1. On December 16, 1773, the New Jersey Assembly passed a resolution applauding and supporting the actions of the Boston Tea Party. This act of solidarity with the colonists in Massachusetts was an important moment in the lead up to the American Revolution.

2. The New Jersey Turnpike officially opened on December 16, 1951. The 117-mile highway was the first major toll road in the United States and revolutionized transportation in the state.

3. On December 16, 1920, the USS New Jersey battleship was christened in Camden by the wife of the Governor of the state. The ship saw action in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam before being decommissioned in 1991 and turned into a museum ship.

4. The trademark registration for the first recorded use of the name "Teddy Bear" was granted to Morris Michtom of Brooklyn on December 16, 1902. Michtom was inspired to create the stuffed toy after seeing a political cartoon of Theodore Roosevelt refusing to shoot a bear cub while on a hunting trip in New Jersey.

5. December 16, 1960, marked the opening of the Garden State Plaza, the first enclosed shopping mall on the East Coast. Located in Paramus, the mall featured anchor stores such as J.C. Penney and Gimbel's, and quickly became a popular destination for holiday shopping.