5 Jersey Shore History Facts You Might Not Know

A lot has happened at the Jersey Shore in the centuries that we’ve inhabited it. Some historical happenings here tend to get more attention, like the shark attacks that inspired Jaws, or the Battle of Monmouth. We’ve put together a list of a few moments in Jersey Shore history that are equally monumental, but a little lesser known.

1. September 13, 1609
Henry Hudson stops at a spring in the Highlands, making him one of the first visitors to the area.

2. April 25, 1893
The Pledge of Allegiance is read in public for the first time at Twin Lights.

3. April 12, 1954 
In Wildwood, Billy Haley has his first performance of “Rock Around the Clock,” which was later credited as being the first popular rock and roll song.

4. August 16, 1969
Led Zeppelin turns down a slot at Woodstock to instead play a show at the Asbury Park Convention Hall. Joe Cocker opened for them before heading up to Woodstock for his own historic performance.

5. September 2, 1991
A diver finds an unidentified German submarine off the coast of Point Pleasant, despite there being no records of any U-boats being sunk off the Jersey Shore. Artifacts discovered in later expeditions prove that the submarine is U.869, active during World War II in the winter of 1944-1945.