New Jersey has always been an innovator, with its residents making major advancements in everything from medicine to music. Home to Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park lab and the nation’s first beach resorts, we’ve paved the way for technology and…tanning. There’s nothing wrong with a little seaside relaxation, or tossing around the pigskin. As you learned from our interesting facts about New Jersey article, our state was the first to host a college football game. Here are ten other New Jersey firsts you can boast about.

1. On January 9, 1793, the first balloon flight in America was made by Jean-Pierre Blanchard.
Flickr/Jason Mrachina
He landed his balloon in Deptford, New Jersey, carrying a letter from George Washington and landed a spot on our list of things New Jersey did first.
2. The first condensed soup in America was cooked and canned by Campbell's in Camden County in 1897, resulting in one of the most iconic of all New Jersey inventions.
Flickr/Douglas LeMoine
The company is still headquartered there.
3. The first professional basketball game was played in Trenton in 1896.
Flickr/Jerome Carpenter
The Trenton YMCA defeated the Brooklyn YMCA 15-1. Admission was charged, and players were paid, making it the first professional game in the sport.
4. The first ferry service in the United States was based out of Hoboken.
Stephen Rees/Flickr
The service began in 1811, traveling between Hoboken and Manhattan.
5. The first saltwater taffy was produced here.
Flickr/jpellgen
The sweet stuff was first made and marketed in Atlantic City during the 1870s and remains one of the sweetest things New Jersey did first!

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6. The first copper mine in America was opened here.
Flickr/Andrew
The mine was built by Dutch settlers in the Kittatinny Mountains circa 1640.
7. The nation's first brewery was opened here in 1642.
Jazz Guy/Flickr
It's very fitting that the brewery was in Hoboken, New Jersey's hip bar capitol.
8. The first solid body electric guitar was made here.
Flickr/Freebird
It was invented by Mahwah resident Les Paul in 1940.
9. The first light bulb was made by Thomas A. Edison in Menlo Park in 1879.
Flickr/Caleb Roenigk
The first town to be lighted by electricity was Roselle in 1883.
10. The first submarine was built in 1878 by John Holland of Passaic County.
Flickr/Dorli Photography
Though it was not as advanced as the sub seen above, it did the job. The original submarine can still be seen in a Paterson museum, as it ranks pretty high up there in significance as far as New Jersey firsts go.

Were you surprised to learn about any of these New Jersey firsts? Which did you already know? New Jersey has so many other firsts we’d love to share with you; if you like and share the post, there just might be a part two, highlighting all the things New Jersey did first!

Want to know more about the great state of New Jersey? Take a look at these fun facts about New Jersey.

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New Jersey Firsts

Daniella DiRienzo | June 05, 2023

What are some of the most well known New Jersey inventions?

New Jersey has a rich history of innovation and invention. Here are some of the most well-known inventions from New Jersey:

  • Drive-In Movie Theater: The concept of the drive-in movie theater was developed by Richard Hollingshead in Camden, New Jersey in 1933. That same year, he opened the first drive-in theater, called "Drive-In Theatre," in Pennsauken Township.
  • Teflon: Most are familiar with the now famed non-stick coating, Teflon; however, many are unaware of the fact that it was discovered by accident by Roy Plunkett, a chemist working for DuPont, in 1938 in Deepwater, New Jersey.
  • Liquid Crystal Display (LCD): The first practical liquid crystal display (LCD) was invented by George Heilmeier, a scientist at RCA Laboratories in Princeton, New Jersey, in the 1960s.

 

What are some obscure facts about New Jersey?

New Jersey has a rich history, and, as such, there are lots of interesting facts about New Jersey. Here are some facts about New Jersey that most don't know about:

  • With the highest number of diners per capita than any other place on Earth, New Jersey is known as the "Diner Capital of the World."
  • The street names in Atlantic City's Monopoly board game are based on actual streets in the city of the same name in New Jersey. The game's creator actually used Atlantic City as the inspiration for the popular board game.
  • One of the longest boardwalks in the world, the Wildwood Boardwalk, is located in New Jersey. Living up to its reputations, it stretches for 38 blocks and is approximately 2.5 miles.

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