1. In 1841, King Kamehameha III proclaimed a new constitution for the Kingdom of Hawaii. The constitution established a constitutional monarchy and granted more rights to the common people.

2. In 1887, a group of American and European businessmen forced King Kalakaua to sign the Bayonet Constitution, which took away much of the monarchy's power and gave more control to foreign interests.

3. In 1959, Hawaii officially became the 50th state of the United States. The admission followed a vote by the people of Hawaii to become a state and marked the end of Hawaii's status as a territory.

4. In 1983, the Kilauea volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii began a long period of continuous eruptions that continues to this day. The eruptions have created new land and attracted millions of visitors to the island to witness the spectacle of lava flowing into the sea.

5. In 2009, Barack Obama, who had spent much of his childhood in Hawaii, was inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States. His inauguration was a historic moment for Hawaii, as he was the first person from the state to be elected to the highest office in the land.