On what date did Hawaii become the 50th state of the United States?

Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States on August 21, 1959.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the admission proclamation after Hawaii voters approved statehood in a referendum. Hawaii’s admission followed Alaska’s entry as the forty-ninth state earlier in 1959, completing the current fifty-state Union.

Hawaii had been a U.S. territory since 1898, following annexation during the presidency of William McKinley. It became an organized incorporated territory in 1900. Statehood debates continued for decades, involving questions of representation, local government, strategic importance, and the islands’ diverse population.

Hawaii is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands and the only state located outside North America’s continental mainland. Its admission changed the national flag from 49 stars to 50. The new flag became official on July 4, 1960, so Hawaii’s statehood date and the 50-star flag’s official date are different.