Top 10 Events in Hawaiian History By tesssavage 900 BCE First people from Polynesia come to Hawaii Jan 18, 1778 Captain Cook arrives in Hawaii for the first time Jan 1, 1810 King Kamehameha unifies the Hawaiian islands Jan 1, 1848 The Great Mahele Land division and ownership is now allowed. Jul 6, 1887 Bayonet Consitiution King Kamehameha was forced to sign the Bayonet constitution, taking power away from the Hawaiian monarchy. Jan 17, 1893 Annexation of Hawaii Jan 17, 1893 Queen Lili'uokalani is overthrown Jul 4, 1898 Hawaii is declared a U.S. territory Dec 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor attack Aug 21, 1959 Hawaii is declared a U.S. state