Kamehameha V
King of Hawaii from 1863 to 1872
Kamehameha V (Lota Kapuāiwa Kalanimakua Aliʻiōlani Kalanikupuapaʻīkalaninui; December 11, 1830 – December 11, 1872), reigned as the fifth monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi from 1863 until his death in 1872. His motto was "Onipaʻa": immovable, firm, steadfast, or determined; he is said to have worked diligently for his people and kingdom, being described as the last great traditional chief.
Early life
He was born and given the name Lot Kapuāiwa on December 11, 1830. His mother was Elizabeth Kīnaʻu and father was Mataio Kekūanaōʻa. His siblings included David Kamehameha, Moses Kekūāiwa, Alexander Liholiho, and Victoria Kamāmalu. He also was a grandson of Kamehameha I. Kapu āiwa means 'mysterious kapu', or 'sacred one protected by supernatural powers'. He was adopted using the ancient Hawaiian tradition called hānai by Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena, but she died in 1836. He was then adopted by his grandmother Queen Kalākua Kaheiheimālie and step-grandfather High Chief Ulumāheihei Hoapili. His childhood was difficult; he felt that his hānai parents treated him as a stranger in their house, and that the adoption had deprived him the love of his mother. Throughout his life he would have a deep dislike for this tradition, as later seen by his anger at his half-sister Ruth Keelikolani after she gave away her second son Keolaokalani to Bernice Pauahi Bishop.
The public source identifies “Kamehameha V” as king of Hawaii from 1863 to 1872. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Kamehameha, King and Hawaii.
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Chronology provides the most reliable spine for this subject; interpretation should follow only after identities and dates are secure. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 22, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q887354. VIAF identifies the subject as 50856110. The Library of Congress control number is n90717773. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1830, 1872, 1863 and 1836.
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This entry incorporates text from “Kamehameha V” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.