History Hop Tags - New Jersey

1664-03-12

New Jersey becomes a British colony

1664-06-15

New Jersey established

1664-06-24

The colony of New Jersey is founded.

1673-03-18

Lord Berkley sells his half of New Jersey to the Quakers

1758-08-29

New Jersey Legislature forms 1st Indian reservation

1766-11-10

The last Colonial governor of New Jersey, William Franklin, signs the charter of Queen's College (later renamed Rutgers University).

1772-09-26

New Jersey passes bill requiring a license to practice medicine

1780-06-23

American Revolution: Battle of Springfield fought in and around Springfield, New Jersey (including Short Hills, formerly of Springfield, now of Millburn Township.

1781-01-01

1,500 soldiers of the 6th Pennsylvania Regiment under General Anthony Wayne's command rebel against the Continental Army's winter camp in Morristown, New Jersey as part of the Pennsylvania (Continentals; Regiment) Mutiny of 1781.

1787-12-18

New Jersey becomes 3rd state to ratify constitution

1789-11-20

New Jersey is 1st state to ratify Bill of Rights

1804-02-15

New Jersey becomes last northern state to abolish slavery

1806-01-30

The original Lower Trenton Toll Bridge, which spans the Delaware River between Morrisville, Pennsylvania and Trenton, New Jersey, is opened. A later bridge opened in 1935 is also known as the Trenton Makes - the World Takes Bridge.

1831-09-15

The locomotive John Bull operates for the first time in New Jersey on the Camden and Amboy Railroad.

1838-01-11

1st public demonstration of telegraph message sent using dots & dashes at Speedwell Ironworks, Morristown, New Jersey by Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail

1846-06-19

First offically recognised baseball game (played by Cartwright Rules) - NY Nines 23 defeat Knickerbockers 1 at Hoboken, New Jersey

1871-01-19

1st Negro lodge of US Masons approved, New Jersey

1882-08-05

Standard Oil of New Jersey is established.

1883-01-19

The first electric lighting system employing overhead wires, built by Thomas Edison, begins service at Roselle, New Jersey.

1904-01-05

-34°F (-36.7°C), River Vale, New Jersey (state record)

1909-06-09

Alice Huyler Ramsey, a 22-year-old housewife and mother from Hackensack, New Jersey, becomes the first woman to drive across the USA, driving a Maxwell automobile 3,800 miles from Manhattan to San Francisco in 59 days with three non-driving female companions.

1921-09-07

In Atlantic City, New Jersey, the first Miss America Pageant, a two-day event, is held.

1931-10-24

George Washington Bridge linking New York City and New Jersey dedicated, opens the next day

1932-03-01

The 20 month old son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh is kidnapped from their home in East Amwell, New Jersey in what became known as the "Lindbergh kidnapping"

1935-06-11

Inventor Edwin Armstrong gives the first public demonstration of FM broadcasting in the United States, at Alpine, New Jersey.

1935-09-29

5th Ryder Cup: US wins, 9-3 at Ridgewood Country Club (Ridgewood, New Jersey, US)

1935-10-23

Dutch Schultz, Abe Landau, Otto Berman, and Bernard "Lulu" Rosencrantz are fatally shot at a saloon in Newark, New Jersey in what will become known as The Chophouse Massacre.

1936-07-10

110°F (43°C) at Runyon, New Jersey (state record)

1940-10-30

Film premiere of "One Night in the Tropics" first film for Abbott and Costello Paterson New Jersey.

1942-01-02

The United States Navy opens a blimp base at Lakehurst, New Jersey.

1942-07-18

1st legal New Jersey horse race in 50 years; Garden State Park track opens

1946-07-25

At Club 500 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis stage their first show as a comedy team.

1947-11-20

1st permanent TV installed on seagoing vessel (New Jersey)

1949-09-06

Howard Unruh kills 13 neighbors in 12 minutes in Camden, New Jersey

1955-04-19

The German automaker Volkswagen, after six years of selling cars in the United States, founds Volkswagen of America in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey to standardize its dealer and service network.

1956-04-26

First modern container ship, the Ideal X, leaves Port Newark, New Jersey for Houston, Texas

1971-11-24

Prison rebellion at Rahway State Prison, New Jersey

1972-06-01

Iraq nationalizes Iraq Petroleum Company's (IPC) concession owned by British Petroleum, Royal Dutch-Shell, Compagnie Francaise des Petroles, Mobil and Standard Oil of New Jersey

1976-09-01

New Jersey's Meadowlands racetrack opens

1982-01-31

32nd NBA All-Star Game: East beats West 120-118 at New Jersey

1989-01-23

NBA New Jersey Nets begin a 32+ game road losing streak

1992-04-21

Mobil Oil tug with 12,000 gallons of oil run aground in Arthur Kill (a tidal strait separating Staten Island, New York City from mainland New Jersey, USA)

1994-05-25

Mark Messier guarantees his New York Rangers will beat the New Jersey Devils in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, which he would help deliver on by scoring a natural hat trick in the game

1998-05-26

The United States Supreme Court rules that Ellis Island, the historic gateway for millions of immigrants, is mainly in the state of New Jersey, not New York.

