Jean Pierre Blanchard made the first balloon flight in the United States in 1793. President George Washington and other officials watched the 46 minute flight, staged in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Blanchard landed in New Jersey. Children can read an extensive article on the flight at: Blanchard. Children could also read The First Air Voyage in the United States: The Story of Jean-Pierre Blanchard by Alexandra Wallner.
Seeing Eye Guide Dog Organization was founded in 1929 by Dorothy Harrison Eustis of Morristown, New Jersey. Idea: Children could interview one of the dog trainers. Children could also learn more at: http://www.seeingeye.org/about-us/history.html.
First submarine was launched in 1898. John Phillip Holland, owner of the John P. Holland Torpedo Boat Company, created the Holland Submarine. It submerged for about 100 minutes in a shipyard in Elizabethtown, New Jersey.
Solar powered battery was first demonstrated in 1954. Scientists of Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey, used solar powered batteries to activate a toy Ferris Wheel and a radio transmitter. Children can review a timeline of solar energy at: Solar Energy.
Hindenburg before last Flight
Hindenburg dirigible exploded in 1937 at 7:20 PM. Thirty-six of the 97 passengers and crew died. It was approaching its mooring mast at Lakehurst, New Jersey. Children could learn how modern-day airships work at: Airships.
John Hart
John Hart, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, died in 1779 in Hopewell, New Jersey. He was born around 1711 in Stonington, Connecticut, but his exact date of birth is unknown. He represented New Jersey at the signing. When the British attacked New Jersey, they placed a bounty on Hart. He was forced to hide. When he was finally able to return to his farm, he found that his wife had died and that his children had moved. Children could learn more at: John Hart.