Which event marked Hawaii becoming the 50th U.S. state?

Hawaii became the 50th U.S. state on August 21, 1959.

The Hawaii Admission Act provided for the territory’s admission, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the proclamation admitting Hawaii to the Union on August 21. Hawaii’s entry followed Alaska’s admission as the 49th state earlier in 1959, completing the current 50-state union.

Hawaii had been an organized U.S. territory since 1900. The islands were annexed by the United States in 1898, after the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893 and the establishment of the Republic of Hawaii. Statehood required a referendum in which Hawaii voters approved the proposal by a large majority.

Statehood did not include every Pacific island previously administered with the territory. The Admission Act excluded places such as Palmyra Island, Midway Islands, Kingman Reef, and Johnston Atoll. Hawaii’s state capital is Honolulu, on the island of Oahu.