1. Louisiana became a state on March 20, 1812. The territory had previously been controlled by France and Spain before being purchased by the United States in 1803. It was admitted into the union as the 18th state.

2. March 20, 1897, marked the opening of the Louisiana Industrial Institute in Ruston, Louisiana. The school would later become Louisiana Tech University, a public research university that has produced notable alumni such as Terry Bradshaw and Karl Malone.

3. On March 20, 1969, a group of Native American activists from various tribes took over the abandoned federal prison on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. The occupation lasted for 19 months and was part of a larger movement to demand sovereignty and land rights for Native peoples, including the Houma and Chitimacha tribes in Louisiana.

4. March 20, 1988, marked the groundbreaking for the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. The massive domed stadium has hosted numerous Super Bowls, NCAA Final Fours, and other major events, and was a symbol of the city's post-Katrina recovery when it hosted the NFL's first game after the hurricane in 2006.

5. Louisiana is home to a unique celebration called the Courir de Mardi Gras or "Mardi Gras Run," which takes place on the day before Ash Wednesday. The tradition involves costumed participants going door-to-door asking for ingredients to make a communal gumbo, and often involves riding horses or dancing and singing in the streets. March 20, 2007, marked one of the largest Courir de Mardi Gras events in history, with an estimated 20,000 participants in Lafayette, Louisiana.