Deportation of Crimean Tatars by the Soviet Union government.

June

Soviet Union].
- June 2 - The provisional French government is established.
- June 4 - A hunter-killer group of the United States Navy captures the German submarine U-505, marking the first time a U.S. Navy vessel had captured an enemy vessel at sea since the 19th century.
- June 4 - American, English and French troops enter Rome.
- June 5 - Rome falls to the Allies. It is the first capital of an Axis nation to fall.
- June 5 - More than 1000 British bombers drop 5000 tons of bombs on German gun batteries on the Normandy coast in preparation for D-Day.
- June 6 - Battle of Normandy begins - Operation Overlord, code named D-Day, commences with the landing of 155,000 Allied troops on the beaches of Normandy in France. The allied soldiers quickly break through the Atlantic Wall and push inland in the largest amphibious military operation in history.
- June 9 - Stalin launches an offensive against Finland with the intent of defeating Finland before pushing for Berlin.
- June 10 - 642 men, women and children are killed in the Oradour-sur-Glane Massacre in France.
- June 13 - Germany launches a V1 Flying Bomb attack on England.
- June 15 - Battle of Saipan: The United States invades Saipan.
- June 17 - The proclamation of the Republic of Iceland.
- June 22 - Operation Bagration: General attack by Soviet forces to clear the German forces from Belarus which resulted in the destruction of the German Army Group Centre, possibly the greatest defeat of the Wehrmacht during WWII.
- June 25 - The Battle of Tali-Ihantala between Finnish and Soviet troops begins. Largest battle ever to be fought in the Nordic countries.
- June 26 - American troops enter Cherbourg.

July

- July 3 - Soviet troops liberate Minsk.
- July 9 - British and Canadian forces capture Caen.
- July 10 - Soviet troops start the operations for freeing the Baltic countries.
- July 13 - Liberation of Vilnius.
- July 17 - The largest convoy of the war embarks from Halifax, Nova Scotia under Royal Canadian Navy protection.
- July 17 - SS E.A.Bryan, loaded with ammunition, explodes in the Port Chicago naval base - 320 dead
- July 18 - Hideki Tojo resigns as Prime Minister of Japan due to numerous setbacks in the war effort.
- July 20 - Adolf Hitler survives an assassination attempt. See Claus von Stauffenberg
- July 21 - Battle of Guam - American troops land on Guam starting the battle (ends on August 10).
- July 21 - The creation of the Polish Committee for national liberation.
- July 25 - Operation Spring - One of the bloodiest days for Canadians during the war: 18,444 casualties, including 5,021 killed.

August

- August 1 - Warsaw Uprising begins.
- August 2 - Turkey ends diplomatic and economic relations with Germany.
- August 7 - IBM dedicates the first program-controlled calculator, the Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator (known best as the Harvard Mark I).
- August 12 - Allies capture Florence, Italy.
- August 12 - World's first undersea oil pipeline laid, between England and France in Operation Pluto
- August 15 - Operation Dragoon lands Allies in southern France. U.S. Army 45th Infantry Division participates in its fourth assault landing at St. Maxime, spearheading the drive for the Belfort Gap.
- August 19 - (August 25) Victorious insurrection in Paris.
- August 23 - Ion Antonescu, prime minister of Romania, is arrested and a new government is established. Romania exits the war against Russia joining the Allies.
- August 24 - Allies enter Paris.
- August 25 - Hungary decides to continue the war together with Germany.
- August 29 - Slovak National Uprising begins

September

- September 1 - In Bulgaria, the Bagrianov government resigns.
- September 2 - Holocaust: Diarist Anne Frank and her family are placed on the last transport train from Westerbork to Auschwitz. They arrive three days later.
- September 3 - Allies liberate Brussels.
- September 4 - The British 11th Armored Division liberates the city of Antwerp in Belgium.
- September 4 - Finland breaks off relations with Germany.
- September 5 - The Soviets declare war on Bulgaria.
- September 7 - The Belgian government returns from exile in Britain.
- September 8 - London is hit by a V2 rocket for the first time.
- September 8 - The French town of Menton is liberated from Germany.
- September 9 - Insurrection in Sofia.
- September 11 - Northern and southern France invasion forces link up near Dijon.
- September 17 - Operation Market Garden begins.
- September 19 - Armistice between Finland and Soviet Union signed. (End of the Continuation War)
- September 24 - The U.S. Army 45th Infantry Division takes the strongly defended city of Epinal before crossing the Moselle River and entering the western foothills of the Vosges.
- September 26 - Operation Market Garden ends in an Allied withdrawal.

