96-565: Palmyra Atoll ( / p æ l ˈ m aɪ r ə / ), also referred to as Palmyra Island , is one of the Northern Line Islands (southeast of Kingman Reef and north of Kiribati ). It is located almost due south of the Hawaiian Islands , roughly one-third of the way between Hawaii and American Samoa . North America is about 3,300 miles (5,300 kilometers ) northeast and New Zealand the same distance southwest, placing
192-413: A Clipper flight on January 11, 1938, ended in tragedy. Shortly after the early-morning takeoff from Pago Pago , as it was bound for New Zealand , the plane exploded. The right outboard engine had developed an oil leak, and the aircraft burst into flames while dumping fuel; there were no survivors. As a result of the tragedy, Pan Am ended flights to New Zealand via Kingman Reef and Pago Pago. It established
288-480: A campaign promise by Kiribati President Teburoro Tito . Previously, the country straddled the Date Line, thus being constantly in two different days. Kiribati officials later capitalised on the nation's new status as owners of the first land to see sunrise in 2000. Other Pacific nations, including Tonga and New Zealand's Chatham Islands , protested the move, objecting that it interfered with their own claims to be
384-621: A causeway to Home Island and two artificial runway islands that were not completed. These alterations blocked the water flow through the atoll and are believed to have severely harmed the natural ecology of the lagoons. In December 1941, the Empire of Japan declared war on the United States and Great Britain. It launched attacks and launched invasions across Asia and the Pacific, plunging the United States into World War II . In that context,
480-493: A new route in July 1940 that used Canton Island and New Caledonia as stopovers instead. On February 14, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8682 to create naval defense areas in the central Pacific territories. The proclamation established the "Kingman Reef Naval Defensive Sea Area", encompassing the territorial waters between the extreme high-water marks and the three-mile marine boundaries surrounding
576-721: A one-third undivided share as a tenant in common . Meanwhile, in 1889, Commander Nichols of HMS Cormorant claimed Palmyra for the United Kingdom , unaware of the prior claim made by Hawaii. In 1898, the United States by the Newlands Resolution annexed the Republic of Hawaii , formerly the Provisional Government of Hawaii , and Palmyra with it. An Act of Congress made all of Hawaii, including Palmyra, into an "incorporated territory" of
672-525: A stopover for commercial Pacific flying boat routes in the 1930s going to New Zealand; however, the route was changed with a different stopover. It was administered by the Navy from 1934 to 2000 and thereafter by the Fish and Wildlife Service. It has since become a marine protected area. In the 19th century, it was noted as a maritime hazard, earning the name Hazard Rocks, and is known to have been hit once in 1876. In
768-495: A surrounding reef ) in the central Pacific Ocean, south of the Hawaiian Islands . Eight of the atolls are parts of Kiribati . The remaining three— Jarvis Island , Kingman Reef , and Palmyra Atoll —are territories of the United States grouped with the United States Minor Outlying Islands . The Line Islands, all of which were formed by volcanic activity, are one of the longest island chains in
864-424: A year on Palmyra, living on dwindling stores and local food. They spent three months building a small escape boat, upon which six men left Palmyra. Of these, four were washed overboard in a storm, and the other two were rescued by an American whaler bound for San Francisco . One died en route. The survivor, James Hines, was put in a hospital, but he died 30 days later. Before Hines died, he wrote letters describing
960-491: Is a coral atoll with several islets , not a single island, it has been called Palmyra Island since the first visit in 1802. More recently it is for some purposes called Palmyra Atoll . The name of the federal territory retained by Congress since 1959 is Palmyra Island , but the official name of the National Wildlife Refuge within the territory is Palmyra Atoll , as is the corresponding division of
1056-487: Is an unattended airport on Palmyra Atoll in the Pacific Ocean . It is a private-use facility, originally built during World War II and now owned by The Nature Conservancy . It has one runway (6/24) measuring 5,000 ft × 150 ft (1,524 m × 46 m). When built, the airport was called Palmyra Atoll Airfield , and later Palmyra Island Naval Air Station as it was a former Naval airfield on
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#17327651589931152-480: Is approximately 175 in (4,400 mm) per year. Temperatures average 85 °F (29 °C) year round. The atoll has nearly the highest oceanicity index (i.e., the degree to which its climate is affected by the sea) and one of the lowest diurnal and annual temperature variations of any place on Earth. Nauru has more consistent nighttime temperatures with every month recording 77 °F (25 C) average, as well as more evenly spread precipitation. Although Palmyra
1248-564: Is federal land and waters under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service . Since Palmyra has no state or local government, it is administered directly from Honolulu by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service , except for some submerged tracts administered by the Office of Insular Affairs , both in the U.S. Department of the Interior . Palmyra is counted as one of the U.S. minor outlying islands for all other purposes. They are outside
