1. Louisiana officially became a state on January 2, 1812. At the time, Louisiana was the 18th state to join the United States.

2. On January 2, 1865, the Battle of Spanish Fort began in Mobile, Alabama. While not technically in Louisiana, the battle involved many soldiers from Louisiana who fought as part of the Confederate army.

3. Louisiana's first female governor, Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, was sworn in on January 2, 2004. Blanco served as governor from 2004 to 2008 and was the first woman to hold this position in Louisiana.

4. On January 2, 2006, a major oil spill occurred in the Gulf of Mexico near Louisiana's coast. The spill was caused by the sinking of an oil rig, and it resulted in significant damage to marine life and the environment.

5. In 2010, the Louisiana State University football team won the BCS National Championship on January 2. The team, led by quarterback Jordan Jefferson, defeated the University of Texas Longhorns in the championship game, which was held in Pasadena, California.