James Cook is killed by Native Hawaiians near Kealakekua on the Island of Hawaii.

Captain James Cook, the British explorer and navigator, was killed on February 14, 1779, in Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii, during his third Pacific voyage. Initially welcomed by the Hawaiian people and even revered as a deity, Cook’s relationship with them soured after he attempted to take their chief, Kalani??pu?u, hostage in response to the theft of one of his ship’s boats. This act of aggression provoked a violent backlash from the Hawaiians, who viewed it as a grave offense. A skirmish broke out, and Cook was ultimately overpowered and killed by a group of native warriors. His death marked the end of his pioneering voyages, which had significantly expanded European knowledge of the Pacific but also contributed to the colonization and disruption of indigenous societies.