1344-681: Is included in the Refuge. Along with six other islands, the reef was administered as part of the Pacific Remote Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex. In January 2009, that entity was upgraded to the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument by President George W. Bush . Since the early 1940s, Kingman Reef has had minimal human contact. However, amateur radio operators from around
1440-594: Is known for the distinct quality of being primarily predator -based. Sharks comprised 74% of the top predator biomass (329 g·m ) at Kingman Reef and 57% at Palmyra Atoll (97 g·m ). Low shark numbers have been observed at Tabuaeran and Kiritimati . The percentage of the total fish biomass on the reef is made up of 85% apex predators , creating a high level of competition for food and nutrients among local organisms – particularly sharks, jacks, and other carnivores. The threatened green sea turtles that frequent nearby Palmyra Atoll travel to Kingman Reef to forage and bask on
1536-471: Is now at the same time as the Hawaiian Islands ( Hawaii–Aleutian Time Zone ), but one day ahead. This move made Millennium Island (then Caroline Island) the easternmost land in the earliest time zone (by some definitions, the easternmost point on Earth ), and one of the first points of land which saw sunrise on 1 January 2000 – at 5:43 am, as measured by local time. The move was the fulfilment of
1632-606: Is one of the biggest shelf-reefs, with dimensions of 2 by 3 miles (3.2 by 4.8 km). Over 150 species of coral inhabit Palmyra Atoll, double the number recorded in Hawaii . Palmyra Atoll has no permanent population. It is administered as an incorporated unorganized territory , presently the only one of its kind, by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service of the United States Department of
1728-532: Is paid ecotourism visits by TNC donors. Most roads and causeways were built during World War II . Most of these are now unserviceable and overgrown, and most causeways and filled areas between islets have washed-away gaps. A 2,000-yard-long (1,800 m) unpaved airstrip on Cooper Island was built for the Palmyra Island Naval Air Station before and during World War II. Palmyra (Cooper) Airport ( ICAO : PLPA , FAA LID : P16 )
1824-687: Is subject to all provisions of the U.S. Constitution and is permanently under American sovereignty . Palmyra remains an unorganized territory . No Act of Congress since Hawaii statehood in 1959 has specified how Palmyra is to be governed. The only relevant federal law gives the president the authority to administer Palmyra as directed or via the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii (Hawaii Omnibus Act, Pub. L. 86–624, July 12, 1960, 74 Stat. 411). Executive Order 10967, effective 10 October 1961, provided that
1920-412: Is the smallest county or county-equivalent by land area in the United States. Kingman Reef supports a vast variety of marine life . Giant clams are abundant in the shallows, and there are approximately 38 genera and 130 species of stony corals on the reef. This is more than three times the species diversity of corals in the main Hawaiian Islands. The ecosystem of the reef and its subsequent food chain
2016-563: The Department of the Interior be responsible for all executive, legislative, and judicial authority of its civil administration. The governance issue is generally a moot point since no permanent population lives there. Cooper Island and ten other land parcels in this atoll are owned by The Nature Conservancy , which manages them as a nature reserve. The southwesternmost islets, including Home, are owned by descendants of former Palmyra owner Henry Ernest Cooper and others. The rest of Palmyra
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#17327651589932112-592: The Imperial Japanese Navy submarine I-75 bombarded the naval air station on December 24, 1941. Opening fire at 04:55 Greenwich Civil Time , she fired twelve 120-millimeter (4.7 in) rounds from her deck gun , targeting the atoll's radio station, and hit the United States Army Corps of Engineers dredge Sacramento , which was anchored in the lagoon, with one shell. A 5-inch (127 mm) coastal artillery battery on
2208-438: The Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument . Formal deeds, leases and federal orders for land there call it Palmyra Island . Further, the islets on the atoll are also named island , such as Kaula Island, Cooper Island, and others. The biggest single island is Cooper Island, located on the lagoon's north side. Palmyra is an incorporated territory of the United States (the only such territory since 1959), meaning that it
2304-520: The Supreme Court held incorporated territories to be integral parts of the United States, as opposed to mere possessions. The incorporated Palmyra Atoll is the southernmost point of the incorporated United States, with its southernmost shore at 5°52'15" N latitude . U.S.-controlled territories such as American Samoa (and the southernmost place, Rose Atoll ) are farther south, but they are not incorporated territories. Average annual rainfall