2001-09-18

First mailing of anthrax letters from Trenton, New Jersey in the 2001 anthrax attacks.

2001-10-09

Second mailing of anthrax letters from Trenton, New Jersey in the 2001 anthrax attack.

2002-05-31

The New Jersey Nets defeat the Boston Celtics 96-88 in Game 6 of the NBA's Eastern Conference Championship, winning the series 4 games to 2 to advance to their first NBA Finals appearance.

2002-06-12

Los Angeles Lakers beat New Jersey Nets 4-0 in NBA finals MVP: Shaquille O'Neal, L.A.

2002-06-12

56th NBA Championship: Los Angeles Lakers beat New Jersey Nets, 4 games to 0

2003-06-15

57th NBA Championship: San Antonio Spurs beat New Jersey Nets, 4 games to 2

2004-08-12

New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey comes out publicly as a gay man.

2007-09-21

George Clooney is injured in a motorcycle accident in Weehawken, New Jersey

2008-01-08

New Jersey officially apologizes for slavery, becoming the first Northern state to do so.

2012-06-11

Los Angeles Kings defeat New Jersey Devils 6-1 in game 6 to win the NHL's Stanley Cup

2012-10-29

Hurricane Sandy makes landfall in New Jersey resulting in 110 deaths and $50 billion in damage and forces the New York stock exchange to close

1661-11-28

Edward Hyde, 3rd Earl of Clarendon, British Governor of New York and New Jersey (d. 1723)

1723-02-05

John Witherspoon, Gifford Scotland, president of the College of New Jersey (signed Declaration of Independence)

1723-11-30

William Livingston, revolutionary Governor of New Jersey (d. 1790)

1726-02-15

Abraham Clark, Elizabethtown, New Jersey, American politician, signed Declaration of Independence

1789-09-15

James Fenimore Cooper, Burlington New Jersey, 1st major American novelist (Last of Mohicans)

1807-09-25

Alfred Vail, Morristown New Jersey, American Inventor, early telegraph pioneer, and financial backer to Samuel Morse

1814-08-23

James Roosevelt Bayley, first Bishop of Newark, New Jersey, and the eighth Archbishop of Baltimore (d. 1877)

1864-10-10

T. Frank Appleby, United States Congressman from New Jersey (d. 1924)

1871-11-01

Stephen Crane, Newark, New Jersey, novelist/poet (Red Badge of Courage), (d. 1900)

1881-11-16

Joel H. Hildebrand, Camden New Jersey, American Chemist and Educator whose work on the chemistry of solutions helped treat divers with the 'bends' through the introduction of helium and oxygen breathing mixtures

1886-12-06

Joyce Kilmer, New Brunswick, New Jersey, poet (Trees), (d. 1918)

1894-06-23

Alfred Kinsey, Hoboken, New Jersey, American entomologist/sexologist (Kinsey Report)

1906-06-22

Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Englewood New Jersey, American author and aviator (Gift from the Sea)

1910-06-07

Marion Post Wolcott, New Jersey USA, depression era photographer

1910-08-12

Jane Wyatt, Mahwah, New Jersey, American actress (Father Knows Best, Star Trek), (d. 2006)

1912-06-25

William T. Cahill, Governor of New Jersey (d. 1996)

1914-01-31

Jersey Joe Walcott, Merchantville New Jersey, heavyweight boxing champ (1951-52)

1914-09-14

Robert S. Dietz, Westfield New Jersey, American Geophysicist who proposed a theory of seafloor spreading in 1961

1915-12-12

Frank Sinatra, Hoboken New Jersey, American singer/actor (old blue eyes), (d. 1998)

1916-09-11

Ed Sabol, Atlantic City New Jersey, American filmmaker (NFL Films)

1917-08-25

Mel Ferrer, Elberon New Jersey, American actor (Longest Day, Eaten Alive, 5th Floor)

1921-09-06

Norman Joseph Woodland, Atlantic City, New Jersey, inventor (barcode), (d. 2012)

1921-12-26

John Severin, Jersey City, New Jersey, comic book artist (Hulk, Mad Magazine), (d. 2012)

