Hawaiian History Timeline

These lovely islands were discovered by the Polynesians, who gave them the name Hawaii. When Captain Cook discovered Hawaii, he renamed them The Sandwich Islands. This information was culled from From Mauka to Makai. I have also added some dates of my own.

300 - 750 A.D.

Polynesians arrive by outrigger canoe from Tahiti

1778

British explorer Captain James Cook discovers the Hawaiian Islands and names them Sandwich Islands after Britian's Earl of Sandwich.

1779

Captain Cook is killed in a Big Island dispute at Kealakekua Bay, near Kona.

1789

The first Chinese arrive after jumping off a trading ship.

1810

King Kamehameha the Great unites all the Hawaiian islands into one kingdom.

1813

The first pineapple plants are introduced from Spain.

1816

First Hawaiian flag is sewn.

1817

Coffee is first planted.

1819

King Kamehameha the Great dies. Prince Liholiho ascends the throne as Kamehameha II (1819-1824). He also abandons the ancient taboo of eating with women.

1820

First American Protestant missonaries arrive aboard the brig Thaddeus from New England.

1825 - 1854

The reign of King Kamehameha III.

1840

The first Hawaii constitution of the kingdom was established.

1848

The Great Mahele is signed by King Kamehameha III which allows commoners and haoles to own land outright or in "fee simple," a concept that continues today.

1850

On August 31, King Kamehameha III declares Honolulu a city.

1874 - 1891

The reign of King David Kalakaua.

1882

America's only royal residence, Iolani Palace is built on Oahu.

1883

Mutual Telephone Company was started in Hawaii. The name was later changed to Hawaiian Telephone and then changed again to GTE Hawaiian Tel.

1885

The first contract laborers from Japan arrive to work on the sugar cane plantations.

1892

Macadamia nut trees are first planted.

1893

Queen Liliuokalani surrenders the kingdom to the United States under protest.

1895

Queen Liliuokalani abdicates her throne.

1898

Hawaii is annexed to the United States.

1900

Hawaii becomes a United States territory. The Great Chinatown fire leaves 7000 people homeless in Honolulu.

1922

Prince Jonah Kalanianaole Kuhio dies. He was the last powerful member of the royal Hawaiian family.

1927

First non-stop air flight from the mainland to Honolulu.

1934

President Franklin Deleno Roosevelt arrives July 26 on the cruiser Houston. He is the first United States president to visit Hawaii.

1935

Pan American Airways "China Clipper" inaugurates air mail service to Hawaii and the Pacific.

1941

December 7th, Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor. The U.S. enters World War II. Martial law is imposed in Hawaii until October 24, 1944.

1946

A killer "tsunami" (tidal wave) hits Hilo on the island of Hawaii.

1947

I am born in Eau Claire,