Nene (Hawaiian Goose)
In 1794 the British navigator George Vancouver presented a British flag to the warrior chief, Kamehameha before he became Kamehameha The Great, the ruler of all the Hawaiian Islands. As the new ruler of the newly united islands, Kamehameha had the flag redesigned in 1816. It combined the design of England's "Union Jack" with the stripes of America's "Old Glory" to maintain friendship with both nations. The eight stripes represent the eight main islands which made up Kamehameha's new kingdom.
King Kamehameha The Great
First named Paiea, meaning Soft-Shelled Crab, Kamehameha was born in 1758 to a Hawaiian Chief. Legend claims that a brilliant star appeared in the sky just before the great king was born and that the Hawaiian "kahunas" (prophets), predicted a superb leader was about to be born who would surpass all rivals. (That "star" could have been Halley's comet, which appeared late in 1758.) When word got out, a rival chief ordered the death of the infant prince, but he was safely hidden away and renamed, Kamehameha, meaning "The Very Lonely One." After years of turf wars against his cousins and uncles over other Hawaiian islands, the 6-foot 6-inch Kamehameha became the victor and undisputed ruler of the entire island group. Kamehameha continued the legacy of autocratic rule, yet he relinquished some rights to commoners and abolished human sacrificial rites in honor of the King. Under his rule, Hawaii enjoyed peace and prosperity.