August 21, 1959: Hawaii -- or "Hawai'i," as its natives write its name -- is admitted to the Union as the 50th State. It remains the most-recently-added State.
The 1st 48 States are known as the "Contiguous States." But Alaska and Hawaii, the 2 newest States, are separated from them, and neither borders any other State.
Because new States mean new stars added to the American Flag on the following July 4, the addition of a 50th Star on July 4, 1960 produced the American Flag that has flown ever since. On July 5, 2007, it surpassed the 48-Star Flag of July 4, 1912 to 1959 as the longest-lasting American Flag.
Hawaii's State Flag is a combination of the American Stars & Stripes and the British Union Jack. It is a legacy of the British Royal Navy's historical relations with the Kingdom of Hawai'i, and, in particular, the pro-British sentiment of the 1st ruler of a united Hawaiian Islands, King Kamehameha I. This flag was retained after the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893, after U.S. annexation in 1898, and after Statehood in 1959. The original State Capitol building, replaced by the current one in 1969, was the Royal Palace, and is the only royal palace on what is now American soil.
Hawaii is a chain of islands in the Pacific Ocean. There are 8 main islands. From west to east, they are: Ni'ihau, The Forbidden Isle (population just 84); Kaua'i, The Garden Isle; O'ahu, The Gathering Place; Moloka'i, The Friendly Isle; Lānaʻi, The Pineapple Isle; Kaho'olawe, The Target Isle (no permanent residents); Maui, The Valley Isle; and Hawai'i, The Big Island. Ka Lae, on the Big Island, is the southernmost point in the United States.
Hawaii is known for each beach resorts, its flowers, its volcanoes, and its U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor, whose attack by Japanese airplanes on December 7, 1941 brought America into World War II.
Hawaii has the lowest percentage of white residents of any State, just 21 percent; and 57 percent as Asian and/or "Pacific Islander." Because of this multicultural background Hawaii tends to be liberal politically. Since its 1st Presidential election in 1960 -- when a recount turned it from Richard Nixon to John F. Kennedy -- it has only voted for the Republican nominee for President twice: Nixon in 1972, and Ronald Reagan in 1984, the 2 elections where 49 of the 50 States were won.
Hawaii has about 1.4 million people, with O'ahu having the vast majority of them, just over 1 million people. It is home to Honolulu, the State's capital and, at 350,000, its largest city. The State's size, and its distance from the American mainland -- 2,556 air miles from Honolulu to Los Angeles, almost as much as from the Pacific Coast to the Atlantic Coast -- and its time zones, 3 hours behind Pacific Time and 6 hours behind Eastern Time, make major league sports there almost impossible.
The Hawaii Islanders played in the Class AAA Pacific Coast League from 1961 to 1987. A team known simply as "The Hawaiians" played in the World Football League in 1974 and '75. The State has hosted college football bowl games and early-season college basketball tournaments. The University of Hawaii has had a prominent football program.
It is unlikely that there will be a 51st State anytime soon. Potential candidates tend to include the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, but the former has Republicans in Congress standing in its way, since they don't want a majority-black State electing 1 liberal to the U.S. House of Representatives and 2 to the Senate; and the latter has voted to remain a "commonwealth," instead of for Statehood or independence, every time the subject has come up.
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August 21, 1959 was a Friday. Jim McMahon, the only quarterback ever to lead the Chicago Bears to victory in a Super Bowl, was born.
These baseball games were played:
* The New York Yankees beat the Kansas City Athletics, 9-7 at Kansas City Municipal Stadium. Duke Maas was the winning pitcher. Héctor López hit a home run. Mickey Mantle went 1-for-3 with 2 walks. Yogi Berra went 1-for-4 with a walk and 2 RBIs. For the A's, future major league manager Dick Williams hit a home run, and Roger Maris drew a walk as a pinch-hitter. After the season, the Yankees traded for Maris.
* The San Francisco Giants swept a doubleheader from the Philadelphia Phillies, 6-0 and 10-6 at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia. In the opener, Johnny Antonelli allowed 8 hits, but kept the shutout to beat Robin Roberts, and even hit a home run in his own cause. Over the 2 games, Willie Mays went 1-for-10, and Willie McCovey went 2-for-9 with 2 RBIs.
* The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 6-5 at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. Roberto Clemente went 1-for-3.
* The Cleveland Indians beat the Baltimore Orioles, 5-0 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Jack Harshman pitched a 3-hit shutout.
* The Cincinnati Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 2-1 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. Frank Robinson went 1-for-3 with a walk. Stan Musial appeared as a pinch-hitter, and drew a walk.
* The Detroit Tigers beat the Boston Red Sox, 2-0 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. (It was renamed Tiger Stadium in 1961.) Paul Foytack pitched a 4-hit shutout. Al Kaline hit a home run. Ted Williams appeared only as a pinch-hitter, and struck out.
* The Chicago White Sox beat the Washington Senators, 5-4 at Comiskey Park in Chicago.
* And the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Braves were rained out at Milwaukee County Stadium. The game was made up as part of a doubleheader the next day. The Braves swept, 7-0 and 3-2. Carl Willey pitched a 6-hit shutout in the 1st game. In the 2nd game, with Stan Lopata batting in the bottom of the 9th, Bill Henry threw a wild pitch, allowing Bobby Ávila to score the winning run.
Over the 2 games, Hank Aaron went 0-for-8 with a walk, Eddie Mathews went 4-for-8 with a walk and 2 RBIs, and Ernie Banks went 0-for-8.
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