1. On August 8, 1863, the Red River Campaign came to a conclusion when Union forces under General Nathaniel Banks retreated to New Orleans from Alexandria, Louisiana. The campaign had started earlier that year in an attempt to seize control of the Red River Valley and cut Confederate supply lines.

2. Louisiana politician James A. Noe Jr. was born on August 8, 1928. Noe served as the Commissioner of Administration under Governor Edwin Edwards and was instrumental in developing the Louisiana Superdome.

3. On August 8, 1980, President Jimmy Carter signed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as the Superfund Act. The act provided funding and a legal framework for the cleanup of hazardous waste sites across the country, including several in Louisiana.

4. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Louisiana on August 29, but on August 8 of that year, the hurricane was still building strength in the Atlantic Ocean. The storm would go on to cause devastation across the Gulf Coast and lead to widespread flooding in New Orleans.

5. August 8 is also celebrated as National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day. While the holiday is not specific to Louisiana, the state's warm climate and fertile soil make it an ideal place for growing zucchini and other summer vegetables.