On 14 February 1779, English explorer Captain James Cook was killed as he attempted to kidnap Kalaniʻōpuʻu, the ruling chief (aliʻi nui) of the island of Hawaii, after the native Hawaiians had taken a longboat from Cook's expedition in what they assumed was a trade exchange. As Cook and his men attempted to take the chief to his ship, they were confronted by a crowd of Hawaiians at Kealakekua Bay seeking to rescue their leader. The ensuing battle resulted in the deaths of Cook and several Royal Marines, as well as several Hawaiians. Kalaniʻōpuʻu survived the exchange.
Cook and his expedition were the first Europeans to arrive in Hawaii. They were eventually followed by mass migrations of Europeans and Americans to the islands that gave rise to the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii, the indigenous monarchy of the islands, by pro-American elements beginning in 1893.
Arrival
James Cook led three separate voyages to chart areas of the globe unknown to the Kingdom of Great Britain. During his third and final voyage, he serendipitously encountered what are known today as the Islands of Hawaii. He first sighted...
Evan Prodromou
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