66 years ago today, on March 11, 1959 (February 3, 1959 lunar calendar), the United States Senate approved the Hawaiian Islands as the state of Hawaii. Hawaii Island, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, consists of the Hawaiian Islands. The Pacific Ocean is an important air transportation point, and its strategic location is very important. There are mainly 8 large islands and more than 120 small islands, which span the Tropic of Cancer diagonally from southeast to northwest, extending more than 2,400 kilometers, with a total area of 16,700 square kilometers. Population 1.135 million (1991). Capital and largest city Honolulu (Honolulu). About the fifth century, Polynesians moved here from the South Pacific. The first European to discover the islands was Juan Gaitano of Spain, and the real person who made Hawaii known to the world was Captain Cook, a British navigator, who landed on the Hawaiian Islands in 1778. In 1795, Chief Kamehameha conquered other tribes and established the Kingdom of Hawaii. The Kingdom of Hawaii was established in 1810. The kingdom was overthrown in 1893 and a republic was established the following year. It was annexed by the United States in 1898. On March 11, 1959, the U.S. Senate approved Hawaii to join the United States and became the 50th state of the United States. Hawaii is a Pacific Sea air base in the United States and a shipping center in the United States, Asia and Australia. Its position is very important.