Hawaii became the 50th U.S. state in 1959, adding a milestone to the America250 story.
Hawaii entered the Union on August 21, 1959, after voters approved statehood in a referendum. Its admission followed Alaska’s statehood earlier that same year, making Alaska the 49th state and Hawaii the 50th.
The Hawaiian Islands had been an independent kingdom, then a republic and U.S. territory before statehood. Their history includes the 1893 overthrow of Queen Liliʻuokalani and annexation by the United States in 1898, events whose legacy remains important in discussions of Hawaiian sovereignty.
Hawaii is often confused with Alaska in questions about the final state admitted. Alaska joined the Union first, on January 3, 1959. Hawaii’s admission completed the current fifty-state map.