In 1795, King Kamehameha I unified the Hawaiian islands of Oahu, Hawaii, Molokai, Lanikai, and Maui.

King Kamehameha day is a special day for the people of Hawaii. Watch as HI Now host Kainoa Carlson travels to the Big Island to learn more about this unique holiday.

This year's Nā Kamehameha parade in Maui featured a never-before-seen pāʻū demonstration. Typically, pāʻū princesses compete by exhibiting Western styles of horsemanship with the goal of accruing the most points.

The first horses in Hawaii were gifted to King Kamehameha I, but it wasn't until the rule of Kamehameha III when the Paniolos, or cowboys, came into existence. Shortly afterward, women began to ride horses, which led to the invention of the pāʻū holo lio, or riding skirt.

Every year on the Friday closest to June 11, the King Kamehameha statue in downtown Honolulu is decorated with lei to honor King Kamehameha, who unified the Hawaiian islands.

In the 1860s, King Kamehameha V planted 1000 coconut trees to represent the 1000 warriors who once protected Hawaii. He named this swath of land in Moloka'i the Kapuaiwa Royal Coconut Grove, and, though there are only about 100 trees left today, the grove stands as a reminder of King Kamehameha I, who unified the Hawaiian islands.