Nine Out of Left Field New Jersey Claims to Fame You Can’t Remember

We're living in New Jersey, but do we even know her?

You probably heard these facts about our beloved Garden State growing up, but you no doubt forgot about a lot of them!

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Of course, we all know that New Jersey is the Garden State (um, I just reminded you about that about six seconds ago.) Do you know, though, what the Official State Fruit is for New Jersey?

It's gotta be the peach right?

Nope! It's the beautiful blueberry! (Shout out to our Hammonton friends!) The blueberry is our state fruit!

How about our State Animal?

Nope, not bigfoot. Not Parkway deer.

It's the horse!

(By the way, when was the last time you saw a horse - in person?)

Keeping with the animal theme, any idea what our state reptile is?

If you guessed bog turtle, you're correct!

(I'm 99.9% sure you didn't guess bog turtle!)

Here's another one: What's  New Jersey's official song?

Answer: we don't have one! (Sorry, Mr. Springsteen.)

There apparently is an UNOFFICIAL state song - it's “I’m From New Jersey” by New Jersey native Red Mascara. (While Red Mascara sounds like some kind of rapper name, I doubt Red rapped. He died in 2015 at the age of 92.)

We all know Atlantic City had the first Boardwalk (built in 1870), but do you know the first organized baseball game was played in Hoboken? It happened in 1846.

(Wait. So, Abner Doubleday invented baseball in Cooperstown, New York, but apparently, he couldn't find 18 guys to give it a try?)

Here's another Jersey fact: The manned balloon flight in the USA happened in New Jersey. According to NJ.gov,  "The first balloon flight in America was made by Jean-Pierre Blanchard. On January 9, 1793, he landed a balloon at Deptford carrying a letter from George Washington."

The first passenger airplane flight took place from New York City to Atlantic City in 1919. (It was a casino trip. The place was soon replaced with big smelly busses.)

If you've still got music in your head, let's drop the official New Jersey State Dance on you: it's the Square Dance! (Of course it is.)

One more and we'll quit and have a drink. The first brewery in America was in New Jersey! According to NJ.com, "The first brewery in America opened in Hoboken in 1642." At least we had our priorities straight!

SOURCES: NJ.gov and NJ.gov.