Sunbathers enjoy the beach in Atlantic City. Photograph by Carl Van Vechten, 1937
On this day in 1787, New Jersey becomes the third state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Thank you, NJ! Life would have been so different otherwise. Abraham Browning, a Camden attorney from the nineteenth century, is credited with giving NJ the nickname, “The Garden State.” He said, “The Garden State is an immense barrel, filled with good things to eat and open at both ends, with Pennsylvanians grabbing from one end and New Yorkers from the other.” Hmmm. Well, here’s to New Jersey! Happy Birthday!