1924-04-01

Brendan Byrne, Governor of New Jersey

1925-10-22

Dory Previn [Dorothy Veronica Langan], Rahway, New Jersey, singer-songwriter (Mythical Kings, Iguanas), (d. 2012)

1926-03-16

Jerry Lewis, [Joseph Levitch], Newark New Jersey, comedian/fund raiser (MDA),

1926-06-03

Allen Ginsberg, Newark, New Jersey, American beat poet (Howl)

1929-09-19

Margaret S Roukema, (Rep-R-New Jersey, 1981- )

1930-06-24

Herbert C Klien, (Rep-D-New Jersey)

1931-04-19

Alex Webster, Kearney, New Jersey, football coach (NY Giants), (d. 2012)

1932-07-31

Sam Coppola, Jersey City, New Jersey, actor (Saturday Night Fever), (d. 2012)

1932-10-17

William J Hughes, (Rep-D-New Jersey, 1975- )

1933-02-09

Countess of Airlie [Virginia Ogilvy], Newport, New Jersey, American-born Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth II

1933-08-25

Wayne Shorter, Newark New Jersey, American jazz musician (Weather Report)

1934-07-16

Donald Payne, Newark, New Jersey, New Jersey Congressman (1989-2012), (d. 2012)

1935-04-11

Richard Kuklinski, Jersey City New Jersey, American mafia hitman

1937-05-06

Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, Clifton, New Jersey, American boxer whose murder convictions were overturned after 19 years in prison

1938-01-01

Frank Langella, Bayonne, New Jersey, American actor (Dracula, Frost/Nixon)

1939-01-04

Eduardo D'Angelo, Eversmile, New Jersey

1940-05-10

Taurean Blacque, Newark New Jersey, actor (Neal Washington-Hill Street Blues)

1940-10-16

Dave DeBusschere, New Jersey Turnpikes

1941-06-23

Richard M. Richie Roberts, former Marine and New Jersey Police Detective, Criminal Defense Attorney

1941-08-03

Martha Stewart, New Jersey, business magnate and TV personality, founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia

1941-08-22

Bill Parcells, Englewood New Jersey, NFL coach (NY Giants, NY Jets, NE Patriots)

1942-05-23

Zalman King, Trenton, New Jersey, actor and director (Wild Orchid), (d. 2012)

1942-09-11

Lola Falana [Loletha Elayne], Camden, New Jersey, American singer and actress (Golden Boy, A Man Called Adam)

1942-10-02

Steve Sabol, Moorestown New Jersey, filmmaker (35 Emmy awards, founder of NFL Films)

1943-03-09

Trish Van Devere, [Patricia Dressel], Tenafly New Jersey, actress (Changeling)

1944-03-28

Rick Barry, Elizabeth New Jersey, ABA/NBA forward (NY Nets, Golden State Warriors)

1944-05-04

Peggy Santiglia, Belleville, New Jersey, American singer-songwriter (Angels)

1944-08-16

Dick Zimmer, (Rep-R-New Jersey)

1945-01-26

Barbara Kruger, Newark New Jersey, American conceptual artist

1945-08-02

Joanna Cassidy [Joanna Virginia Caskey], Haddonfield, New Jersey, American actress (Blade Runner, Under Fire)

1945-09-22

Paul LeMat, Rahway, New Jersey, American actor (American Graffiti, Melvin and Howard)

1948-09-20

George R. R. Martin, Bayonne, New Jersey, American fantasy and sci-fi author (A Song of Ice and Fire)

1948-09-20

George R.R. Martin, Bayonne New Jersey, American author (A Song of Ice and Fire)

1949-03-23

Derek Hobson, 1980 New Jersey

1949-06-22

Meryl Streep, Summit, New Jersey, American actress (French Lieutenant's Woman, Sophie's Choice)

1951-08-26

Robert G Torricelli, (Rep-D-New Jersey, 1983- )

1951-10-30

Frank Pallone Jr, (Rep-D-New Jersey)

1951-11-14

Alec John Such, Bon Jovi: New Jersey, the Videos

1956-09-16

David Copperfield, [Kotkin], Metuchen, New Jersey, magician

1957-08-04

Robert E Andrews, (Rep-D-New Jersey)

1958-02-16

Ice-T [Tracy Marrow], Newark, New Jersey, American rapper and actor (New Jack City, Tank Girl, Crazy Six)

1959-05-14

Mike Quick, New Jersey's Last Patriot

1961-05-13

Dennis Rodman, Trenton, New Jersey, NBA forward (Chicago Bulls)

1961-09-18

James Gandolfini, Westwood New Jersey, American actor (Tony Soprano)

