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Hawaii State Holidays
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 The third Friday in August is observed as a state holiday each year, recognizing the anniversary of Hawaii's statehood. Hawaii's efforts to obtain statehood involved a long political struggle which had to overcome many obstacles and prejudices. In 1919, Prince Kuhio, Hawaii's delegate to Congress at that time, introduced Hawaii's first statehood bill in the 65th Congress. But it, and another bill submitted the following year, died in the House Committee on Territories. In December of 1931, Delegate Victor Houston introduced another statehood bill in Congress. However, it did not get very far. The statehood bill of Samuel King in 1935 also didn't make it, however it did prompt a Congressional investigating committee to visit Hawaii in Oct of 1935. The extensive hearing brought out a number of negative reasons why statehood should be postponed. Some of these included the distance of Hawaii from the mainland, the lack of a substantial middle class, the large proportion of citizens of Japanese ancestry, and the alleged control of a strong group ("The Big Five') over the political and economic activities in the islands. Unsuccessful statehood bills were introduced again in 1947 and in 1950. It was only in 1959, during the first session of the 86th Congress That Hawaiian statehood bills were finally acted upon with dramatic swiftness. After some debate, the Senate bill passed on March 11 by a vote of 76 to 15. The House bill reached the floor on the same day and the House substituted the Senate version for it and passed it on March 12 by a vote of 323 to 89. A primary election took place in Hawaii on June 27, 1959, and on that day the various statehood propositions were voted on. Following the certification of the election results, President Eisenhower signed a proclamation on August 21, 1959 declaring Hawaii to be the 50th state. Also on that day, William F. Quinnand James K. Kealoha were sworn in as Hawaii's first elected governor and lieutenant governor, respectively. |
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