Jake Paul, Seinfeld and other connections to the First Estate

Delaware may seem like a mythical place to some, and for good reason.

The state’s contributions to pop culture and its broader impact on the world are often so unexpected that they seem stranger than fiction.

We’ve highlighted a few unusual things you might not know about the First State in celebration of the annual Delaware Day, a holiday that returns on Saturday, December 7.

What is Delaware Day?

This holiday celebrates the fact that Delaware became the first state to ratify the federal Constitution in 1787. But it wasn’t until 1933 that Delaware governors began proclaiming December 7 as Delaware Day, according to Delaware .gov.

Jake Paul beat former Delaware athlete before Mike Tyson

It’s no secret that YouTuber Jake Paul made headlines on November 15 when he defeated boxing legend Mike Tyson in a Netflix fight that became the most streamed sporting event in history, with about 65 million viewers, according to Netflix. But here’s a Delaware twist that many may not know: Paul’s second professional fight, once his most high-profile, was against a former Delaware Blue Coats player.

On November 28, 2020, Paul knocked out Nate Robinson, a moment widely remembered by fans of the fight. However, non-basketball fans may not realize that Robinson played 17 games for the Blue Coats (formerly the Delaware 87ers) during the 2016-17 season. Prior to his time at Delaware, Robinson was best known for his 11-year NBA career with multiple teams and being a three-time Slam Dunk champion with the New York Knicks.

Oddly enough, the Robinson and Paul fight was an undercard fight. The headlining match was between Roy Jones Jr. and Mike Tyson. The rest is a (strange) story.

Monopoly was started by a Delaware woman

The origins of the famous board game Monopoly have their roots in Delaware, where it was essentially created in the early 1900s by a woman named Elizabeth “Lizzie” Magie.

Magie, who was influenced by Henry George’s book “Progress and Poverty,” spent time in Arden where she worked on a board game called The Landlord’s Game, according to the Henry George Institute. His game was approved for a patent on January 5, 1904. The owner’s game eventually evolved into what the world today calls Monopoly. This year marks the 120th anniversary of Magie obtaining its patent.

A Delaware man created the Heimlich maneuver

Once upon a time, there was a surgeon in Delaware who created a famous technique that would save many lives. Henry Heimlich is the icon who invented the Heimlich maneuver, a method of throat clearing that he popularized in 1974. The technique involves applying sudden pressure to the upper abdomen of a choking victim in order to forcing her to spit out whatever is stuck in her throat. The surgeon died on December 17, 2016. He was 96 years old.

How Delaware Became the First State to Ban Child Marriage

It’s easy to assume that child marriage has been banned in Delaware for over a century, but that’s not the case. The first state made history on May 9, 2018, when Governor John Carney signed a law banning child marriage for anyone under the age of 18 – no exceptions, even with parental consent. This made Delaware the first state in the United States to completely ban the practice.

Between 2000 and 2011, state health records revealed that 200 minors were married in Delaware, most of them girls, according to the Associated Press. The landmark 2018 law marked an important step in protecting the rights of minors.

Delaware Blue Coats wear Power Rangers jerseys

Basketball players are often compared to superheroes, but it is rare to see them dressed like one during a match. That changed on March 17, 2017, when the Delaware Blue Coats — then known as the Delaware 87ers, the NBA G League affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers — hosted a Nickelodeon-themed party at the Bob Carpenter Center in Newark, reported Slam.

Nate Robinson and the team took the field wearing pink “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers”-inspired jerseys. Robinson, who dropped 18 points, and the Blue Coats beat the Salt Lake City Stars by a score of 113-111. After the game, the autographed, game-worn pink jerseys would have been auctioned off, with proceeds benefiting the nonprofit March of Dimes.

Jerry Seinfeld teased the Delaware company’s Gore-Tex

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld’s iconic sitcom “Seinfeld” once launched a playful attack on Newark-based WL Gore & Associates, famous for its weather-resistant Gore-Tex fabric. In the episode titled “The Dinner Party”, which aired on February 3, 1994, George (Jason Alexander) proudly sported a new Gore-Tex coat that his father had bought from a friend.

The coat’s extreme puffiness became the butt of jokes for Jerry and Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). The two men even began slapping George’s chest and arm to test if he could feel it through the bulky material.

What’s not funny is how much money WL Gore & Associates made. The company began in the basement of a Newark home owned by Wilbert “Bill” and Genevieve “Vieve” Gore in 1958. According to Gore.com, the global company is among the 200 largest privately held U.S. companies and generates $4.8 billion in annual revenue. income.

If you have an interesting story idea, email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at [email protected]. Consider subscribing to its weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at delawareonline.com/newsletters.