1. Louisiana became a state on January 1, 1812. Prior to this, it had been a territory of the United States since the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. The state was admitted to the Union during the War of 1812.

2. On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that all slaves in Confederate territory were to be freed. This announcement had a significant impact on Louisiana, which was one of the largest slave-owning states in the South.

3. In 1892, the first Sugar Bowl football game was played on January 1 in New Orleans. The game featured Tulane University and the University of Texas, with Tulane winning 14-0. The Sugar Bowl has since become a staple of the college football postseason.

4. On January 1, 1910, the first commercial oil well in Louisiana was drilled near Jennings. This discovery led to a boom in the state's oil industry, making Louisiana one of the largest producers of crude oil in the United States.

5. In 1963, Governor James Davis signed a law on January 1 granting voting rights to African Americans in Louisiana. This was a significant step forward in the Civil Rights Movement, which had been gaining momentum throughout the country.