New Jersey: Timeline

1664   New Jersey becomes a colony Colony

In politics [i] and in history [i], a colony is a territory [i] under the immediate political control of ... 

 of England Kingdom of England

The Kingdom of England was a state [i] located in western Europe [i], in the southern part of the islan ... 

.

1673   John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton

John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton was the fifth and youngest son of Sir Maurice Berkeley.... 

  sells his part of New Jersey to the Quakers.

1766   The last Colonial governor of New Jersey, William Franklin, signs the charter of Queen's College (later renamed Rutgers University).

1778   The term thoroughbred was first used in the United States United States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a... 

 in an advertisement in a Kentucky Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a U.S. state [i] located in the Southern [i] United States [i] ... 

 gazette to describe a New Jersey stallion called Pilgarlick.

1778   American Revolutionary War American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War , also known as the American War of Independence, was a war between... 

: the Battle of Monmouth takes place in Monmouth, New Jersey.

1787   New Jersey becomes the third U.S. state U.S. state

A state of the United States is any one of the fifty subnational entities referred to as a state [i] ... 

.

1789   New Jersey ratifies the United States Bill of Rights United States Bill of Rights

In the United States [i], the Bill of Rights is the term for the first ten amendments [i] ... 

, the first state U.S. state

A state of the United States is any one of the fifty subnational entities referred to as a state [i] ... 

 to do so.

1804   New Jersey becomes the last northern state to abolish slavery Slavery

Slavery is the social and legal designation of specific person [i]s as property [i] or chattel, for the ... 

.

1815   New Jersey grants the first American railroad charter to a John Stevens.

1901   In New Jersey, the Edison Storage Battery Company is founded.

1927   The Holland Tunnel opens to traffic as the first Hudson River Hudson River

The Hudson River, called Muh-he-kun-ne-tuk in Mahican [i], is a river [i] running mainly throu ... 

 vehicular tunnel linking New Jersey to New York City New York City

[i] in the [[United States]... 

.

1933   The first drive-in theater opened in Camden New Jersey.

1934   Off the New Jersey coast, a fire aboard the passenger liner ''Morro Castle'' kills 134 people.

1936   Bruno Richard Hauptmann, convicted of kidnapping and killing Charles Lindbergh Jr., is executed in New Jersey.

1971   Joe Kinney is born in Belleville, New Jersey.

1976   Rubin "Hurricane" Carter is retried in New Jersey.

1976   The New Jersey Supreme Court rules that coma Coma

In medicine [i], a coma is a profound state of unconsciousness [i]. ... 

 patient Karen Ann Quinlan Karen Ann Quinlan

Karen Ann Quinlan was an important figure in the history of the right to die [i] debate in United States ... 

 can be disconnected from her ventilator. She remains comatose and dies in 1985.

1987   New Jersey celebrates its bicentennial 1787

1787 was a common year starting on Monday [i] . ... 

 statehood.

1996   Rapper Yaki Kadafi, born Yafeu Fula, is shot to death in New Jersey at the age of 19.

1997   Melissa Drexler, a high school senior in New Jersey, kills her newborn baby in a toilet.

2004   New Jersey Governor James McGreevey announced that he is "a gay Gay

Gay is an adjective meaning "carefree", "happy", or "bright and showy"; however in modern usage, gay... 

 American" and would resign effective November 15, 2004.