William (Bud) Abbott (1895 - 1974) Comedian made famous in the popular team Abbott and Costello with routines such as "Who's on First;" born in Asbury Park.

Charles Addams (1912 - 1988) Cartoonist that created The Addams Family; born in Westfield. 

Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin (1930 - ) First astronaut to leave a spacecraft and walk in space, he later became the second person to walk on the moon; born in Montclair. 

William Count Basie (1904-1984) band leader, Red Bank Over a sixty-plus year career, William "Count" Basie helped to establish jazz as a serious art form played not just in clubs but in theatres and concert halls. He established swing as one of jazz's predominant styles, and solidified the link between jazz and the blues. 

Joan Bennett (1910 – 1990) actress, Palisades The title of actress Joan Bennett's 1970 autobiography is The Bennett Playbill, in reference to the fact that she came from an old and well-established theatrical family: her father was stage star Richard Bennett and her sisters were screen actresses Constance and Barbara Bennett. 

Judy Blume (1938 - ) Fiction writer for youth with well-known books such as Superfudge and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing; born in Elizabeth. 

Jon Bon Jovi (born John Francis Bongiovi) (1962 - ) Musician, born in Perth Amboy. 

William J. Brennan (1906 – 1997) Newark jurist, United States Supreme Court. 

Aaron Burr (1756 - 1836) Vice President of the United States under Thomas Jefferson, born in Newark. 

Joseph Campbell (1817 - 1900) Founder of the Campbell Soup Company; born in Camden County. 

Grover Cleveland (1837 - 1908) The 22nd and 24th President of the United States; born in Caldwell. 

Lloyd H. Conover (1923 - ) Orange inventor, Conover's invention of tetracycline in 1952 was the first creation of an antibiotic made by chemically modifying a naturally-produced drug.  

James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851) Burlington America's first successful popular novelist. Son of the prominent federalist William Cooper, founder of the Cooperstown settlement, James was educated at Yale in preparation for a genteel life as a federalist gentleman. 

David Copperfield (1956 - ) Metuchen, magician Young David Kotkin was performing professionally in his home town of Metuchen, New Jersey, at the age of twelve. Soon thereafter, he became the youngest person ever to be admitted to the Society of American Magicians. By sixteen, he was teaching magic at New York University. 

Lou Costello (1906 - 1959) Comedian made famous in the popular team Abbott and Costello with routines such as "Who's on First;" born in Paterson. 

Stephen Crane (1871 - 1900) Author most famous for The Red Badge of Courage; born in Newark. 

Tom Cruise (1962 - ) born in Syracuse NY but at the age of 14 he moved with his parents and siblings to Glen Ridge, NJ  

Danny DeVito (1944 - ) Asbury Park, NJ, DeVito had a Catholic school upbringing and started his career as a cosmetician in his sister's beauty parlor. 

Michael Douglas (1944 - ) actor, producer, and member of one of Hollywood's most prominent families, Michael Douglas is one of Hollywood's biggest movers and shakers. The son of movie icon Kirk Douglas and British actress Diana Dill, Douglas was born in New Brunswick, NJ. 

Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955) Famous Physicist lived in Princeton. 

Connie Francis (1938 - ) Singer, actress Born Concetta Franconero in Newark 

Helen Gahagan Douglas (1900 – 1980) representative, Boonton http://www.ou.edu/special/albertctr/archives/exhibit/hgdbio.htm 

Allen Ginsberg (1926 – 1997) born in Newark, N.J., an American poet and leading apostle of the beat generation. His first published work, Howl and Other Poems (1956), sparked the San Francisco Renaissance and defined the generation of the '50s. 

Savron Glover choreographer, Newark 

William Frederick Halsey, Jr. (1882 – 1959) admiral, Elizabeth
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq36-5.htm 

Lauryn Hill (1975 - ) South Orange, rapper, 1999 She won five Grammys for THE MISEDUCATION OF LAURYN HILL.  

Donald Fletcher Holmes (1910 – 1980) inventor, Woodbury William Edward Hanford and Donald Fletcher Holmes invented the process for making the multipurpose material polyurethane. 

Whitney Houston (1963 - ) Popular singer and actor that was the first to sell 10 million copies of her first two albums; born in Newark.  

Ice-T (1959 - )rapper/actor, Newark Born Tracy Morrow in Newark, New Jersey in 1959, rapper/musician/actor/activist Ice-T was raised in the gang-infested, pimp-heavy streets of South Central, Los Angeles. 

Alfred Joyce Kilmer (1886-1918) poet, New Brunswick American writer. Joyce Kilmer served as Literary Editor of "The Churchman," and in 1913 was on the staff of "The New York Times." 

Alfred C. Kinsey (1894 – 1956)zoologist, Hoboken Alfred C. Kinsey was one of the most famous and influential researchers of American sexual behavior during he 20th century. After receiving a doctorate in biology from Harvard in 1920, he began his research on human sexuality entirely on his own in 1938, conducting interviews, gathering sexual histories, and making trips to various cities. 

