1. In 1607, the first European settlement in New Jersey was established by the Dutch on the banks of the Hudson River, near present-day Jersey City.

2. On May 13, 1846, the U.S. Congress declared war on Mexico after tensions escalated between the two countries over the admission of Texas as a state.

3. On May 13, 1861, New Jersey officially declared its neutrality in the American Civil War, a decision that was ultimately reversed in January 1863 when Governor Charles Olden pledged support to President Lincoln's call for troops.

4. On May 13, 1938, the groundbreaking ceremony for the Lincoln Tunnel was held in Weehawken, New Jersey, marking the beginning of construction on the iconic transportation hub.

5. On May 13, 1985, one of the worst disasters in New Jersey history occurred when a fire at the Osage Avenue home of the controversial MOVE organization in Philadelphia spread to a row of houses in West Philadelphia, causing widespread destruction and the deaths of 11 people, including five children.