For as long as cameras have been around to take pictures, there have been a wealth of celebrities in New Jersey to photograph.
When I was nine years old, President Lyndon Johnson and Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin chose to have a political summit at what was then known as Glassboro State College, now Rowan University.
Glassboro didn't get on the cover of Newsweek all that often. It was a BIG deal.
Aside from the fact that these were, arguably, the two most powerful men in the world at that time, the more pragmatic reason for widespread excitement was that famous people just didn't stop by Glassboro very often ... or Vineland or Malaga or Elmer or Newfield or any other of the myriad towns I knew growing up.
MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey
But that's not to say it was a particularly unusual event for New Jersey.
For as long as cameras have been around to take pictures, there have been a wealth of subjects in the state who were major players in their field. This gallery is just a small sampling of them - from poets and physicists to actors and airmen, players of sports and players of musical instruments, people whose fame came from their pursuit of peace or their interest in entertaining or educating us.
These aren't people New Jersey can claim as its own -- we'll visit with them in our annual gallery covering famous people from New Jersey. For now, enjoy these pictures of the well-known as they were passing through.
Can't get enough? Links to previous galleries are here and here. Maybe you'll find some of the other folks you're thinking about.
Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find The Star-Ledger on Facebook.