MONDAY, MARCH 18: HAWAII STATEHOOD

"Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau, Monday, March 18th. 

On this date in 1959, President Dwight Eisenhower signed the Hawaii Statehood Bill that passed through Congress the week before.  In a plebiscite held in June, Hawaiian voters validated the federal act, opting for statehood by more than 94 percent of the vote.  On August 21st, Hawaii became the 50th state, and our current national flag debuted. 

Hawaii was annexed by the United States in July 1898 and was organized as a territory two years later.  In the 1900 Census, the islands had a population of 154,001.  In 1960, after statehood, the island group's population was just under 633,000.  By 2011, it had more than doubled, to 1,375,000. 

Profile America is in its 16th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.  Sources:  U.S. Census Bureau, Hawaii, Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900-1990