Diamond Head, Hawaii

Geology

Diamond Head is part of the system of cones, vents, and their associated eruption flows that are collectively known to geologists as the Honolulu Volcanic Series, formed by renewed eruptions from the Koolau Volcano that took place long after the volcano formed and had gone dormant. These eruptive events created many of Oahu's well-known landmarks, including Punchbowl Crater, Hanauma Bay, Koko Head, and Mānana Island.

Like the rest of the Honolulu Volcanic Series, Diamond Head is much younger than the main mass of the Koolau Mountain Range. While the Koolau Range is about 2.6 million years old, Diamond Head is estimated to be about 400,000 to 500,000 years old.

History

Known as Lēʻahi in Hawaiian, the mountain was given the name Diamond Hill in 1825 by British sailors who discovered sparkling volcanic calcite crystals in the sand and mistook them for diamonds. This is reflected in another local name, Kaimana Hila. The name later became Diamond Head, with head being shortened from headland.

The interior and adjacent exterior areas were the home to Fort Ruger, the first United States military reservation on Hawaii. Only Battery 407, a National Guard emergency operations center, and Birkhimer Tunnel, the Hawaii State Civil Defense Headquarters (HI-EMA), remain in use in the crater.

Tourism

Diamond Head is an iconic landmark overlooking Honolulu, and is featured as a backdrop to Waikīkī in numerous movies and TV shows set in Hawaii. It is both a State Monument and, since 1968, a U.S. National Natural Landmark. While part of it is closed to the public and serves as a platform for antennas used by the U.S. government, a 0.8 mile trail open to tourists leads to the summit from the Visitors Center at the crater floor. Access to the trail for non-Hawaii residents requires reservation online beforehand and a small fee. The trail was originally built in 1908 as part of the U.S. Army Coastal Defense System. The trail rises 560 feet and includes a series of steep paths, stairs, and tunnels. At the summit are several bunkers which were used as a control station to direct artillery fire in case of war. The view from the top and its proximity to Honolulu's resort hotels and beaches makes the summit a popular tourist destination.

National Natural Landmark

In 1968, Diamond Head was declared a National Natural Landmark. The crater, also called Diamond Head Lookout, was used as a strategic military lookout in the early 1900s.

The Diamond Head Lighthouse, a navigational lighthouse built in 1917 is directly adjacent to the crater's slopes. In addition, a few pillboxes are on Diamond Head's summit.

In popular culture

Diamond Head appears on an 80-cent air mail stamp issued in 1952 to pay for shipping orchids to the U.S. mainland.

Charlton Heston stars in the 1963 film Diamond Head, in a role that Clark Gable was supposed to play.

"Diamond Head" an instrumental song by Danny Hamilton recorded in 1964 by The Ventures, was an international hit. The song was especially popular in Japan where it became the first single to sell a million copies.

A 1975 televised game show, The Diamond Head Game, was set at Diamond Head.

Several television shows set in Hawaii feature episodes filmed on or near Diamond Head and include frequent shots of the crater as a scenic backdrop. These include the original 1968 Hawaii Five-O and 2010 reboot, as well as the original 1980 Magnum, P.I. and 2018 reboot.

The Crater was the location of several concerts in the 1960s and 1970s. First held on New Year's Day 1969, and often known as Hawaiian Woodstock, Diamond Head Crater Festivals, sometimes called Sunshine Festivals, were all-day music celebrations held in the 1960s and '70s, attracting over 75,000 attendees for performances of the Grateful Dead, Santana, America, Styx, Journey, War, and Tower of Power, alongside Hawaiian talent like Cecilio & Kapono and the Mackey Feary Band. The one-day festivals became two-day events in 1976 and 1977, but were canceled by the Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources because of community noise and environmental impact concerns. Many items from the bands were brought into and out of the Crater by helicopter.

File:Diamond head bay view.jpg|A view from the ocean of Diamond Head File:Diamond Head.jpg|Diamond Head cone seen from the coast off Waikiki File:Diamondhead.png|View from Rocky Hill, which resides over Punahou School File:Diamond_Head_Kapiolani_Park.jpg|Diamond Head peak from Kapiolani Park File:Waikiki shore - diamond head - 1800s.jpg|Diamond Head seen from Waikiki in the 1800s Image:Waikiki Diamond Head CC.jpg|Waikiki Beach facing Diamond Head, 1958 File:Diamond Head Hawaii - panoramio.jpg|Aerial view of the cone, and the Kahala and Kaimuki neighborhoods File:Diamond Head East View ^ Eric Tessmer Hawaii - panoramio.jpg|Aerial view of the Diamond Head File:USCGC William Hart transits Diamond Head, 2019-08-17 - 190817-G-US251-218.jpg|A view from the south, including Diamond Head Lighthouse

References

References

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8. An [[FAA]] air traffic control center was in operation from 1963 to 2002.[https://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2002/01/07/daily65.html FAA quits Diamond Head crater]
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13. (31 December 1994). "Former Spokane songwriter dies". The Spokesman-Review.
14. [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0198101/ "The Diamond Head Game" (1975)]
15. (27 June 2015). "On location in Hawaii".
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17. Borreca, Richard. (November 1, 1999). "Rebellion & Renaissance, Groovin' in the crater with music and mindbenders: In the '60s and '70s, music moves Hawaii's youth to come together and to speak out". Star-Bulletin.
18. Dekneef, Matthew. (April 20, 2016). "Memories of the Diamond Head Crater Festivals, Hawaii's own 'Woodstock'". Hawai'i Magazine.
19. (March 22, 2012). "Do You Remember... Crater Festivals". Midlife Crisis Hawaii.