12 Facts About Howland Island

For statistical purposes, Howland is grouped as one of the United States Minor Outlying Islands.

Howland Island is primarily a nesting, roosting and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds and marine wildlife.

Howland Island was at last named on after a lookout who sighted it from the whaleship Isabella under Captain Geo.

Howland Island had 18 crew members who scoured the island for sustenance such as oysters, water, and birds.

Bligh's account on Howland Island is open to question since his route in the boat began between Tonga and Tofua and ran more or less west directly to Timor.

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Howland Island was uninhabited when the United States took possession of it under the Guano Islands Act of 1856.

However, when the United States Guano Company dispatched a vessel of their own in 1859 to mine the guano they found that Howland Island was already occupied by men sent there by the American Guano Company.

Settlement was named Itascatown after the USCGC Itasca that brought the colonists to Howland and made regular cruises between the other equatorial islands during that era.

Howland Island was designated as a scheduled refueling stop for American pilot Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan on their round-the-world flight in 1937.

Howland Island was selected as the group's leader and he spent more than three years on Howland, far longer than the average recruit.

Howland Island was occupied by a battalion of the United States Marine Corps in September1943 and was known as Howland Island Naval Air Station until May1944.

Howland Island habitat has suffered from the presence from multiple invasive exotic species.