1. New Jersey was officially named a colony on March 27, 1664, when Charles II gave land between the Hudson River and the Delaware River to his brother the Duke of York. The area was originally settled by the Dutch, but the English took control and established their own government.

2. On March 27, 1778, a group of Hessian soldiers were killed by American troops in the Battle of Chestnut Neck. The Hessians were mercenaries hired by the British to fight against the Americans during the Revolutionary War.

3. In 1844, the New Jersey State Library was established on March 27. The library was originally housed in the State House in Trenton and had a collection of around 5,000 books. Today, the New Jersey State Library has over 2.5 million items in its collection.

4. On March 27, 1935, the world's largest seaplane, the Martin M-130, made its first transpacific flight from Alameda, California to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The aircraft was designed and built by the Glenn L. Martin Company, which had a factory in Middle River, New Jersey.

5. The first professional basketball game played indoors was held on March 27, 1895, in Trenton, New Jersey. The game was played at the Trenton Masonic Temple, and the teams were the Trenton YMCA and the Brooklyn YMCA. The Trenton team won the game by a score of 15-1.