1. On July 24, 1897, the iconic steel-hulled yacht America, which had won the first America's Cup sailing race in 1851, sank off the coast of Atlantic City. The yacht's captain and a crew member drowned in the incident, while several other crew members were rescued.

2. July 24, 1900 marked the opening of the Long Branch Race Track, which became one of the preeminent thoroughbred racing venues in the country. The track featured a mile-long oval dirt track and hosted races until its closure in 1911.

3. In 1950, on July 24, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority was created by an act of the state legislature, with the mission of building and operating a high-speed toll road that would span the length of the state. The turnpike officially opened in November 1951.

4. The summer of 1979 saw a major heat wave descend on New Jersey, with July 24 being one of the hottest days of the year. Temperatures in Newark reached a high of 102 degrees, while Atlantic City saw a high of 98 degrees.

5. On July 24, 2005, the New Jersey Devils announced that they had signed NHL superstar winger Alexander Mogilny to a two-year contract. Mogilny went on to play for the Devils for two seasons, scoring 47 goals and 88 points in 112 games.