10 Things to Know About Hawaii The Aloha State is home to the tallest mountain in the world. By Casey Leins,
1. Hawaii, which was officially recognized as the 50th state on Aug. 21, 1959, adopted its nickname The Aloha State that same year. Aloha means “hello,” “goodbye,” “welcome,” “love” and “best wishes.”
2. About 2,400 Americans died during Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. The U.S. lost six ships and at least 160 aircraft.
3. There are only 12 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet: five vowels and seven consonants.
5. Hawaii’s Mauna Kea volcano is the tallest mountain in the world, stretching nearly 33,500 feet from its base (which is 19,680 feet below sea level). Comparatively, Mount Everest reaches 29,035 feet starting at sea level.
6. The island of Hawaii, also known as the Big Island, is the youngest – and the largest – in Hawaii’s eight-island chain. A new island is growing underwater and is expected to break the surface in about 10,000 years, according to National Geographic.
7. Hawaii has more endangered species than any other state, and some animals, including snakes, hamsters and ferrets, are prohibited in order to protect the island habitat.
8. Hawaii is the only U.S. state where Asians and Asian descendants form a plurality. The state’s population is 38 percent Asian, 22 percent white, 10 percent Native Hawaiian, 10.5 percent Hispanic or Latino and 2 percent black.
9. The country’s 44th president, Barack Obama, was born in Honolulu in 1961, only two years after the territory entered the union.
10. The Aloha State’s tourism industry supported 204,000 jobs in 2017, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Visitors spent $16.8 billion, a 5.6 percent increase from 2016.