2400-441: The U.S. Department of Interior . The atoll is closed to the public. For statistical purposes, Kingman Reef is grouped as part of the United States Minor Outlying Islands . In January 2009, Kingman Reef was designated a marine national monument. The pre-20th century names Danger Rock, Caldew Reef, Maria Shoal, and Crane Shoal refer to this atoll, which was entirely submerged at high tide. Thomas Hale Streets described its state in
2496-462: The U.S. Naval Construction Battalion dredged a channel so that ships could enter the protected lagoons and bulldozed coral rubble into a long, unpaved landing strip for refueling transpacific supply planes at the airbase. On January 16, 1942, six Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers from Hawaii were stationed at the airbase, commanded by Lt. Col. Walter C. Sweeney Jr. as part of Hawaiian Air Force's Task Group 8. Marine Corps VMF-211 pilots also used
2592-497: The US Supreme Court in 1947, were divided one-third to Bella Jones of Honolulu in 1912 and the rest passed to their heirs. Cooper visited the island in July 1913 with scientists Charles Montague Cooke Jr. and Joseph F. Rock , who wrote a scientific description of the atoll. Botanist Rock discovered unusual coconut palms in 1913, which palms expert Odoardo Beccari identified as Cocos nucifera palmyrensis (Becc.),
2688-767: The United States Exploring Expedition , led by Charles Wilkes . This marked the first visit to Palmyra by a scientific expedition. Various live samples of native plants and animals were collected. In his 23rd volume recording the findings of the USXX , Wilkes wrote of Palmyra, mentioning some unspecified inhabitants at that time: This island is inhabited ... It is to be regretted that all these detached islands should not be visited by our national vessels, and friendly intercourse kept up with them. The benefit and assistance that any shipwrecked mariners might derive from their rude inhabitants, would repay
2784-705: The Viceroyalty of Peru . A crew loaded it in secret onto the ship Esperanza in Callao harbor, Peru , and embarked into the Pacific Ocean on January 1, 1816, bound for the Spanish West Indies . According to a survivor, seaman James Hines, the Esperanza was caught in a storm that dismasted and damaged the ship. After that, it was attacked and boarded by pirates, who loaded the treasure and surviving crew onto their own ship. The Esperanza sank, and
2880-411: The atoll at the approximate center of the Pacific Ocean . The land area is 4.6 sq mi (12 km), with about 9 miles (14 km) of sea-facing coastline and reef. There is one boat anchorage , known as West Lagoon, accessible from the sea by a narrow artificial channel and an old airstrip; during WW2, it was turned into a Naval Air Station for several years and used for training and refueling. It
2976-523: The coconut type with the largest, longest and most triangular (in cross-section) fruits in the world, existing only at Palmyra. (The closest Cocos nucifera relative occurs only in the distant Nicobar Islands in the Indian Ocean .) The "mammoth coconuts" were put on display in Honolulu in 1914 along with paintings of Palmyra by Hawaiian artist D. Howard Hitchcock , who had accompanied Cooper to
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3072-520: The customs territory of the United States and have no customs duties. Palmyra land was registered in Hawaii Land Court in 1912. In 1959, the rest of the federal Territory of Hawaii , excluding Palmyra, became the state of Hawaii . Hawaii Land Court became a state court and lost jurisdiction over Palmyra land. Instead, Palmyra land documents are filed or recorded in federal court in Honolulu . The only current economic activity on Palmyra
3168-635: The 11 confirmed atolls and islands, Filippo Reef is shown on some maps, but its existence is doubted. The International Date Line passes through the Line Islands. The ones that are parts of Kiribati are in the world's farthest forward time zone , UTC+14:00 . The time of day in these atolls is 24 hours ahead of the state of Hawaii in the United States, which uses UTC−10:00 , and 26 hours ahead of some other islands in Oceania , such as Baker Island , which uses UTC−12:00 . Copra and pet fish are
3264-468: The 1870s, when it had: ... hardly, as yet, assumed the distinctive features of an island. It is entirely under water at high tide, and but a few coral heads project here and there above the surface at low water. In the course of time, however, it will undoubtedly be added to the [northern Line Islands]. Kingman Reef is considered to be a county-equivalent by the U.S. Census Bureau . With only 0.01 square miles (0.03 square kilometers) of land, Kingman Reef
3360-597: The 19th century, whaling ships were regular visitors to the islands. They came in search of water, wood and provisions. The first whaler recorded to have visited one of them was the Coquette , which docked at Kiritimati (then called Christmas Island) in 1822. In 1888, the United Kingdom was planning to lay the Pacific cable , and annexed the islands with a view to using Tabuaeran (then Fanning Island) as one of
3456-529: The 21st century, it has been noted for its marine biodiversity and remote nature. Hundreds of fish and coral species are on and around the reef. Kingman Reef was discovered on June 14, 1798, by the American captain Edmund Fanning of the ship Betsey . It was first described by Captain W. E. Kingman (whose name the island bears) of the ship Shooting Star on November 29, 1853. It was claimed in 1859 by
