1. In 1743, the French explorer and mapmaker, Jean Baptiste Bénard de la Harpe, established Fort des Cadodaquious near present-day Natchitoches, Louisiana. This was one of the first European settlements in the region and helped to establish French control over the area.

2. In 1803, Louisiana was officially transferred from Spanish to French control in a ceremony held in New Orleans. This was one of the first steps in the eventual transfer of Louisiana to the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase.

3. In 1864, during the Civil War, a Union naval bombardment of Fort Fisher in North Carolina was commanded by Louisiana-born Admiral David Dixon Porter. The bombardment was unsuccessful in capturing the fort, but was one of the most intense naval battles of the war.

4. In 1926, Huey P. Long was elected governor of Louisiana. Long was a controversial figure known for his populist policies and anti-establishment rhetoric. He would later become a United States Senator and was assassinated in 1935.

5. In 1973, the New Orleans Saints football team won their first ever game, defeating the Atlanta Falcons 13-0. The Saints had only been founded in 1967 and had experienced several losing seasons before this historic victory.