HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) -
Take a look back at some of the big headlines in Hawaii on this week in history.
APRIL 24
2001: Public school teachers ratify new contract; classes to resume for first time in nearly three weeks
2014: Naeem Williams found guilty
After weeks of testimony, it takes a jury lest than two days to find Naeem Williams guilty in the state’s first ever death penalty trial. Williams is on trial for brutally beating his five-year-old daughter every day for months, until she died.
APRIL 25
1885: Queen Emma dies
Queen Emma is the wife of Kamehameha IV and one of the most influential figures in Hawaiian history. She dies on this day at the age of 49.
2006: ‘Lost’ actress Michelle Rodriguez arrested
Actress Michelle Rodriguez, currently in Hawaii for her role on the hit show ‘Lost’, is arrested on suspicion of drinking and driving on Oahu. She puts on a surprising show in the courtroom and ends up choosing to spend five days in jail over 240 hours of community service.
2013: Manti Te’o goes undrafted in Round 1
Football fans across the country are stunned as Round 1 of the NFL Draft concludes without Hawaii’s Manti Te’o. The Punahou graduate and Notre Dame linebacker was expected to go very early.
APRIL 26
1986: President Reagan stops in Hawaii on his way to Indonesia and Japan
2013: Manti Te’o finally picked in Round 2 of NFL Draft
After getting snubbed in the first round of the NFL Draft, the Laie linebacker finally gets the phone call he’d been preparing for his entire life. Manti Te’o is picked 38th overall by the San Diego Chargers.
APRIL 27
2008: Colt Brennan goes pro
Hawaii’s Colt Brennan is in the NFL. The quarterback is the only former Warrior drafted this year, going in the sixth round to the Washington Redskins as the 186th pick overall.
2010: The Advertiser and Bulletin to merge
The merger is official. Hawaii’s two largest newspapers, the Honolulu Advertiser and the Star Bulletin, announce they will become one paper: The Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
APRIL 28
1988: The Aloha Airlines disaster
Aloha Airlines flight 243, en route to Honolulu from Hilo, rips open mid-flight. Flight attendant Clarabelle Lansing, 58, is sucked out and dies, but the pilot must continue flying to safety. He travels 25 miles to Maui for an emergency landing. Sixty-one passengers are injured.
1990: Daniel Akaka appointed to U.S. Senate
Gov. John Waihee appoints U.S. Rep. Daniel Akaka to replace the late Sen. Spark Matsunaga in the United States Senate. Matsunaga had died two weeks earlier at the age of 73.
2006: Lawmakers vote to suspend the gas cap
Just before the midnight deadline, state lawmakers agree to end the controversial gas cap, activated just a few months earlier with a goal of lowering fuel prices for Hawaii consumers.
2014: Dennis Kamakahi dies
One of the most prolific writers in Hawaiian music, Dennis Kamakahi, dies at age 61, less than two months after he is diagnosed with lung cancer. The Grammy winner and Hall-of-Famer is credited with composing 500 songs.
APRIL 29
1978: Hawaii’s Judi Andersen is crowned Miss USA
Miss Hawaii USA Judy Anderson goes on to compete in the Miss Universe competition and despite scoring the highest among judges, finishes first runner up.
2010: Civil Unions bill passes
In a surprise last minute vote, the Hawaii House of Representatives passes the controversial civil unions bill with a 31-20 vote just as the legislative session is ending. Bill 444 allows same-sex couples to enter into civil unions. If it becomes law, Hawaii will be the ninth state in the nation to give marriage rights to same-sex couples.
2015: Kilauea’s lava lake overflows in spectacular fashion
For the first time in about a century, the bubbling lava lake in Halema'uma'u Crater at Kilauea overflows.
APRIL 30
1982: Kilauea erupts, creating a long, massive lava fountain
2015: Marcus Mariota is the NFL’s No. 2 pick overall
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell flubs his name – calling him Marcus Marioto – but it doesn’t take the thrill out of the announcement. Hawaii’s own Marcus Mariota is the second pick overall, drafted by the Tennesee Titans. The Saint Louis High School graduate and University of Oregon quarterback also has a Heisman trophy to his name.
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