C. Less than two months ago, Hawaii reinstated its Cold War-era nuclear warning sirens amid growing fears of an attack by North Korea. Hawaii is 4,661 miles from North Korea and well within range of its ballistic missiles. North Korea says the latest missile it has tested could now strike anywhere in the United States.

Q: Saturday’s alert was triggered when an employee of the state's Emergency Management Agency pushed the wrong button during a shift change. An attack on Hawaii plunged the United States into the . . .

A. Spanish-American War

B. Second World War

C. Cold War

D. All of the above

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B. Japanese planes bombed the U.S. Naval base at Pearl Harbor in a surprise attack on Dec. 7, 1941. The Navy dispatch announcing the attack said: “Air raid on Perl Harbor. This is not a drill.” The United States soon joined the already raging World War II in fighting Japan and its allies Germany and Italy.

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Q: Before Hawaii became a U.S. territory in 1898 it was . . .

A. Independent nation

B. Japanese whaling port

C. Russian naval base

D. Spanish colony

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A. The islands were unified and ruled by native Hawaiian monarchs from 1795 until 1893. The Kingdom of Hawaii was recognized by major European powers and the U.S. Foreign residents mounted a coup against the island’s queen in 1893 with the aid of U.S. Marines. The islands were annexed by the U.S. in 1898.

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Q: What other state was an independent nation before joining the United States?

A. California

B. Texas

C. Vermont

D. All of the above

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D. Hawaii is one of four U.S. states — apart from the original thirteen, along with the Vermont Republic (1791), the Republic of Texas (1845), and the California Republic (1846) — that were independent nations prior to statehood. 

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