1. In 1838, the Cherokee Nation was forced to surrender their land in the historic Trail of Tears. Many Cherokee died during the brutal journey from the southeast to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma). Louisiana was home to a number of Cherokee communities, and some of their descendants still live in the state today.

2. On June 28, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and read aloud General Order No. 3, which stated that "all slaves are free." This announcement came more than two years after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, and is now celebrated as Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

3. In 1906, the New Orleans Picayune newspaper reported on a riot in Alexandria, Louisiana, where a mob of white men attacked and lynched a black man named Fred Alexander. This tragic event highlights the history of racial violence in Louisiana, which has greatly impacted the state's culture and society.

4. On June 28, 1919, Louisiana became the seventh state to ratify the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which granted women the right to vote. This significant moment in history paved the way for women’s rights and political advocacy in Louisiana and across the country.

5. In 1969, Hurricane Camille struck the Mississippi Gulf Coast, causing widespread damage and killing more than 200 people. While the storm did not make landfall directly in Louisiana, it led to significant flooding and high winds throughout the state. Camille remains one of the deadliest and most destructive hurricanes in U.S. history.