Hawaiian History Timeline

By Brian Lee HPA

  • 1778

    1778
    Englishman James Cook of the British navy discovered Hawaii.

  • 1795

    1795
    King Kamehameha I unifies Hawaiians.

  • 1819

    1819
    Kamehameha I dies, and his son Liholiho became Kamehameha II. He promptly abolished the local religion.

  • 1835

    1835
    The first sugar plantation is established on Kauai Island

  • 1859

    Honolulu Gas Company is established

  • 1866

    1866
    Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) sails into Honolulu Harbor

  • 1886

    1886
    Electricity arrives as five arc lamps are strung around Iolani Palace

  • 1898

    1898
    Hawaii's state flag is replaced by the United States' "Stars and Stripes"

  • 1957

    1957
    The first telephone cable from the US mainland to Hawaii operated

  • 1959

    1959
    Hawaii became the 50th state on Aug. 21, 1959