1. In 1775, the New Jersey Provincial Congress authorized the recruitment of troops to join the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

2. In 1888, the first train ran on the Atlantic City Railroad's new line between Winslow Junction and Atlantic City, marking a significant development in New Jersey's transportation infrastructure.

3. In 1908, the first passenger flight in New Jersey history took off from a makeshift airfield in Atlantic City. The flight was piloted by the famous French aviator Louis Blériot.

4. In 1948, the Garden State Parkway, a 172-mile toll road that runs the length of New Jersey, opened to the public. It is now one of the busiest highways in the United States, serving millions of commuters and tourists each year.

5. In 2002, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples had the same legal rights and responsibilities as heterosexual couples under the state's constitution, making New Jersey one of the earliest states to provide legal recognition to same-sex couples.