Hint: Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States just eight months after Alaska became the 49th.

Hawaii, a cluster of islands located about 2,400 miles from the U.S. mainland in the South Pacific, became the 50th state of the United States just eight months after Alaska, the 49th state, in 1959. Before statehood, Hawaii was annexed as a U.S. territory in 1898.

However, the transition to statehood was not universally celebrated, especially among Native Hawaiians. Many have consistently opposed Hawaii's incorporation into the United States, viewing it as an unjust loss of their sovereignty. In 1993, on the 100th anniversary of the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, the U.S. government issued a formal apology to Native Hawaiians for the unlawful overthrow and acknowledged that 1.8 million acres of land had been taken without their consent or compensation. Despite this apology, no restitution was provided.