1. In 1935, the first parking meter in the United States was installed in Oklahoma City. However, it wasn't until 1948 that New Jersey became the first state in the nation to install parking meters statewide, starting in the city of Asbury Park.

2. On July 16, 1951, the first baseball game was broadcast on color television when the Brooklyn Dodgers played against the Boston Braves at Ebbets Field. While this historic game didn't take place in New Jersey, many residents were able to watch it on their new color TVs.

3. In 1981, New Jersey passed a law that required drivers to wear seat belts while operating a motor vehicle. This law was the first of its kind in the United States and helped pave the way for similar laws to be passed in other states.

4. On July 16, 1999, the USS New Jersey, a battleship that served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Gulf War, was towed from its berth in Philadelphia to the Camden Waterfront, where it would become a museum ship.

5. In 2004, New Jersey became the second state in the nation to ban smoking in all bars and restaurants. The Smoke-Free Air Act prohibited smoking in indoor public places and workplaces, including bars, restaurants, and casinos, with a few exemptions for tobacco shops, cigar bars, and private homes.