NATIONAL HAWAII DAY

NATIONAL HAWAII DAY | JULY 5

National Hawaii Day on July 5th recognizes the 50th state to be granted statehood in the U.S. This National Day celebrates the wonderful heritage, achievements, and beauty of the Hawaiian islands.

#NationalHawaiiDay

Eight islands make up The Aloha State, the largest of which is named Hawaii. The islands of Maui, Oahu, and Kauai are the next in size followed by Molokai, Lanai, Niihau, and Kahoolawe. The islands' beauty and traditions consistently draw visitors for rest and relaxation. Hawaii's pristine beaches, majestic volcanoes, and exotic atmosphere speak to a richly diverse heritage that is welcoming and fascinating. Dance, music, and song taught from one generation to the next keep traditions alive in a lush environment.

An Ancient History

Nearly 2,000 years ago, Polynesians navigated the Pacific Ocean in double-hulled vessels from the west. Captain James Cook sailed to the islands in 1778 and would later meet his death on the big island.

For generations, Hawaii was ruled by the hand of the Kamehameha dynasty. King Kamehameha is still honored in Hawaii today. In 1874, a new king was elected to the throne. King Kalākaua was known as the Merrie Monarch. Kalākaua also developed a reputation as a diplomat as he set out to tour the globe in 1881. As a result, Kalākaua would become the first monarch to travel around the world. It would take the Hawaiian leader an entire year to complete the voyage.

While Hawaii is the 50th state to join the Union, it has long hosted strategic military installations. Its location in the Pacific has been vital to U.S. Naval operations for decades. On December 7, 1941, the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor shocked the nation and propelled the United States into World War II. Nearly 11 years later on August 21, 1959, Hawaii became the 50th state to join the United States.

HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL HAWAII DAY

Join National Day Calendar by exploring the sights, sounds, flavors, and beauty of Hawaii and use #NationalHawaiiDay to share on social media.

Must-See Stops on the Islands

Notable Hawaiians

William Francis Hillebrand - A chemist with the United States Geological Survey in 1880, Hillebrand became the chief chemist for the National Bureau of Standards in 1909. Hillebrand's studies of uraninite would eventually lead other chemists to new discoveries.

Princess Victoria Ka`iulani Cleghorn - In 1893, the last heir to the Hawaiian dynasty came to the U.S. after her mother, the queen, had abdicated the throne ending the monarchy. The young 18-year-old Princess Victoria Ka`iulani Cleghorn would make her statement to the American people and have a private meeting with President Grover Cleveland to defend the role of the Hawaiian monarchy. In the end, Hawaii remained a U.S. territory.

Hiram Bingham III - The son of missionaries, Bingham explored the mountains of Peru and in 1911 revealed to the world the hidden city of Machu Picchu. His three expeditions spanned from 1911 to 1915 and traversed the Andes. The Incan village was buried beneath centuries of forest and vine.

Henry Gabriel Ginaca - Ginaca engineered the machine that automatically peeled and cored the Hawaiian fruit for the Dole Packaged Foods Company in 1911. Thanks to Ginaca, the pineapple is more readily packaged, shipped, and consumed.

Mary Kawena Pukui - Author of numerous scholarly books, Mary translated chants, folktales and the Hawaiian culture for anthropologists. Her expertise provided a wealth of valuable information and preserved Hawaiian history and knowledge.

James Mitose - Raised in Japan, Mitose studied the art of Kenpo at the Shaka-In temple on Mt. Akenkai. Mitose would establish the martial art in the U.S. through the islands of Hawaii.

Don Ho - Best known for the song "Tiny Bubbles," Ho entertained audiences and brought Hawaiian musical flair to the continent.

Paul Avery - An exceptional journalist who aided detectives in the search for the infamous Zodiac killer. From the office of the San Francisco Chronicle, Avery would also become a target, and his sleuthing never revealed the identity of the serial killer. Avery would continue his career in journalism and die a natural death.

Barack Obama - The 44th President of the U.S. Obama took office in 2009 and served two terms and was the first African American president elected in the U.S.

Jordan Hubbard - A one-time Apple Inc. manager and open source developer, Jordan Hubbard is the VP of Engineering for Two Pore Guys. He is one of the creators of FreeBSD and has been creating and providing technology open source tools for decades.

Megan McArthur - As an oceanographer, McArthur served with NASA's final mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. Her skills were utilized in improving and extending the telescope's lifespan. McArthur remained with NASA as a Capsule Communicator for International Space Station and Space Shuttle missions as well as other roles throughout NASA.

Bruno Mars - Born Peter Gene Hernandez, Mars is a Grammy Award-winning artist and producer. Known for his broad range of upbeat, funk, soul and rock beats, Mars' popularity soared to the top of the charts in the mid-2000s.

Founded in 2017 by National Day Calendar to celebrate Hawaii as the 50th state to join the Union. Beginning with Delaware on July 13, we honor one state per week in the order they joined the Union. National Day Calendar is committed to celebrating every aspect of our nation's diverse culture and history, which is why we proudly introduced National State Days. This initiative is our way of honoring each state in the order they joined the Union, offering a dedicated day to celebrate the unique heritage, achievements, and spirit of each state.

We highlight a small part of each state’s history, foods, and the people who make up the state.