1. In 1894, the Republic of Hawaii was officially established, with Sanford B. Dole as its first president. This marked the end of the Hawaiian monarchy and the beginning of a new era for Hawaii.

2. On January 4, 1920, the Territory of Hawaii officially passed a law prohibiting the importation, sale, or possession of opium and other narcotics. The new law was part of a larger effort to combat drug trafficking on the islands.

3. In 1959, Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States. The admission of Hawaii as a state was the result of years of political and social activism by Hawaiian citizens, many of whom wanted to end the territory's status as a U.S. territory.

4. On January 4, 1986, the Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii's Big Island erupted, spewing lava and ash into the air. The eruption lasted for 35 years and resulted in significant damage to nearby communities.

5. In 2019, Hawaii became the first state in the U.S. to ban the sale of sunscreens containing two chemicals, oxybenzone and octinoxate, believed to harm coral reefs. The ban went into effect on January 4, 2021, and was aimed at protecting Hawaii's fragile marine ecosystem.