1. In 1776, on August 9, the New Jersey Constitution was adopted, making it the third state to ratify its constitution after the United States Declaration of Independence.

2. On August 9, 1842, a massive fire broke out in the city of Paterson, destroying over 400 buildings and causing millions of dollars in damages.

3. In 1892, the first ever municipal parking lot in the United States was opened in downtown Newark on August 9.

4. One of the most infamous murders in New Jersey history occurred on August 9, 1969, when Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were murdered by members of the Manson Family in their home in New Jersey.

5. On August 9, 1974, the United States Supreme Court ruled in United States v. Dist. Ct. that President Richard Nixon must surrender his tapes to the special prosecutor investigating the Watergate scandal. This ruling eventually led to Nixon's resignation.