October

- October 2 - Warsaw Uprising ends.
- October 5 - Canadian Air Force pilots shoot down the first German jet fighter over France.
- October 9 - British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet Union Premier Joseph Stalin begin a nine-day conference in Moscow to discuss the future of Europe.
- October 12 - The Allies land at Athens.
- October 13 - Riga, the capital of Latvia is liberated by the Red Army.
- October 14 - German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel committed suicide rather than face execution for allegedly conspiring against Adolf Hitler.
- October 18 - Volkssturm founded on Hitler's orders.
- October 20 - Belgrade is liberated by Yugoslav Partisans and the Red Army.
- October 20 - LNG explosion destroys a square mile (2.6 km²) of Cleveland, Ohio
- October 21 - Aachen is the first German city to fall.
- October 23 - Naval Battle of Leyte Gulf in the Philippines begins (lasts until October 26).
- October 25 - Florence Foster Jenkins recital in the Carnegie Hall
- October 25 - Red Army liberates Kirkenes, the first town in Norway to be liberated from German occupation.
- October 31 - Mass murderer Marcel Petiot is apprehended in Paris metro station

November-December

- November 6 - Two Lehi assassins kill Lord Moyne in Cairo
- November 12 - East Turkestan Republic declared
- November 12 - The Royal Air Force carries out one of the most successful precision bombing attacks of the war, sinking the German battleship Tirpitz off the coast of Norway.
- November 19 - US President Franklin D. Roosevelt announces the 6th War Loan Drive, aimed at selling US$14 billion in war bonds to help pay for the war effort.
- November 24 - Bombing of Tokyo - The first bombing raid against the Japanese capital of Tokyo from the east and by land was made by 88 American aircraft.
- November 25 - A German V-2 rocket hits a Woolworth's store in Deptford, killing 160 shoppers.
- November 26 - Gas chambers at Auschwitz and Stutthof are destroyed.
- November 29 - Albania is liberated from German occupation.
- December 16 - Germany begins the Ardennes offensive, later to become known as Battle of the Bulge.
- December 16 - General George C. Marshall becomes the first Five-Star General
- December 17 - German troops carry out the Malmédy massacre.
- December 24 - The Bulge reaches its deepest point at Celles.
- December 26 - American troops repulse German forces at Bastogne.
- December 31 - Hungary declares war on Germany

Other events

January-July

- January 5 - The Daily Mail becomes the first transoceanic newspaper.
- February 26 - - Shooting begins of the Nazi propaganda film, "The Fuehrer Gives a Village to the Jews" in Theresienstadt.
- March 1 - USS Tarawa laid down
- March 4 - In Ossining, New York, Louis Buchalter, the leader of 1930s crime syndicate Murder, Inc., is executed at Sing Sing.
- March 24 - In the Polish village of Markowa, German police kill Józef and Wiktoria Ulm, their six children and eight Jewish people they were hiding.
- April 25 - The United Negro College Fund is incorporated.
- May 30 - Princess Charlotte Louise Juliette Louvet Grimaldi of Monaco, heir to the throne resigns from her rights in favor of her son Prince Rainier Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand Grimaldi, later reigning Prince Rainier III of Monaco.
- June 17 - Iceland declares full independence from Denmark.
- July 1 - Start of the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire.
- July 6 - A fire broke out during a performance of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus in Hartford, Connecticut, resulting in the deaths of 168 people, most of them children. See Hartford Circus Fire
- July 17 - Port Chicago disaster: Near the San Francisco Bay, two ships laden with ammunition for the war explode in Port Chicago, California killing 232.
- July 22 - End of Bretton Woods conference and signing of Agreements.

August-November

- August 4 - Holocaust: A tip from a Dutch informer leads the Gestapo to a sealed-off area in an Amsterdam warehouse where they find Jewish diarist Anne Frank and her family.
- August 5 - Holocaust: Polish insurgents liberate a German labor camp in Warsaw, freeing 348 Jewish prisoners.
- August 7 - IBM dedicates the first program-controlled calculator, the Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator (known best as the Harvard Mark I).
- August 9 - The United States Forest Service and the Wartime Advertising Council release posters featuring Smokey the Bear for the first time.
- September 2 - Holocaust: Diarist Anne Frank and her family are placed on the last transport train from Westerbork to Auschwitz. They arrive three days later.
- October 2 - Holocaust: Nazi troops end the Warsaw Uprising.
- October 8 - The radio show, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet debuts.
- October 10 - Holocaust: 800 Gypsy children are systematically murdered at Auschwitz death camp
- November 7 - U.S. presidential election, 1944: Franklin D. Roosevelt wins reelection over Republican challenger Thomas E. Dewey to become the only U.S. president to be elected to a fourth term.
- November 22 - William Lyon Mackenzie King introduces conscription in Canada (see Conscription Crisis of 1944).

