1. In 1778, English explorer Captain James Cook became the first European to visit the Hawaiian Islands. He landed on the island of Kauai on April 18.

2. On April 18, 1906, a devastating earthquake struck San Francisco, California, causing tsunamis that reached as far as Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii. The tsunamis caused significant damage to the city and claimed the lives of several people.

3. Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States on August 21, 1959, but its admission into the union was preceded by a long campaign led by Hawaiian residents. On April 18, 1959, the Hawaii Statehood Commission presented a resolution to Congress urging the admission of Hawaii as a state.

4. April 18 is also the anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea, which took place in 1942 during World War II. The United States and Australia joined forces to defeat Japanese forces in a critical battle that helped turn the tide of the war in the Pacific.

5. The Hawaiian Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary was established on April 18, 1992, to protect and conserve the humpback whales that migrate to Hawaiian waters each winter. The sanctuary spans over 1,400 square miles of ocean and provides critical habitat for the whales.