Did you know that three U.S. states were formally independent countries before becoming annexed by the United States? Vermont, Texas and Hawaii were once independently functioning as countries, and were recognized by the U.S. as such, before joining the rest of the country.

On June 11th, Hawaiians will celebrate Kamehameha Day, a public holiday, around the state. The purpose of this day is to celebrate Kamehameha the Great, the monarch who united the islands of Hawaii in the 1800’s to establish the kingdom of Hawaii.