What year did Hawaii become a state?

Hawaii officially became the fiftieth state on August 21, 1959. It is one of the smallest states, and it is the only state made up entirely of islands. The islands are the tops of volcanoes, some of them still active. Hawaii's story begins long before 1959. The earliest inhabitants were Polynesians who settled in the islands more than 1,000 years ago. In 1778, a British explorer named Captain James Cook named them the Sandwich Islands. He honored his sponsor, the Earl of Sandwich.

More Info: www.americaslibrary.gov

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44 Comments

djs

Irma Rivera, 🌹

msgrandma

I think annexing Hawaii was wrong. Then we tried to wipe out the Native Hawaiian language and culture.

Maia

dsneed, you forgot to say "Yea, me".

Joanne Serin

I was 10, so remember it well.

jack patti go

Got it!

Boni Forte

Missed it

Shirley Dutt

They came into my 1st grade classroom to replace the flag with one having 49 stars. Didn't last long.

Wayne Jines

My mom was born there, and I was born the year it became a state.

Chrissy Krainock Luders

Kitty White, come to Kauai, it’s the “garden island”, if you want to experience the real Hawaii. It’s very laid back here, no high rises, no freeway, friendly people, and unsurpassed beauty. I’m lucky to have lived here 12 years now. The saying here is “lucky we live Hawai’i”.