The cannon at the center of the controversy dates back to the Revolutionary War.
The Big Cannon on Princetons campus.
At some point, a dispute arose over the cannons ownership.
Apparently, Rutgers believed the cannon belonged to them and was wrongfully taken from their campus.
But the cannon, now planted firmly in the ground, proved difficult to move.
In response, some Princeton students raided Rutgerss museum and made away with a couple of muskets.
The Big Cannon, circa 1894.
But the cannon was so well planted that the car itself tore in half.
The cannon never budged an inch.
Princeton students organize a memorial concert on Cannon Green.
Photo:Joe Shlabotnik/Flickr
Another attempt at mischief was made in 1971.
Things looked legitimate enough for the guards to let them in with their trucks and heavy equipment.
But a phone call to the real New Jersey State Bicentennial Commission blew the cannon-nappers cover.
Rutgers students actively digging up the cannon after fooling Princeton security into letting them in 1976.
Yet, they wouldnt allow the rivalry to rest.
Often, the playful feud goes out of hand when students vandalize other properties within the Princeton campus.
The cannon war became the subject of documentary made by a group of Rutgers students in 2011.
The documentary includes footage of Rutgers students sneaking onto the Princeton campus at night to paint the cannon red.
The film Knights, Tigers, and Cannons.
premiered at the New Jersey Film Festival in September 2012, and won the award for Best Student Film.
you could watch the movie below.