December

- December 3 - Civil war breaks out in a newly-liberated Greece, between Communists and royalists.
- December 1 - Edward Stettinius Jr. becomes becomes the last United States Secretary of State of the Roosevelt administration, by filling the seat left by the Cordell Hull.
- December 26 - The play The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams was first publicly performed.
- December 30 - King George II of Greece declares a regency, leaving his throne vacant.

Unknown dates

- In Sweden, the law of 1864 that criminalizes homosexuality is abolished.
- Swedish author of children's books Astrid Lindgren publishes her first book Pippi Longstocking.
- In Sweden, Erik Wallenberg and Ruben Rausing invent a way to package milk in paper and start the company Tetra Pak.
- Barbados General election - Grantley Adams, black lawyer, first majority party leader in the House of Assembly, as leader of Barbados Labour Party
- Hans Asperger publishes his paper on Asperger's Syndrome
- The Mad Gasser of Mattoon carries out a series of mysterious attacks in Mattoon, Illinois.
- National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence established.

Ongoing events

- Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945)
- Second World War (1939-1945)

Births

For more 1944 births see :Category:1944 births

January

- January 2 - Prince Norodom Ranariddh, Cambodian politician
- January 6 - Bonnie Franklin, American actress
- January 6 - Rolf M. Zinkernagel, Swiss immunologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
- January 9 - Jimmy Page, English guitarist (Led Zeppelin)
- January 12 - Joe Frazier, American boxer
- January 17 - Françoise Hardy, French singer
- January 18 - Paul Keating, twenty-fourth Prime Minister of Australia
- January 23 - Rutger Hauer, Dutch actor
- January 24 - Neil Diamond, American singer
- January 26 - Angela Davis, American feminist and activist
- January 27 - Mairead Corrigan, Irish activist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
- January 27 - Nick Mason, English drummer (Pink Floyd)

February

- February 3 - Dave Davies, British musician (The Kinks)
- February 5 - Al Kooper, American musician (Blood, Sweat, and Tears)
- February 5 - Michael Mann, American film, director, writer, producer
- February 9 - Alice Walker, American writer
- February 10 - Vernor Vinge, American writer
- February 11 - Michael G. Oxley, American politician
- February 13 - Stockard Channing, American actress
- February 13 - Jerry Springer, English-born television host
- February 14 - Carl Bernstein, American journalist
- February 14 - Alan Parker, English-born film director, actor, and writer
- February 16 - Richard Ford, American writer
- February 17 - Karl Jenkins, Welsh composer
- February 20 - Willem van Hanegem, Dutch football player and coach
- February 22 - Jonathan Demme, American film director, producer, and writer
- February 22 - Tom Okker, Dutch tennis player
- February 23 - Johnny Winter, American musician
- February 24 - Nicky Hopkins, British musician (d. 1994)
- February 28 - Sepp Maier, German footballer

March

- March 1 - John Breaux, U.S. Senator from Louisiana
- March 1 - Roger Daltrey, English musician (The Who)
- March 2 - Uschi Glas, German actress
- March 6 - Kiri Te Kanawa, New Zealand soprano
- March 11 - Don MacLean, British comedian
- March 15 - Sly Stone, American singer
- March 17 - John Sebastian, American singer and songwriter (The Lovin' Spoonful)
- March 19 - Said Musa, Prime Minister of Belize
- March 19 - Sirhan Sirhan, Palestinian assassin of Robert F. Kennedy
- March 24 - R. Lee Ermey, U.S. Marine and actor
- March 26 - Diana Ross, American singer
- March 28 - Rick Barry, American basketball player
- March 29 - Denny McLain, baseball player

April

- April 3 - Tony Orlando, American musician
- April 4 - Craig T. Nelson, American actor
- April 6 - Felicity Palmer, English soprano
- April 7 - Gerhard Schröder, Chancellor of Germany
- April 8 - Odd Nerdrum, Norwegian painter
- April 11 - John Milius, American film director, producer, and screenwriter
- April 19 - James Heckman, American economist, Nobel Prize laureate
- April 22 - Steve Fossett, American millionaire adventurer
- April 28 - Jean-Claude Van Cauwenberghe, Belgian politician
- April 29 - Richard Kline, American actor and television director
- April 30 - Jill Clayburgh, American actress

