- Captain James Cook killed at Kealakekua Bay, Hawaiʻi for attempted kidnapping of the high ranking chief Kalaniʻōpuʻu (Feb. 14, 1779)
- Unification of the Hawaiian Islands by Kamehameha I (1795-1810)
- Kingdom Period 1810-1893 (Haw. King.) (1810-Jan. 16, 1893)
- Death of Kamehameha I (May 8, 1819)
- Liholiho becomes Kamehameha II (1819 and reigns until July 14,1824)
- End of Kapu System (Nov. 1819)
- Missionaries from New England arrive (1820)
- Kauikeaouli becomes Kamehameha III (June 6, 1825 – Dec. 15, 1854)
- Alexander ʻIolani Liholiho becomes Kamehameha IV (Jan. 11, 1855 - Nov. 30, 1863)
- Lot Kapuāiwa becomes Kamehameha V (Nov. 30, 1863 - Dec. 11, 1872) End of Kamehameha Era
- William Charles Lunalilo is elected King (Jan. 8, 1873 - Feb. 3, 1874)
- David Kalākaua is elected King (Feb. 12, 1874 - Jan. 20, 1891)
- Liliʻuokalani becomes Queen (Jan. 29, 1891 - Jan. 17, 1893) She is the last monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
- Provisional Government 1893-1894 (Haw. Prov. Gov.) (Jan. 17, 1893-July 3, 1894)
- Republic of Hawaii 1894-1898 (Haw. Rep.) (July 4, 1894-July 6, 1898)
- Territory of Hawaii 1898-1959 (Haw. Terr.) (July 7, 1898-Aug. 20, 1959)
- State 1959-date (Haw.) (Aug. 21, 1959-date)
This thumbnail history is important to legal research in Hawaiʻi. It provides guidance as to where to look for laws during different historical periods. For example, when Hawaiʻi was a Territory of the United States, U.S. federal law is where you would look. Look to State of Hawaii laws after Aug. 21, 1959.