On August 21, 1959, President Dwight Eisenhower signed a proclamation declaring Hawaii the 50th state of the United States. Eisenhower highlighted the historic significance of this occasion as Hawaii became the second state added to the Union within that year. This marked the first time in 158 years that Congress consisted solely of senators and members of Congress, rather than delegates representing the Hawaii Territory and Alaska Territory. Hawaiian statehood came about through the Hawaii Admission Act, which required Hawaiians to vote on joining the United States as a state.
The Hawaii Admission Act, which was signed into law in March 1959, stated that Hawaiians would have the opportunity to vote on the issue of statehood. In June 1959, Hawaiians overwhelmingly voted in favor of joining the United States as a state, marking the highest electoral turnout in state history. Hawaii’s statehood came more than half a century after the United States annexed the islands in 1898. The islands have a rich history dating back centuries, with Polynesians arriving around 1,500 years ago and Captain James Cook becoming the first European to reach the islands in 1778.
The Hawaiian islands were united under King Kamehameha I in 1810, and the monarchy ruled until 1874 when King Lunalilo died without an heir. The 1887 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii significantly reduced the monarch’s authority and empowered the legislature and government. Queen Liliʻuokalani was overthrown in a coup in 1893, leading to the establishment of the Republic of Hawaii in 1894. Sanford Dole led the Republic until the creation of the Territory of Hawaii in 1900 under President William McKinley. Dole was then appointed as the territorial governor.
On December 7, 1941, Hawaii was thrust into the spotlight when Japanese forces bombed the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor, leading to the deaths of 2,403 Americans. The attack on Pearl Harbor resulted in the sinking of the USS Arizona, where 1,177 service members lost their lives. August 21 is commemorated as “Statehood Day” in Hawaii, with observances held every third Friday in August. The state’s history is a complex tapestry of indigenous roots, European exploration, and eventual annexation by the United States, culminating in statehood after a long journey that began with Polynesian settlers millennia ago.
