1. On January 2, 1778, British explorer Captain James Cook became the first European to set foot on the Hawaiian Islands, arriving in the archipelago's westernmost island of Kauai.

2. On January 2, 1837, the first Protestant missionaries from the United States arrived in Honolulu, Hawaii, marking the beginning of a significant religious and cultural change for the Hawaiian people.

3. In 1893, on January 2, a group of American businessmen and politicians led a coup against Queen Liliuokalani, the last monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii, resulting in the annexation of Hawaii by the United States five years later.

4. On January 2, 1959, Hawaii officially became the 50th state of the United States, after being a U.S. territory for over 50 years.

5. On January 2, 2008, a massive earthquake struck the Big Island of Hawaii, measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale. While it caused significant damage, no serious injuries or deaths were reported.