Known as the 'Father of the Nation' in the Republic of China and the 'forerunner of democratic revolution' in the People's Republic of China, Sun Yat-sen traveled to Hawaii in 1879 and was educated at ʻIolani School and Oʻahu College (later to become Punahou School and have Barack Obama as a student). He learned the ideals of the French and American Revolutions and became president of the Republic of China (effectively now Taiwan) in 1912.