Hawaii became the 50th U.S. state in 1959.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Hawaii Admission Act on March 18, 1959. Hawaii voters approved statehood in a referendum on June 27, and the territory officially joined the Union on August 21, 1959. Alaska had become the 49th state earlier that year, on January 3.
The admission of Hawaii completed the current 50-state arrangement of the United States. Hawaii is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands and the southernmost state in the country. Its capital and largest city is Honolulu, on the island of Oahu.
Hawaii’s path to statehood followed decades as a U.S. territory. It had been annexed by the United States in 1898 and organized as a territory in 1900. Statehood discussions were shaped by population growth, military importance, and debates over territorial representation.