1. In 1776, British and Hessian troops raided Fairfield Township, New Jersey during the American Revolutionary War. This event was part of a larger British campaign to capture control of the state, which ultimately failed due to the resiliency and determination of the colonial forces.

2. On October 9, 1872, Elizabeth Coleman White, a horticulturist and pioneer in the cultivation of blueberries, was born in New Lisbon, New Jersey. She collaborated with botanist Frederick Coville to develop the first commercially viable blueberry varieties, launching an industry that remains a significant part of the state's agricultural landscape.

3. Revolutionary War hero Ethan Allen died in Burlington, New Jersey on October 9, 1789. Allen is best known for leading the Green Mountain Boys in the capture of Fort Ticonderoga in 1775, a victory that helped boost the morale of the Continental Army and enhance the fledgling nation's prospects for future success.

4. On October 9, 1903, the first-ever World Series game was played at the Huntington Avenue Grounds in Boston, Massachusetts between the Boston Americans (now the Red Sox) and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Although technically not a New Jersey event, the game had a profound impact on American sports culture and began a tradition that continues to this day.

5. The USS New Jersey (BB-62), a battleship that served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Lebanon, was commissioned on October 9, 1942. The ship was the second of four in the Iowa class and represented a significant advance in naval technology at the time of her launch. Today, the USS New Jersey is a museum ship docked in Camden, New Jersey, where visitors can learn about her storied history and the brave men who served aboard her.