Hawaii became the 50th U.S. state when it joined the Union in 1959.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Hawaii Admission Act on March 18, 1959, and Hawaii was formally admitted on August 21, 1959. It followed Alaska, which became the 49th state earlier that same year on January 3. Hawaii’s admission completed the current 50-state union.
Hawaii is an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean. Its eight main islands include Hawaiʻi, Maui, Oʻahu, Kauaʻi, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Niʻihau, and Kahoʻolawe. Honolulu, on Oʻahu, is the state capital and largest city.
Hawaii’s statehood followed a complex political history. It was an independent kingdom, later a republic, and then a U.S. territory beginning in 1900. The statehood vote was held on June 27, 1959, with voters approving admission by an overwhelming margin.