1961-09-23

Elizabeth Peña, Elizabeth, New Jersey, American actress (La Bamba, Jacob's Ladder)

1962-01-16

Maxine Jones, Paterson, New Jersey, American R&B singer (En Vogue)

1966-01-08

Maria Pitillo, Mahwah, New Jersey, American actress (Ryan's Hope, Natural Born Killers)

1969-04-06

Paul Rudd, Passaic, New Jersey, American actor (Clueless, The 40-Year-Old Virgin)

1969-04-22

Craig Logan, Scotland, rock bassist (Bros Front, Bon Jovi-New Jersey)

1969-04-27

Cory Booker, Mayor of Newark, New Jersey

1970-05-24

Tommy Page, Glenridge, New Jersey, American singer (I'll Be Your Everything)

1972-02-22

Michael Chang, Hoboken New Jersey, tennis star (1989 French Open)

1972-03-06

Shaquille O'Neal, Newark New Jersey, NBA center (Magic, Lakers, Oly-gold-96)

1973-05-26

Sharron Corley, New Jersey Drive

1973-08-22

Jennifer Makris, Miss USA-New Jersey (1997, top 10)

1975-04-06

Zach Braff, South Orange, New Jersey, American actor (Dr. John Dorian-Scrubs)

1975-05-26

Lauryn Hill, South Orange New Jersey, American singer-songwriter (The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill)

1976-05-23

Melanie Joyce Bell, Vernon New Jersey, Miss America-New Jersey (1997)

1977-04-23

Kal Penn, Montclair, New Jersey, American actor (Dr. Lawrence Kutner-House, The Namesake) and civil servant

1978-06-19

Zoe Saldana, Passaic, New Jersey, American actress (Avatar, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl)

1978-12-02

Jason Collins, American basketball player for New Jersey Nets

1978-12-19

Lauren Petty, Miss New Jersey Teen USA (1997)

1981-05-16

Jessica Ponzo, Miss New Jersey Teen USA (1996)

1982-04-30

Kirsten Dunst, Point Pleasant, New Jersey, American actress (Interview with the Vampire, Spider-Man)

1984-03-12

Shareefa [Faradah Cooper], Newark New Jersey, American R & B singer

1910-12-31

Editor Maxwell Perkins (26) weds Louise Saunders at Holy Cross Episcopal Church in North Plainfield, New Jersey

1924-06-24

American writer Henry Miller (31) marries 2nd wife June Smerth (21) in Hoboken, New Jersey.

1929-05-27

Aviator Charles Lindbergh (27) weds author Anne Morrow (22) in Englewood, New Jersey

1996-09-07

Five-foot-eleven model-actress Eva Herzigova (23) weds Bon Jovi drummer Tico Torres (43) in Sea Bright, New Jersey

1996-11-30

Multimillionaire and top-selling female suspense novelist Mary Higgins Clark (67) weds Merrill Lynch Futures retired CEO John Conheeney (67) in Saddle River, New Jersey

2000-12-16

Tennis player Todd Martin (30) weds Amy Martin in New Jersey

2003-12-07

Queen of hip-hop soul, Mary Jane Blige (32) weds record producer Kendu Isaacs in Bergen County, New Jersey

2004-06-20

Former Dallas Cowboys running back Eddie George (30) weds R&B group "SWV" member Tamara Johnson (33) at the Rockleigh Country Club in Rockleigh, New Jersey

2006-07-07

Three-time "Survivor" contestant Stephanie LaGrossa (26) weds Michael Ward in Seaside Heights, New Jersey

2009-08-15

Charmed actress Alyssa Milano (39) weds CAA agent David Bugliari in Bernardsville, New Jersey

2009-10-25

Socialite Ivanka Trump (27) weds New York Observer owner Jared Kushner (28) at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey

2013-08-03

Actor and model Kevin Zegers (28) weds talent agent Jaime Feld in New Jersey

1779-06-16

Sir Francis Bernard, Governor of New Jersey and Massachusetts (b. 1712)

1790-07-25

William Livingston, Governor of New Jersey (b. 1723)

1794-11-15

John Witherspoon, president of the College of New Jersey, dies at 71

1877-10-03

James Roosevelt Bayley, first Bishop of Newark, New Jersey, and the eighth Archbishop of Baltimore (b. 1814)

2003-05-14

Dave DeBusschere, New Jersey Turnpikes

2011-11-10

Peter J. Biondi, American state legislator (New Jersey) and former mayor (b. 1942)

2014-10-18

Eduardo D'Angelo, Eversmile, New Jersey

2017-12-13

Pat Dinizio, frontman of New Jersey rockers The Smithereens, dies aged 62