Ernie Kovacs (1919 – 1962) comedian, Trenton Kovacs was an innovative and absurdist TV comedian of the 1950s. 

Dorothea Lange (1895 – 1979) photographer, Hoboken was an influential documentary photographer. Lange is best known for her Depression-era work for the Farm Security Administration (FSA). Lange's photographs humanized the tragic consequences of the Great Depression and profoundly influenced the development of documentary photography. 

Jerry Lewis (1926 - ) Popular comedian during the 1950s and 1960s famous for The Nutty Professor and hosting the Jerry Lewis Telethon for Muscular Dystrophy; born in Newark. 

Anne Morrow Lindbergh (1906 – 2001) author, Englewood The widow of aviator and conservationist Charles A. Lindbergh, Jr., was a noted writer and aviation pioneer. 

Ray Liotta (1955 - ) actor, Newark born to unmarried parents, at 6 months old, he was introduced to his new parents, Alfred and Mary Liotta. From here on, Ray lived a comfortable life in Union, New Jersey, attending High School there. 

Norman Mailer (1923 - ) author, Long Branch He won fame with the WWII novel The Naked and the Dead (1948). Other works include The Armies of the Night (1968, Pulitzer), The Executioner's Song (1979, Pulitzer) (a novel about convicted killer Gar Gilmore), and Harlot's Ghos 

James W. Marshall (1810 – 1885) discovered gold in California, Lambertville, NJ http://malakoff.com/grpmarsh.htm 

Patricia McBride (1942 - ) ballerina, NYC Ballet Co, Teaneck 

Eger V. Murphree (1898-1962) inventor, Bayonne Chemical engineer and petroleum executive. He was affiliated with Standard Oil Development Co (1934-62), becoming its president (1947). He was a leader in the development of synthetic toluene, hydrocarbon synthesis, and fluid catalytic cracking, hydroforming, and coking. In 1956 he became involved in the US guided-missile programme. 

Jack Nicholson (1937 - ) Actor and Academy Award winner for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest made famous in Chinatown and The Shining; born in Neptune. 

Dorothy Parker (1893-1967) An American critic, satirical poet, and short-story writer, Dorothy Rothschild Parker, born in West End, N.J, is remembered as much for her flashing verbal exchanges and malicious wit as for the disenchanted stories and sketches in which she revealed her underlying pessimism. 

Zebulon Mongomery Pike (1779–1813) explorer, soldier, Lamberton (now part of Trenton) 

Joe Piscopo (1951 - )comedian, actor, Passaic Best remembered for his work on the long-running sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live between 1980 and 1984. 

Paul Robeson (1898 - 1976) The first black all-American football player, famous singer and actor; born in Princeton. 

Edward J. Rosinski (1921 – 1989) inventor, Gloucester County Plank and Rosinski developed the first commercially useful zeolite catalyst introduced in the petroleum industry for catalytic cracking. 

Philip Milton Roth (1933 - ) author, Newark Goodbye, Columbus, Portnoy's Complaint 

Ruth St. Denis (1878 – 1968) dancer, choreographer, Newark 

Antonin Scalia (1936 - ) jurist,Trenton 

Norman Schwarzkopf (1934 - ) army general, Trenton 

Paul Simon (1941 - ) Popular singer in the 1960s made famous with songs like "Mrs. Robinson;" born in Newark. 

Frank Sinatra (1915 - 1998) Actor and Singer starting in the 1940s; born in Hoboken. 

Kevin Spacey (1959 - ) actor, South Orange - The Usual Suspects, A Bug's Life, Glengarry Glen Ross, Seven, American Beauty, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, L.A. Confidential, A Time to Kill 

Bruce Springsteen (1949 - ) Singer made famous with album Born in the U.S.A.; born in Asbury Park.  

Amos Alonzo Stagg (1862 – 1965) football coach, West Orange 

Martha Stewart (1941 - ) born Martha Kostyra in Jersey City, NJ later her family moved to Nutley, NJ. 

Alfred Stieglitz (1864 – 1946) photographer, Hoboken  

Meryl Streep (1949 - )actress, Summit Won 2 Oscars, 4 Golden Globes, 1 Emmy, 1 BAFTA 

Albert Payson Terhune (1872 – 1942) journalist, author, Newark 

Dave Thomas (1932 – 2002) restaurateur, Atlantic City Wendy's Restaurant 

John Travolta (1954 - ) Actor made famous in Grease and Saturday Night Fever; born in Englewood. 

William Henry Vanderbilt (1821 – 1885) financier, New Brunswick 

Sarah Vaughan (1924 – 1990) singer, Newark 

Dionne Warwick (1940 - ) actress, singer, East Orange 

William Carlos Williams (1883 – 1963) physician, poet, Rutherford 

Bruce Willis (1955 - ) Born Idar-Oberstein, West Germany. The Willis family moved from a West German military base to the small town of Carneys Point, NJ, when Bruce was two years old. Education - Penns Grove High School in Penns Grove, New Jersey, Montclair State College in Montclair, New Jersey (Honorary Doctorate) 

Edmund Wilson (1895 – 1972) literary critic, author, Red Bank 

Thomas Edison, an inventor, moved his factory to Newark, New Jersey in 1871. In 1876 he opened a laboratory in Menlo Park and in later years opened a lab in West Orange, New Jersey. He invented the phonograph, as well as the first electric incandescent light. He had over 1,093 patents on his inventions. 

