New Jersey "Firsts"

Everything on this list is a New Jersey first - invented, manufactured, discovered, played or organized in our state.. These are just a FEW examples. New Jersey has many interesting "firsts". You may select from this list, or consult your text book, encyclopedias, library books, CDRoms or the Internet for additional information. You can probably find some "firsts" in your own town or county!

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First AIR VOYAGE in America, made in balloon from Philadelphia to Deptford, 1793.

First BASEBALL game played under organized rules, Hoboken, 1846.

First BOARDWALK laid on sand, Atlantic City, 1870.

First FIRST AID KITS made in New Brunswick, 1890.

First FM STATION went on air at Alpine, 1937.

First FOOTBALL game played by college teams; Princeton-Rutgers, 1869.

First LOCOMOTIVE in America, steam-powered, made at Hoboken, 1825.

First ELECTRIC LIGHT, made practical by Thomas Edison, Menlo Park, 1879.

First MISS AMERICA chosen, Atlantic City, 1921.

First MOVIES made and shown in West Orange, 1889.

First MOVIE STUDIO in the world, West Orange, 1893.

First PHONOGRAPH invented by Edison at Menlo Park, 1877.

First REVOLVER, or repeating pistol, Paterson, 1836.

First ROCKET ENGINES made at Pompton Plains, early 1940s.

First SMOKE DETECTOR, perfected in Jersey City, 1900.

First CONDENSED SOUP (add water, heat and serve), Camden, 1897.

First STEAMBOAT in America ran from Burlington to Philadelphia, 1786.

First SUBMARINE in America, Paterson, 1878.

First TRANSISTOR made by three-man science team, Murray Hill, 1948.

First TV for home use made in Upper Montclair, 1933.

What "firsts" can you find?

The above information taken from You, New Jersey and the World by John T. Cunningham. Afton Publishing Co., Inc. 1999.

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