Queen Liliʻuokalani

Queen Liliʻuokalani was born on September 2, 1838, in Honolulu, Hawaii, as Lydia Kamakaeha. She was proclaimed queen in 1891. The last monarch of Hawaii, her reign was short-lived due to a U. S. military-backed coup in 1893. After an unsuccessful attempt to restore Queen Liliʻuokalani to power, she was sentenced to five years in prison at hard labor, which later became imprisonment in a bedroom of Iolani Palace for eight months. A gifted songwriter, she wrote and composed over 160 songs, including “Aloha Oe (Farewell To Thee).” Liliʻuokalani continued to fight for a free Hawaii until her death on November 11, 1917.