1. The Louisiana Purchase Treaty was ratified on January 17, 1803, which added a vast amount of land west of the Mississippi River to the United States.

2. LSU's first football game against Tulane University on January 17, 1893, ended in a scoreless tie. This would become the beginning of one of college football's oldest and most storied rivalries.

3. On January 17, 1977, convicted murderer Gary Gilmore was executed by firing squad at Utah State Prison. His case inspired Norman Mailer's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, "The Executioner's Song," as well as a made-for-TV movie of the same name, which was shot in Baton Rouge.

4. The Krewe of Bonaparte parade, one of Baton Rouge's oldest Mardi Gras traditions, started rolling on January 17, 1976. It was the first parade of the Baton Rouge Carnival season, and has since become a beloved tradition for locals and visitors alike.

5. On January 17, 1995, a massive earthquake struck the city of Kobe, Japan, killing more than 6,000 people and injuring over 26,000. Louisiana-based companies, including Exxon and Chevron, sent assistance in the form of money, medical supplies, and experienced disaster relief workers to Japan.