1. In 1775, the first official seal of New Jersey was adopted by the Provincial Congress. The seal features a horse’s head with the letters NJ underneath, surrounded by the words “Great Seal of the State of New Jersey.”

2. In 1793, the first successful balloon flight in the United States took place in New Jersey. Frenchman Jean-Pierre Blanchard flew from Philadelphia to Deptford, NJ, covering 15 miles in just 45 minutes.

3. On November 12, 1840, the famous abolitionist and women’s rights activist, Lucretia Mott, addressed the New Jersey State Anti-Slavery Society in New Brunswick. Mott’s passionate speech advocated for the immediate abolition of slavery and earned her a standing ovation from the audience.

4. In 1918, the first American soldier killed in action during World War I was from New Jersey. Private Thomas Enright of Jersey City died during a battle in France at the age of 21. His sacrifice is remembered today at the Hoboken Museum, which houses his original Purple Heart medal.

5. On November 12, 1987, the “Box Alarm Blaze” swept through downtown Jersey City, destroying numerous buildings and causing over $10 million in damages. The massive fire was battled by over 1,000 firefighters from across the region and took almost 24 hours to fully extinguish.