3552-432: The American sealing ship Betsy on a voyage to Asia, according to the memoir of Captain Edmund Fanning of Stonington, Connecticut . Fanning wrote that he had awakened three times during the night before, and after the third time took it as a premonition, ordering Betsy to heave to for the rest of the night. The next morning, Betsy resumed sailing, but only about a nautical mile farther on, he believed he sighted
3648-712: The Colony's resident commissioner to the Colonial Office and Parliament in London (see, for example, the reports submitted in 1966 and 1967 ). The United States contested the British annexations, based on the U.S. Guano Islands Act of 1856, which allowed for very wide-ranging territorial claims. It relinquished these claims only in 1979, when it entered into the Treaty of Tarawa , which recognised Kiribati's sovereignty over
3744-697: The Control and Jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Navy". Starting in 1937, the Fullard-Leo family began attempts to lease Palmyra to the U.S. Navy. During negotiations, the government filed a quiet title action against the Fullard-Leos and Henry Ernest Cooper 's six surviving children, claiming property at Palmyra had never been privately owned under the Kingdom of Hawaii or later. The case reached
3840-550: The Fullard-Leos, who owned most of Palmyra. The legend of the Esperanza and Santa Rosa (a ship rumored to have recovered the Esperanza treasure and sailed back to Honolulu) inspired a Jack London story called "The Proud Goat of Aloysius Pankburn", which was published as part of London's David Grief stories in the Saturday Evening Post . The atoll was visited by the USS ; Porpoise in 1842 as part of
3936-420: The Interior . The territory hosts a variable transient population of 4–25 staff and scientists employed by various departments of the U.S. government and by The Nature Conservancy , as well as a rotating mix of Palmyra Atoll Research Consortium scholars. Submerged portions of the atoll are administered by the Department of the Interior 's Office of Insular Affairs . Palmyra Atoll is the most expensive island in
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4032-686: The North Pacific Ocean, roughly halfway between the Hawaiian Islands and American Samoa . It has an area of 3 hectares (0.03 km ; 7.4 acres ) and is a unincorporated territory of the United States in Oceania . The reef is administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as the Kingman Reef National Wildlife Refuge . It was claimed by the US in 1859 and later used briefly as
4128-593: The Pacific Navigation Company. In 1897, this company was liquidated, and its interests were sold first to William Ansel Kinney and then to Fred Wundenberg, all of Honolulu. On June 12, 1911, Wundenberg's widow sold his two-thirds undivided interest in Palmyra as a tenant in common to Judge Henry Ernest Cooper (1857–1929). A further Wilkinson heir left her share to her son William Ringer Sr., who also bought his great-uncle's share, giving Ringer
4224-659: The Pacific and include Australia and New Zealand in its "Clipper" air routes, with a stopover in Pago Pago, American Samoa. However, an additional stopover point was sought. It had been decided that the Kingman Reef lagoon, located 1,600 miles (2,600 km) north of Samoa, would be suitable for overnight stops for planes en route from the U.S. to New Zealand. A supply ship, the North Wind, was stationed at Kingman Reef to provide fuel, lodging, and meals. On March 23, 1937,
4320-649: The Palmyra Atoll in the Line Islands of the Central Pacific Area . The name for the airport comes from Henry Ernest Cooper Sr. (1857–1929), who owned Palmyra from 1911 to 1922. Preliminary surveys were made by the U.S. Navy in 1938 for an airfield at this location. The first Navy group to begin construction sailed from Honolulu on November 14, 1939. The runway was made from crushed coral and expanded during World War II . During World War II,
4416-540: The S42B Pan American Clipper II, named Samoan Clipper and piloted by Captain Ed Musick , en route from Hawaii to American Samoa , became the first flight to land in Kingman Reef's lagoon. During the next several months, Pan Am successfully used the lagoon several times as a halfway station for its flying boats ( Sikorsky S-42 B) when they traveled between those two points. However,
4512-562: The U.S. government for its designation as a national wildlife refuge. The plaintiff sought $ 54.5 million in compensation for losing fishing rights, ecotourism, and other economic activity. However, in 2014, the federal court ruled that any such claim had expired by 1950 at the latest. In 2016, the ARRL Awards Committee of the American Radio Relay League removed Kingman Reef from its DXCC list, with
4608-626: The US Supreme Court. The Insular Areas report states, "While the suit was pending during World War II, the Navy occupied Palmyra and built a runway and several buildings." The Fullard-Leos and Coopers finally won their case in United States v. Fullard-Leo et al. , 331 U.S. 256 (1947), which quieted good land title against the federal government in favor of private landowners. The opinion acknowledged certain of Henry Maui's and Joseph Clarke's interests (331 U.S. 256 at 278) but their heirs and their successor Mrs. Bella Jones were not made parties to
4704-541: The United States Guano Company, under the name "Dangers Rock," along with several other islands. The claim was made under the U.S. Guano Islands Act of 1856, although there is no evidence that guano existed or was ever mined on Kingman Reef. The British steamship Tarta struck the reef in June 1874, and it was later surveyed by HMS Penguin (1876) in 1897, establishing that Kingman Reef
