1. In 1778, British explorer Captain James Cook became the first European to set foot on the Hawaiian Islands. He landed on a beach in Waimea on the island of Kauai on October 27, 1778.

2. On October 27, 1820, the first Protestant missionaries arrived in Hawaii. They were a group of missionaries from New England, and they came to spread Christianity in the islands.

3. In 1880, Queen Liliuokalani was appointed regent of Hawaii by her brother, King Kalakaua, while he was on a trip to the United States. This took place on October 27, 1880. Liliuokalani later became the last monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

4. The USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor was dedicated on October 27, 1962. The memorial was built to honor the 1,177 sailors and Marines who died on the battleship USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

5. On October 27, 1972, Hawaiian surfer Eddie Aikau became a hero when he attempted to paddle 12 miles to shore to get help for his fellow crew members who were stranded at sea after their canoe capsized. Although Aikau was an accomplished surfer and swimmer, he was never seen again. His legacy lives on through the annual Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational surfing competition.