Woodrow Wilson moved to New Jersey in 1890 to teach at Princeton University. He later became the president of the university. He served as governor and later became the 28th. president of the United States. 

Made in New Jersey. 

Famous Firsts and Faces. 

Besides being a famous place, New Jersey is renowned the world over as the birthplace and home of many famous ideas, innovations, and people. 

For example, Charles Lindbergh was the first to fly solo across the Atlantic, but he got his start in Flemington. Edwin E. (Buzz) Aldrin, Jr., went from Montclair to the moon. Grover Cleveland of Caldwell proved you can be anything when you are born in New Jersey-he was the 22nd and 24th President of the United States.

Famous singers 

You might say that folks from New Jersey can really carry a tune. Sing along with Frank Sinatra (Hoboken), Connie Francis (Newark), Whitney Houston (Newark), Paul Simon (Hoboken), Bruce Springsteen (Freehold), Bette Midler (Paterson), Dionne Warwick (East Orange), or Jon Bon Jovi (Sayreville). 

Famous actors 

According to Shakespeare, "all the world's a stage"-but many famous actors got their start on the stage in New Jersey. Think about that the next time you see a TV show or movie starring Michael Douglas (New Brunswick), Meryl Streep (Summit), John Travolta (Englewood), Danny DeVito and Jack Nicholson (Neptune), Tom Cruise (Glen Ridge), Joe Pesci, Bruce Willis, and Jon Forsythe (Penns Grove), Jerry Lewis and Eva Marie Saint (Newark), Elisabeth and Andrew Shue (South Orange), Thomas Mitchell (East Orange), and Robert Blake (Nutley). 

Famous monsters 

As far back as the 17th century, people have reported seeing sea monsters in Lake Hopatcong in the Skylands region. Monsters have also been seen on the prowl in the Great Bear Swamp in Sussex County. Of course, the most famous monster in the state is the legendary Jersey Devil-who makes his home in the Pinelands. 

First college football game 

Every Saturday in the fall, college sports fans across America take up a tradition that got its start here. New Brunswick was the site for the first intercollegiate football game on November 6, 1869. Rutgers University beat Princeton by a score of 6-4. 

First organized baseball game 

Elysian Field in Hoboken was the site of the first organized game of baseball. The New York Nine beat the Knickerbockers by a score of 23-1 on June 19, 1846. 

First pro basketball game 

There were pro basketball players here long before the New Jersey Nets. The first professional championship basketball season was held in Trenton in 1898 - 1899. 

First bulb, phonograph, and movie 

Talk about a bright idea: The first incandescent lamp was made by Thomas A. Edison in 1879 in Menlo Park, where he also invented the first phonograph in 1877. In 1889, Edison developed the first motion picture in West Orange. 

First town to be lighted 

It didn't take long to put Edison's lamp to work. Roselle became the first town in the nation to be lighted by electricity in 1883. 

First "condensed" soup 

Mmm, mmm good! The first "condensed" soup was cooked and canned in Camden County in 1897-which became the famous Campbell's Soup. 

First cranberry sauce 

One day, Elizabeth Lee of New Egypt, a cranberry grower in South Jersey, decided to boil some damaged berries instead of throwing them away. She liked the tasty jelly so much she started a business selling "Bog Sweet Cranberry Sauce." That was the beginning of the Ocean Spray company that still sells cranberry products today! 

First boardwalk and saltwater taffy 

The world's first boardwalk was built in Atlantic City in 1870. Here's another fact to chew on: the first saltwater taffy was produced at the Jersey Shore in the 1870s as well. 

First electric guitar 

New Jersey rocks! The famous Les Paul invented the first solid body electric guitar in Mahwah in 1940. 

First national historic park 

In 1933, the first National Historic Park in America was established in Morristown. Today, New Jersey has 38 state parks, 11 state forests, 57 historic sites, 42 natural areas, and three national recreational areas. 

First submarine 

This was a good idea that didn't float. The first submarine was built in 1878 by John Holland of Passaic County. It's now on display in the Public Museum in Paterson. 

First copper mine 

Back in 1640, Dutch settlers opened the first copper mine in America in the Kittatinny Mountains. Copper was an important metal to make materials for the early settlers. Today, you'll not only find copper in pennies, but also in the Statue of Liberty! 

First ferry 

Commuting to New York City is a time-honored New Jersey tradition. In fact, the first ferry service in the United States began in 1811, shuttling between Hoboken and Manhattan. 

First brewery 

Here's to New Jersey-the toast of the country! In 1642, the first brewery in America opened in Hoboken. 

First flag 

History students know that Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag, but did you know it was designed by a New Jerseyan? Francis Hopkinson, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, designed the first American flag in 1777.