4800-484: The United States by reading the following declaration while standing on its shore: Be it known to all people: That on the tenth of May, A.D. 1922, the undersigned agent of the Island of Palmyra Copra Co., Ltd., landed from the motorship Palmyra doth, on this tenth day of May, A.D. 1922, take formal possession of this island, called Kingman Reef, situated in longitude 162 degrees 18' west and 6 degrees 23' north, on behalf of
4896-469: The United States of America and claim the same for said company. A copy of the declaration, along with a U.S. flag and clippings from The Honolulu Advertiser newspaper, were left on Kingman to document the claim. On December 29, 1934, the U.S. Navy assumed jurisdiction over Kingman Reef. In 1935, the reef was visited by William T. Miller , representing the U.S. Bureau of Air Commerce . In 1935, Pan American Airways wanted to expand its routes to
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#17327651589934992-562: The United States. ( Act of April 30, 1900, ch. 339, §§ 4–5.) On June 14, 1900, Palmyra became part of the new U.S. Territory of Hawaii . With the imminent opening of the Panama Canal , Palmyra became strategically important. Britain had established a submarine cable station for the All Red Line on nearby Fanning Island . The U.S. Navy sent USS West Virginia to Palmyra, where on February 21, 1912, American sovereignty
5088-481: The affair and the location of the treasure, which originally included 1.5 million Spanish gold pesos and an equal value in silver (possibly consisting of precolumbian artworks). Around 1903, over 95 years later, the letters were allegedly deposited for safekeeping with Capt. William R. Foster, the harbormaster of Honolulu , by a sailor who was bound for the Solomon Islands but never returned. After holding
5184-427: The airfield. During World War II, two other runways were built and used, one on Meng Island and another on Sand Island. These runways are now overgrown with plants and returning to the jungle. The U.S. Air Force maintained the main airfield until 1961. The airstrip still exists today but can be used only after prior permission has been obtained or in an emergency. The first known sighting of Palmyra came in 1798 aboard
5280-724: The atoll returned fire, forcing I-75 to submerge and withdraw. Although the U.S. lost control of the Philippines , Guam , and Wake , early in the war, the tide of the Pacific battle was slowly turned with such battles as the Battle of Midway and Guadalcanal . By 1944, much of the Southwest Pacific was in Allied control, and a combination of island hopping and strategic bombing led to the Japanese surrender in 1945. During
5376-532: The atoll. "Kingman Naval Airspace Reservation" was also established to restrict access to the airspace over the naval defense sea area. Only U.S. government ships and aircraft were permitted to enter the naval defense areas at Kingman Reef unless authorized by the Secretary of the Navy . In 2012, Kingman Reef Atoll Development LLC, owned by descendants of the owners of the Palmyra Copra Co., Ltd., sued
5472-434: The atoll. On April 15, 1862, it was formally annexed to the Kingdom of Hawaii, while Bent and Wilkinson became joint owners. Over the next century, ownership passed through various hands. Bent sold his rights to Wilkinson on December 25, 1862. Palmyra later passed to Kalama Wilkinson (Johnson's widow). In 1885, it was divided among her four heirs, two of whom sold their rights to William Luther Wilcox who, in turn, sold them to
5568-563: The aviators made a number of flights and the official photographer was in his element. At the time, Palmyra was occupied by three Americans: Colonel William Meng, his wife, and Edwin Benner Jr. While there, the USS Eagle Boat 40 , which had transported aircraft and photographic equipment to the islands, made a very rare exception to naval regulation and took aboard the wife, Mrs. Meng, to return her to Honolulu for medical aid as she
5664-439: The capital, South Tarawa , accompanied by approximately 25 journalists. The celebration, which was broadcast worldwide by satellite, had an estimated audience size of as many as one billion viewers. Kingman Reef Kingman Reef ( / ˈ k ɪ ŋ m ən / ) is a largely submerged, uninhabited, triangle-shaped reef , geologically an atoll , 9.0 nmi (20 km) east-west and 4.5 nmi (8 km) north-south, in
5760-615: The case.As of 2007, descendants of Henry Cooper still owned two small Home islets in the southwestern tip that were not sold in 1922. In July 1938, Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes wrote a letter to President Roosevelt , imploring him not to turn Palmyra over to the US Navy for use as a military base. Quoting his letter, he writes, ... the Navy Department has plans for the acquisition and development of
5856-414: The central Pacific territories. The proclamation established the "Palmyra Island Naval Defensive Sea Area", encompassing the territorial waters between the extreme high-water marks and the three-mile marine boundaries surrounding the atoll. "Palmyra Island Naval Airspace Reservation" was also established to restrict access to airspace in the area. Only U.S. government ships and aircraft were permitted to enter
