1. On July 23, 1847, the first official postage stamps of the Kingdom of Hawaii were issued. The stamps featured the portrait of King Kamehameha III, and were valued at 5 and 13 cents.

2. In 1894, the Republic of Hawaii was established on July 23, following the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893. Sanford B. Dole became the first president of the Republic.

3. On July 23, 1962, the University of Hawaii inaugurated its first female president, Marion M. Kelly. Kelly served as president of the university until 1969.

4. The USS Hawaii, a Virginia-class submarine, was commissioned by the United States Navy on July 23, 2007. The submarine is named after the state of Hawaii, and is the first naval vessel to be named after a U.S. state since the USS Texas was commissioned in 1993.

5. On July 23, 2012, the world's largest ocean conservation area was established around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument covers a vast area of over 583,000 square miles, and is home to numerous endangered species and unique marine ecosystems.