May

- May 1 - Suresh Kalmadi, Indian politician
- May 5 - John Rhys-Davies, Welsh actor
- May 8 - Gary Glitter, English singer
- May 9 - Richie Furay, American musician (Poco and Buffalo Springfield)
- May 10 - Jim Abrahams, American film director
- May 13 - Armistead Maupin, American author
- May 12 - Sara Kestelman, British actor
- May 14 - George Lucas, American film director and producer
- May 20 - Joe Cocker, British singer
- May 20 - Boudewijn de Groot, Dutch singer
- May 20 - Dietrich Mateschitz, Austrian businessman
- May 21 - Mary Robinson, President of Ireland
- May 25 - Frank Oz, English puppeteer and film director
- May 28 - Rudy Giuliani, Mayor of New York City
- May 28 - Gladys Knight, American singer
- May 30 - Meredith MacRae, American actress (d. 2000)

June-October

- June 3 - Edith McGuire, American sprinter
- June 5 - Tommie Smith, American athlete
- June 6 - Phillip Allen Sharp, American scientist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
- June 8 - Mark Belanger, baseball player (d. 1998)
- June 24 - Jeff Beck, British musician
- June 29 - Gary Busey, American actor
- June 30 - Raymond Moody, parapsychologist
- July 13 - Ernő Rubik, Hungarian inventor
- July 17 - Mark Burgess, New Zealand cricket captains
- July 21 - Tony Scott, English film director
- July 21 - Paul Wellstone, U.S. Senator from Minnesota (d. 2002)
- July 27 - Tony Capstick, English comedian, actor, and musician (d. 2003)
- July 31 - Geraldine Chaplin, American actress
- July 31 - Robert Carhart Merton, American economist, Nobel Prize laureate
- August 2 - Jim Capaldi, British drummer, singer, and songwriter (Traffic) (d. 2005)
- August 4 - Richard Belzer, American actor and comedian
- August 8 - Brooke Bundy, American actress
- August 9 - Sam Elliott, American actor
- August 11 - Ian McDiarmid, Scottish actor
- August 21 - Peter Weir, Australian film director
- August 23 - Saira Banu, Indian actress
- August 26- Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
- September 1 - Leonard Slatkin, American conductor
- September 2 - Al Matthews, American actor (d. 2002)
- September 7 - Earl Manigault, American basketball player (d. 1998)
- September 7 - Bora Milutinovic, Serbian football coach
- September 12 - Leonard Peltier, U.S. Presidential candidate
- September 12 - Barry White, American singer (d. 2003)
- September 21 - Hamilton Jordan, Carter's 1ST Chief of Staff
- September 22 - Frazer Hines, British actor
- September 25 - Michael Douglas, American actor
- September 26 - Anne Robinson, British television host
- October 9 - John Entwistle, English bassist (The Who) (d. 2002)
- October 9 - Nona Hendryx, singer (LaBelle)
- October 9 - Peter Tosh, Jamaican singer and musician (d. 1987)
- October 15 - David Trimble, Irish politician, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
- October 28 - Dennis Franz, American actor
- October 28 - Ian Marter, British actor (d. 1986)

November-December

- November 1 - Rafik Bahaa Edine Hariri, Lebanese Prime Minister 1992 - 1998 (d. 2005).
- November 9 - Melvin Maskin, American teacher
- November 10 - Silvestre Reyes, American politician
- November 12 - Booker T. Jones, American musician, singer, and songwriter (Booker T. and the M.G.'s)
- November 12 - Al Michaels

Kwajalein Atoll

Other islands in the Kwajalein atoll

Passes near Kwajalein Island

See also

External links

Marshall Islands

History

Politics

Municipalities

Geography

Economy

Demographics

Culture

Nuclear Testing

Miscellaneous topics

External links

Honolulu, Hawaii

History

Geography and climate

Government

Neighborhoods and special districts

Demographics

Notable Citizens

Transportation

Cultural institutions

Performing arts

Visual arts

Other museums, aquariums, zoos, and cultural centers

Sports

Media

Newspapers

Television

Full power TV channels

Low-power TV channels

Digital TV channels

Radio stations

17 AM radio stations

20 FM radio stations

Cable and satellite television

Tourist attractions

Colleges & universities

References

External links

Atoll

Lagoon

See also

References

External links

1944

Events

World War II

January

February

March

May

June

July

August

September

October

November-December

Other events

January-July

August-November

December

Unknown dates

Ongoing events

Births

January

February

March

April

May

June-October

November-December