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#17327651589935952-407: The coral rubble spits at low tide. However, above sea level, the reef is usually barren of macroorganisms. Mainly constructed of dead and dried coral skeletons, providing only calcite as a source of nutrients, the small and narrow strips of dry land are only habitable by a handful of species for short periods. Most flora that begin to grow above water—primarily coconut palms —die out quickly due to
6048-536: The east by Eastern Island, Papala Island and Pelican Island, and in the south by Bird Island, Holei Island, Engineer Island, Tanager Island, Marine Island, Kaula Island, Paradise Island, the Home Islets, and Sand Island (clockwise). Palmyra Atoll is in the Samoa Time Zone (UTC−11:00), the same time zone as American Samoa , Midway Atoll , Kingman Reef and Jarvis Island . In The Insular Cases ,
6144-739: The fierce tides and lack of resources necessary to sustain plant life. On September 1, 2000, the Navy relinquished its control over Kingman Reef to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service . On January 18, 2001, Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt created the Kingman Reef National Wildlife Refuge during his final days in office with Secretary's Order 3223. It is composed of the emergent coral rubble spits and all waters out to 12 nautical miles (22 km). While there are only 3 acres (0.012 km ) of land, 483,754 acres (1,957.68 km ) of water area
6240-498: The first land to see dawn in the year 2000. In 1999, to further capitalise upon the massive public interest in celebrations marking the arrival of the year 2000 , Caroline Island was officially renamed Millennium Island. Although the island is uninhabited, a special celebration was held there to mark the occasion. It featured performances by native Kiribati entertainers and was attended by Kiribati's President Tito. Over 70 Kiribati singers and dancers travelled to Millennium Island from
6336-506: The island as an air base. Our representatives have studied conditions at Palmyra and other islands in the south Pacific, and they report that use of this small land area as an air base for Navy Department purposes would undoubtedly destroy much, if not all, that makes the island one of our most scientifically and scenically unique possessions. The letter was unsuccessful, and plans for the base proceeded. On February 14, 1941, Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8682 to create naval defenses areas in
6432-543: The island. In September 1921, as part of a national push to better document the coastal and outlying areas owned by the United States, a small naval detachment was sent to Palmyra to conduct the first aerial surveys of the atoll. The events of that trip were recorded by a naval Pharmacist Mate , M. L. Steele, who wrote: During our visit the weather was delightful. The detachment remained at these islands two days and they were perfect for flying, affording an opportunity to take wonderful aerial pictures. The commanding officer and
6528-741: The islands' main export products (along with seaweed). Archaeologists have identified the remains of coral Marae platforms and/or village complexes on several of the islands, including the Kiritimati and Tabuaeran atolls, Teraina Island, Malden, Millennium Atoll and Flint Island. These remains are dateable as far back as the 14th century, and show that the inhabitants of the Line Islands were more than just castaways. Most 18th-century visitors to these isles overlooked these telltale signs of former Polynesian settlement. This included Captain Cook, who landed on Christmas Island (now called Kiritimati) in 1777, as well as Captain Fanning, who visited Teraina (Washington Island) and Tabuaeran (Fanning Atoll) in 1798. In
6624-519: The islets are connected. Sand Island and the two Home Islets in the west; Quail, Whippoorwill, and Bunker Islands in the north; and Eastern, Fern, Bird, and Barren Islands in the east are not. The largest island is Cooper Island in the north, followed by Kaula Island in the south. The northern arch of islets is formed by Strawn Island, Cooper Island (or Cooper-Meng Island since the original Cooper and Meng Islands were joined in 1940), Aviation Island, Quail Island, Whippoorwill Island, Bunker Island, followed in
6720-438: The landforms. It blasted and dredged a ship channel from the open sea into the West Lagoon, which had been completely enclosed by islands and reefs and was non-navigable until the channel reached the lagoon on May 15, 1941. It joined islands with causeway roads, built new islands, and extended existing islands with dredged coral spoil, including the main runway on Cooper Island, an emergency landing strip called Sand Island joined by
6816-401: The letters for 20 years in an iron chest, Foster revealed them to a reporter, who published the details. A conflicting variant of the story was published by Capt. F. D. Walker of Honolulu in 1903 and in 1914. In 1997, William A. Warren filed a federal salvage claim for a ship sunk off the atoll that he claimed had treasure from the Esperanza , but he abandoned his claim after legal objection from
6912-701: The majority of the Line Islands chain. Geographically, the Line Islands is divided into three subgroups: the Northern, Central, and Southern Line Islands (however, the Central Line Islands are sometimes grouped with the Southern Line Islands). The table below lists the islands from north to south. Note: The lagoon areas marked with an asterisk are included in the land areas of the previous column because, unlike typical lagoons in atolls, they are inland waters completely sealed off from
