1. In 1877, the deadliest railway accident in American history occurred in Woodbridge, New Jersey. Two trains, one traveling from Newark to New York City and the other from Perth Amboy to Philadelphia, collided head-on, causing multiple horrific explosions and a fire that killed at least 83 people and injured hundreds more.

2. On May 8, 1884, Harry S. Murphy, a prominent businessman and landowner in Camden, New Jersey, was born. Murphy served as the mayor of Camden from 1927 to 1947, during which time he oversaw major public works projects and played a key role in the city's development.

3. The USS New Jersey, a battleship that served in the US Navy during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, was commissioned on May 8, 1943. The ship, which was decommissioned in 1991, is now a museum and memorial located in Camden, New Jersey.

4. On May 8, 2004, the singer and actress Whitney Houston, who was born in Newark, New Jersey, was inducted into the inaugural class of the New Jersey Hall of Fame. Houston, who passed away in 2012, was an incredibly talented performer who sold over 200 million records worldwide.

5. In 2011, Governor Chris Christie declared May 8 "Thomas Edison Day" in New Jersey, in honor of the inventor who made his home in the Garden State. Edison, who is widely considered one of the greatest inventors in history, had numerous patents to his name, including those for the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and the electric light bulb.