Born in Kohala, Hawaii Island, Kamehameha I (c. 1758? - 1819), also known as Kamehameha the Great, was the conqueror who united the Hawaiian Islands, the first ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaii and the founder of the Kamehameha Dynasty. In his youth, he accompanied his uncle, King Kalani'opu'u, the ruler of the island of Hawaii, to meet famed English explorer James Cook on his ship the Discovery and fought with him in the 1779 battle during which Cook was killed.
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