You might not be aware, and you may even be surprised by some of the things that were first done right here in South Jersey.

Let's take a trip back in time to check out some of the famous firsts that happened in South Jersey, according to the official website for the state of New Jersey.

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    1

    The First Boardwalk

    The first boardwalk in the world was actually built in Atlantic City in 1870. According to Wikipedia, the boardwalk was built on a portion of the beach to help keep the sand out of hotel lobbies.

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    2

    The First Drive-In Movie Theater

    The first drive-in was built on a 10-acre plot in Camden County in the summer of 1933.  According to Wikipedia, the very first movie was called, Wife Beware by Adolphe Menjou.

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    Morgan Mann
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    3

    The First Seashore Resorts

    There were actually two locations for the first seashore resorts - both Cape May and Long Branch opened seashore resorts in the early 1800's.

    Cape May began hosting vacationers from Philly in the mid 18th century and is known as the country's oldest seaside resort!

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    4

    The First Miss America

    The very first Miss America was chosen in Atlantic City back in 1921. According to Wikipedia, the first Miss America crowned was Miss Washington DC, Margaret Gorma. Did you know that Miss South Jersey, Kathryn M. Gearon, placed second and won $100 in gold?!

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    5

    The First Balloon Flight

    The very first balloon flight was made on January 9, 1793 by a man named, Jean-Pierre Blanchard. He landed a balloon in Deptford, New Jersey that was carrying a letter from George Washington.

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    Ilda masa, Thinkstock
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    6

    The First Airplane Passenger Flight in America

    The first passenger in American history actually took place in 1919 from New York City to Atlantic City.

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