7008-475: The masthead to the southward of the shoal (Kingman Reef) but it was so hazy we were not certain." This would stand in conflict with Fanning's book of 1833, in which he, while referring to Kingman Reef, wrote "I went aloft, and with the aid of the glass could plainly see the land over it, far in the south." On November 7, 1802, the ship Palmyra , under Captain Cornelius Sowle (sometimes spelled "Sawle"),
7104-532: The naval defense areas at Palmyra Atoll unless authorized by the Secretary of the Navy . The Navy took over the atoll for use as the Palmyra Island Naval Air Station on August 15, 1941. From November 1939 through 1947, the atoll had resident federal government representatives and island commanders. The atoll was shelled by a Japanese submarine in 1941, with no significant damage or injuries. The government made extensive alterations to
7200-399: The outer rim of the reef is 20 sq nmi (70 km ). There are two small strips (spits) of dry land composed of coral rubble and giant clamshells on the eastern rim with areas of 2 and 1 acre (0.8 and 0.4 ha) having a coastline of 2 miles (3 km), a short spit on the northeast side of the lagoon and a spit twice as long but thinner on its south side. The highest point on
7296-443: The owners afterward, subject to a period of military administration and construction by the Navy before and during World War II from 1939 through 1945. In 2000, The Nature Conservancy acquired the majority of Palmyra Atoll from the Fullard-Leo family for $ 30 million (equivalent to $ 53,078,261 in 2023). Palmyra was turned into a military base in the Pacific at the start of WW2 after some legal questions were resolved. The island
7392-502: The pirates and their captives sailed west across the Pacific bound for Macao . After 43 days, the pirates' ship met a storm, lost course, and struck the coral reef surrounding Palmyra Island, breaking the mast. The 90 men aboard pulled the ship closer to land, but it was not serviceable. They offloaded the treasure to the island, distributed some, and buried the rest. They repaired part of their boat, and most crew shipped away, not to be heard from again. The remaining ten men spent most of
7488-770: The reef in October 2000. Using the FCC-issued special event callsign K5K , the group made more than 80,000 individual contacts with amateurs worldwide for 10 days. Between November 15, 1945, and March 28, 2016, Kingman Reef was considered a discrete entity to earn awards such as the DX Century Club . A video shot by amateur radio operators traveling to the K5P DX-pedition on Palmyra in January 2016 shows Kingman Reef mostly awash, raising questions as to whether
7584-456: The reef is less than 5 feet (1.5 m) above sea level, which is wet or awash most of the time, making Kingman Reef a maritime hazard. It has no natural resources and supports no economic activity. In the 1930s, it was used as a stopover along with Palu Palu for flying boats crossing the Pacific for commercial airline routes. Kingman Reef has the status of an unincorporated territory of the United States, administered from Washington, D.C., by
7680-622: The reef later known as Palmyra Island. It might have been wrecked if the ship continued on her course at night. Captain Fanning's claim to have discovered Palmyra itself has been challenged, on the view that he had only reached Kingman Reef 34 miles (55 kilometers) away and could not possibly have seen Palmyra from that distance. On page 3, the Baltimore newspaper The Telegraphe and Daily Advertiser of July 29, 1803, appears to quote directly from Fanning's journal: "We supposed that we saw land from
7776-588: The reef now considered part of the Palmyra Island / Jarvis Island DXCC Entity. It is the northernmost of the Northern Line Islands and lies 36 nautical miles (67 km) northwest of the next closest island ( Palmyra Atoll ), and 930 nautical miles (1,720 km) south of Honolulu . The reef encloses a lagoon up to 53 fathoms (318 ft; 97 m) deep in its eastern part near the northeastern spit of land. The total area within
7872-469: The relay stations for the cable. The cable was laid and was operational between 1902 and 1963 (except for a short period in 1914). In 1916, the British annexed Fanning and Washington islands, making them part of the British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands . In 1919, they annexed Christmas Island to the same colony. The Line Islands occasionally featured briefly in the biennial reports furnished by
7968-767: The sea. On 23 December 1994, the Republic of Kiribati announced a change of time zone for the Line Islands, to take effect from 31 December 1994. This adjustment effectively moved the International Date Line more than 1,000 km (620 mi) to the east within Kiribati, which placed all of Kiribati on the Asian or western side of the date line, despite the fact that Millennium Island's longitude of 150 degrees west corresponds to UTC−10:00 rather than to its official time zone of UTC+14:00 . Millennium Island
8064-522: The time of his discovery, Captain Sowle wrote: There are no inhabitants on the island, nor was any fresh water found; but cocoanuts [ sic ] of a very large size, are in great abundance; and fish of various kinds and in large shoals surround the land. During the 19th and 20th centuries, stories circulated in the Pacific of a large treasure of gold , silver and precious stones (sometimes described as Inca treasures ) that had been looted in
