Like pineapples and coconuts, the macadamia nut has long been synonymous with Hawaii, where it was first grown as a commercial crop.

During World War II, U.S. Armed Forces began using Kaho'olawe as a training ground and bombing range. In 1965, the U.S. Navy detonated 500 tons of conventional TNT on the island, creating a crater known as "Sailor Man's Cap" and possibly cracking the island's caprock. After decades of protests, the U.S. Navy ended live-fire training exercises on Kaho'olawe in 1990, and the whole island was transferred to the jurisdiction of the state of Hawaii in 1994.

The nene (pronounced "nay-nay") or Hawaiian goose is exclusively found in the wild on the islands of Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Molokai, and Hawaii. It was designated the official state bird in 1957.

Hawaii has the highest life expectancy of all the U.S. states, at 81.3 years. The Aloha State also has the second lowest obesity rate in the country and the third lowest smoking rate.

On the morning of December 7, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service attacked the naval base at Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu. Of the eight U.S. Navy battleships present, all were damaged, with four sunk. A total of 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed. 2,403 Americans were killed and 1,178 others were wounded. The attack led the United States to formally enter World War II the next day.

Honolulu means "sheltered harbor" or "calm port" in Hawaiian. The city has been the capital of the Hawaiian Islands since 1845.

In 1778, Captain James Cook became the first European to reach the Hawaiian islands. He named the archipelago the "Sandwich Isles" after his patron, the 6th Earl of Sandwich, George Montagu.

The Big Island makes up 63% of the Hawaiian archipelago's combined landmass, but only has 13% of Hawaii's population.

In 1866, during the reign of Kamehameha V, the Hawaii legislature passed a law that resulted in the designation of Molokai as the site for a leper colony, where patients who were seriously affected by leprosy (also known as Hansen's disease) could be quarantined to prevent them from infecting others. At its peak, about 1,200 men, women, and children were exiled to Molokai's Kalaupapa Peninsula.

According to the Hawaii Visitor Statistics Report, more than 10 million tourists visit Hawaii each year. Tourism makes up 21% of the state's economy, with many of Hawaii's largest industries revolving around the constant flow of tourists.