Hawaii became the 50th and most recent state admitted to the United States.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Hawaii Admission Act on March 18, 1959. Statehood became effective on August 21, 1959, after Hawaii had been an organized U.S. territory since 1900. The act dissolved the Territory of Hawaii and established the State of Hawaii.
Alaska became the 49th state earlier in 1959, on January 3. Hawaii’s admission completed the current 50-state union and led to the 50-star flag used today. Hawaii’s path to statehood followed decades of territorial administration and a 1959 referendum in which voters approved statehood. It remains the most recent state admission, distinguishing it from territories and freely associated states that are not U.S. states.