New Jersey has been the birthplace or long-time home of a staggering number of prominent figures across all disciplines:
* **Thomas Edison:** Prolific inventor who developed the phonograph and practical incandescent light bulb in his New Jersey labs. * **Albert Einstein:** Nobel-winning physicist who spent his later years at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. * **Bruce Springsteen:** Iconic rock musician widely celebrated as "The Boss." * **Frank Sinatra:** Legendary singer, actor, and cultural icon born in Hoboken. * **Meryl Streep:** Academy Award-winning actress raised in Bernardsville. * **Jon Bon Jovi:** Philanthropist and frontman of the rock band Bon Jovi. * **Queen Latifah:** Rapper, actress, and singer born in Newark. * **Shaquille O'Neal:** Hall of Fame NBA player and media personality born in Newark.