1. In 1815, the first issue of the New Jersey Herald was published in Newton, Sussex County. The newspaper is still in publication today, making it one of New Jersey's oldest continuous operating newspapers.

2. In 1887, the first crematory in the United States was built in Washington Township, Bergen County, New Jersey. The facility was built by Dr. Julius LeMoyne and was used for his own family members before gaining popularity as an alternative to traditional burial.

3. In 1908, the first Boy Scout troop in America was organized in Boonton, Morris County, New Jersey by William Boyce. Boyce was inspired to create the organization after getting lost in London and being aided by a young boy who was a member of the British Boy Scouts.

4. In 1973, the New Jersey State Legislature passed the first mandatory seatbelt law in the United States. The law required all passengers in a moving vehicle to wear a seatbelt or face a fine.

5. In 2003, New Jersey Governor James McGreevey signed into law a bill making the state the first in the nation to prohibit the use of the death penalty for crimes committed after the law's passage. The law went into effect in January 2004.