In a state known for its chemical, pharmaceutical and petroleum industries, not to mention the "Boss," New Jerseyans have a right to be proud. They can trace their roots back to the Revolutionary War. After crossing the Delaware River, George Washington landed in Trenton, New Jersey, with troops who went on to fight the Hessians. But New Jersey also has some fascinating tidbits of information you may not know about.
New Jersey has an average of 1,030 people per square mile, which is the highest population density in the United States. About 90% of New Jerseyans live in an urban area.
The Who's Who of New Jersey includes celebrities like Jack Nicholson, Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Naughty By Nature, Queen Latifah, Shaquille O'Neal, Frank Sinatra and Grover Cleveland.
The popular board game, Monopoly, is based on Atlantic City's streets. The city's boardwalk is the longest in the world. In 1977, New Jersey voters approved a bill allowing legalized gambling in Atlantic City. Atlantic City was home to the annual pageant until 2004 and is one of the nation's most famous resort destinations.
The first drive-in movie theater was opened in Camden, New Jersey. The first recorded baseball game was played in Hoboken on June 19,1846, and the first intercollegiate football game was played between Rutgers and Princeton in 1869 in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Wire Rope from John Roebling's factory, opened in Trenton in 1848 was used to build the Brooklyn Bridge and many other suspension bridges in the United States. The first tin foil phonograph was developed by Thomas Edison in Menlo Park proving that sound could be recorded and played back. Fort Dix was named after Major General John Adams Dix -- a veteran of the Civil War and the War of 1812. Paleontology began in New Jersey in 1858 when a Hadrosaurus was discovered in Haddonfield.