8160-590: The time, trouble, and expense such visits would occasion. In 1859, Palmyra Atoll was claimed for the United States both by Alfred Benson and by Dr. Gerrit P. Judd of the brig Josephine , under the Guano Islands Act of 1856, but no guano was there to be mined, so the claims were abandoned. On February 26, 1862, King Kamehameha IV of Hawaii commissioned Captain Zenas Bent and Johnson Beswick Wilkinson, both Hawaiian citizens, to take possession of
8256-401: The war Palmyra base was used by the Navy for training and refueling. The atoll was extensively developed which reduced the numbers of islets from 52 to 25. Line Islands The Line Islands , Teraina Islands or Equatorial Islands ( Gilbertese : Aono Raina ) are a chain of 11 atolls (with partly or fully enclosed lagoons , except Vostok and Jarvis ) and coral islands (with
8352-472: The world have occasionally visited the reef to put it "on the air" in what is known as a DX-pedition . In 1974, a group of amateurs using the callsign KP6KR sailed to the reef and set up a temporary radio station and antenna. Other groups visited the island in subsequent years, including 1977, 1980, 1981, 1988, and 1993. More recently, 15 amateur radio operators from the Palmyra DX Group visited
8448-423: The world, stretching 2,350 km (1,460 mi) from northwest to southeast. One of them, Starbuck Island , is near the geographic center of the Pacific Ocean ( 4°58′S 158°45′W / 4.97°S 158.75°W / -4.97; -158.75 ). Another, Kiritimati , has the largest land area of any atoll in the world. Only Kiritimati, Tabuaeran , and Teraina have a permanent population. Besides
8544-478: The world. In 2000, most of the land on the atoll, excluding only the Home and possibly Sand islets, was bought by The Nature Conservancy for USD 30 million (GBP 21 million) from the Fullard-Leo family. The atoll consists of an extensive reef , three shallow lagoons , and a number of sand and reef-rock islets and bars covered with vegetation—mostly coconut palms, Scaevola , and tall Pisonia trees. Many of
8640-499: Was formally reaffirmed. William Ringer Sr. died in 1909, survived by his wife and three minor daughters. In 1912, Henry Ernest Cooper bought the daughters' inherited rights from their legal guardian and petitioned to register Torrens title to all of Palmyra for himself. After a challenge in court, Cooper's ownership of the atoll was held by the Supreme Court of Hawaii to be subject to rights sold by Ringer's widow to Henry Maui and Joseph Clarke. Maui's and Clarke's interests, noted by
8736-424: Was fortified when it found itself on the front lines of the Pacific due to the losses of US territories to the west. It was shelled once early in the war, but due to US military success, it was used for refueling and training. After WW2, it was returned to private ownership, and the naval base was mostly demolished. Several memoirs, reports, and unofficial documents in the decades since World War II have stated Palmyra
8832-479: Was not handling the isolation and trying physical conditions of Palmyra well. On August 19, 1922, Cooper sold his interest in the atoll, except for two minor islets, to Leslie and Ellen Fullard-Leo for $ 15,000 (equivalent to $ 273,042 in 2023). They established the Palmyra Copra Company to harvest the coconuts growing on the atoll. Their three sons, including actor Leslie Vincent , continued as
8928-635: Was placed under naval jurisdiction in 1934 as part of Executive Order 6935. However, Palmyra is not mentioned in this order in any capacity. The first official mention of Palmyra under Naval Jurisdiction comes from a 1939 letter from the US Attorney General , mentioned in a 1997 Insular Areas report, concluding "Palmyra was U.S. public land and that the Fullard-Leo claim was invalid. S. Rep. No. 83-886 at 37." Soon after this determination, President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8616, officially, "Placing Palmyra Island, Territory of Hawaii, Under
9024-575: Was shelled by a submarine in December 1941 but was not the site of a major battle. It is the second-northernmost of the Line Islands and one of three American islands in the archipelago, along with Jarvis Island and Kingman Reef . Palmyra Atoll is part of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument , the world's largest marine protected area . The atoll comprises submerged sand flats along with dry land and reefs . It comprises three lagoons separated by coral reefs . The western reef terrace
9120-435: Was shipwrecked on the reef, which took the vessel's name. Lacking a navigable boat passage through the reef from the sea, it had never been inhabited. A lack of archaeological surveys on the atoll leaves the question of habitation before European contact open. As a result, no marae , basalt artifacts or evidence of Polynesian , Micronesian or other pre-European native settlements before 1802 have been reported on Palmyra. At
9216-439: Was the same hazard previously charted as Caldew Reef and Maria Shoal, among other names. On May 10, 1922, Lorrin A. Thurston became the first person to raise the American flag on the atoll and read an annexation proclamation. The Palmyra Copra Co. intended to use Kingman as a fishing base, as demand for copra had declined after World War I and Palmyra Island lacked a suitable anchorage. Thurston formally claimed Kingman for
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