10 Important Events in Hawaiian History

By saribal

  • 1627

    Spanish sailors visit Hawaii, they describe volcanic eruption in their ship's log

  • 1794

    Hawaii is placed under the protectorate of Great Britain​ by Vancouver

  • 1795

    King Kamehameha I unifies all of Hawaii.

  • 1819

    Kamehameha I dies, and his son Liholiho became Kamehameha II. He promptly abolished the local religion.

  • 1831

    Catholic missionaries that arrived during the late 1820s were forced to leave or be imprisoned in 1831.

  • 1835

    The first sugar plantation is established on Kauai Island. From here plantations spread across Hawaii.

  • 1853

    Smallpox epidemic takes the lives of over 5,000 Hawaiians

  • 1890's

    Sugarcane planting became an important industry. Thousands of workers were needed for these plantations; many came from China, Japan and the Philippines.

  • 1898

    Hawaii's state flag is replaced by the United States flag