The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 7, 1898, until August 21, 1959, when its territory was admitted to the Union as the fiftieth U.S. state, the State of Hawaii. The Hawaii Admission Act explicitly specified that the State of Hawaii would not include Palmyra Island, the Midway Islands, Johnston Island, Sand Island (off-shore from Johnston Island), or Kingman Reef.