1. In 1778, British explorer Captain James Cook discovered the Hawaiian Islands for the first time. He named the archipelago the "Sandwich Islands" after John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, who was sponsoring his voyage.

2. In 1893, a group of American businessmen and sugar planters backed by the United States government overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy and established a provisional government. Queen Liliuokalani, the last monarch of Hawaii, was deposed and placed under house arrest.

3. In 1959, Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States. The statehood bill was signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on August 21, 1959, and Hawaii officially became a state on January 18, 1960.

4. In 1968, the USS Scorpion, a nuclear-powered submarine, sank in the Pacific Ocean about 400 miles southwest of Hawaii. All 99 crew members were lost in the tragedy, which is still the subject of investigation and speculation.

5. In 2018, Hawaii was hit by a false missile alert that caused widespread panic and confusion. The alert, which was sent out via the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts, warned of an incoming ballistic missile and advised residents to seek shelter immediately. It was later confirmed to be a false alarm caused by human error.