Correct Answer:
C. Hawaii
The correct answer is Hawaii. Hawaii became the 50th and most recent state to join the United States of America on August 21, 1959, completing the present-day union.
The Path of Hawaii to Statehood
- From Kingdom to Territory: Hawaii was an independent kingdom until 1893, when Queen Liliʻuokalani was overthrown by American planters. It was annexed by the United States in 1898 and became a U.S. territory in 1900.
- Statehood Vote and Admission: In 1959, a referendum in Hawaii saw an overwhelming 94% vote in favor of statehood. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Hawaii Admission Act, and Hawaii officially became the 50th state on August 21, 1959.
- Alaska's Precedence: Just a few months earlier, Alaska was admitted as the 49th state on January 3, 1959. The other options — Arizona (48th, 1912) and New Mexico (47th, 1912) — joined decades earlier.
- Geographic Uniqueness: Hawaii is the only U.S. state composed entirely of islands, the only one located in Oceania, and the only state outside North America. It brought a unique Polynesian cultural heritage to the union.
Therefore, the last state to join the USA was Hawaii in 1959.