Duke Kahanamoku (1890-1968) - Find a Grave Memorial

Olympic Games Gold Medalist Athlete, Actor. An outstanding swimmer who later in his life popularized the sport of surfing, he participated in the 1912, 1920, 1924, 1928 and 1932 Summer Olympics Games as part of the United States swimming teams. At the 1912 Summer Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden, he won the gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle event. At the 1920 Summer Olympic Games in Antwerp, Belgium, he won the gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle event, and was part of the four-man United States team that won the gold medal in the men's 4×200 meter freestyle relay. His popularity as a champion athlete helped him as he popularized surfing in the United States and many other countries. In his later years he even appeared in several motion pictures, mostly portraying Hawaiian royalty. In 2002 the United States Postal Service honored him with a postage stamp. A statue was erected to honor him on Kuhio Beach, O'Ahu, Hawaii.

Bio by: Don Connelly