1. In 1685, the first known protest against slavery in America occurred in New Jersey. A group of German Quakers in Germantown, New Jersey issued a written protest against slavery, which became known as the Germantown Quaker Petition Against Slavery.

2. In 1775, the Provincial Congress of New Jersey established the New Jersey State Navy, which played a role in the Revolutionary War by attacking British ships and disrupting their supplies.

3. In 1836, a group of Irish immigrants in Paterson, New Jersey founded the Hibernia Provident Society, which was one of the first organizations in America to provide insurance for working-class families.

4. In 1945, during World War II, a bomber plane crashed into the 79th floor of the Empire State Building in New York City. Among the 14 killed were three New Jersey residents.

5. In 1987, the New Jersey Devils played their first game at the newly built Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford. The arena, now known as the Prudential Center, has been the home of the Devils ever since.