Prince Kūhiō Day is a state holiday that honors the life of Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana‘ole and his many accomplishments in service of his people and the Hawaiian Islands. Born on March 26, 1871 in the Kōloa District on the island of Kaua'i, he was named after his maternal grandfather Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole, a High Chief of Hilo, and his paternal grandfather Jonah Piʻikoi, a High Chief of Kauaʻi.
Kūhiō was a notable athlete competing in football, rowing, running, and bicycling. He was also known as an avid horseman, an excellent marksman and was skilled in the Hawaiian martial art of Lua.
Kūhiō was a founder of the first Hawaiian Civic Club on December 7, 1918 and served on the first Hawaiian Homes Commission starting on September 16, 1921. He was a representative in the territory of Hawaiʻi as delegate to the United States Congress - the only member of congress to to ever be born in to royalty.
Kūhiō is memorialized in street names, beaches and surf breaks. The Prince Kūhiō Plaza Shopping Center, in Hilo, and the Prince Kūhiō Federal Building, on Oʻahu, are named after him. Two of Hawaii's public schools also honor the memory of Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole: Prince Jonah Kūhiō Elementary School in Honolulu and Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole Elementary and Intermediate School in Papaikou, Hawaii, near Hilo on the Island of Hawaii.