1. On August 7, 1782, Elizabeth, New Jersey was officially incorporated as a city. Prior to its incorporation, Elizabeth was known as Elizabethtown and was one of the oldest European settlements in New Jersey.

2. The first recorded game of baseball in New Jersey took place on August 7, 1846, in Hoboken. The game was played between the New York Nine and the Knickerbockers, and it was the beginning of what would become one of America’s favorite pastimes.

3. On August 7, 1932, the George Washington Bridge opened to traffic. The bridge connects New Jersey to New York City and is one of the busiest bridges in the world.

4. In 1973, on August 7, the first female African-American officer was hired by the New Jersey State Police. Trooper Christine A. Bolzer broke barriers and paved the way for other women and minorities to join the force.

5. On this day in 1989, New Jersey’s first African American governor, Jim Florio, signed a bill establishing what would become the state’s largest public university, Rutgers University. Today, the university has three campuses and is home to over 71,000 students.