August 21 - Hawaii Becomes the 50th State of America

This Day in History: 21 August 2020

 

21 August 1959

 

61 years ago, today, Hawaii became the 50^th state of the United States, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a proclamation that admitted Hawaii into the Union. The president also issued an order for an American flag to feature 50 stars arranged in staggered rows. This new flag became official almost a year later. Before it became an official US state, Hawaii was organised into a formal US territory in 1900. During World War Two, Hawaii also became firmly settled into the American national identity following the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour in December 1941.

 

The first known settlers of the Hawaiian Islands were Polynesian voyagers who had arrived in the 8^th century. In the early 18^th century, Hawaii was first opened to America when traders came to exploit the islands' sandalwood, which was valuable to China at the time. The sugar industry was later introduced to Hawaii by the 1830s, allowing American missionaries to bring about great changes in Hawaiian political, cultural, economic and religious life. The last reigning monarch of Hawaii, Queen Liliuokalani, was deposed by US marines in 1893, leading to the creation of the Republic of Hawaii one year later.

 

Want to find out more about how Hawaii came to be the 50^th United State? Click here for more information, or here for a video with more about Hawaii's history.