1. In 1664, the Duke of York granted the land that would later become New Jersey to two of his loyal supporters, Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret.

2. May 31, 1776, marked the date that the New Jersey Provincial Congress voted unanimously to approve a resolution for independence from Great Britain, becoming one of the first colonies to do so.

3. The first steam-powered ferry service in the United States began operating in Hoboken, New Jersey, on May 31, 1812, between Hoboken and New York City.

4. On May 31, 1935, Babe Ruth played his last professional baseball game at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as a member of the Boston Braves, ending his career with 714 home runs.

5. The Garden State Parkway, a 172-mile toll road that runs from the northern tip of New Jersey to the southernmost part of the state, opened to the public on May 31, 1954, connecting many of the state's major cities and tourist destinations.