Home USA States Louisiana Timeline History

1519: Spanish explorer Alonso de Pineda reached the mouth of Mississippi River 1541-42: Hernando de Soto explored region, discovered Mississippi River 1682: Robert Cavalier, Sieur de La Salle, claimed Mississippi watershed for France; named area for King Louis XIV 1714: Juchereau de St. Denis founded first permanent settlement in Louisiana 1718: Jean Baptiste le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville, founded New Orleans 1719: Black slaves imported into Louisiana 1722: Hurricane destroyed most of New Orleans 1723: New Orleans became capital of Louisiana 1729: Natchez Indians massacred 250 settlers at Fort Rosalie 1762: King Louis XV gave Charles II of Spain all land west of Mississippi 1768: Louisiana colonists of Louisiana rebelled against Spanish rule 1769: Spain regained control of Louisiana 1788: Most of New Orleans destroyed by fire 1800: Spain ceded Louisiana back to France 1803: U. S. purchased Louisiana Territory 1812: Louisiana became 18th state 1815: British defeated by Andrew Jackson in Battle of New Orleans 1832: Yellow fever and choloera epidemic killed more than 5,000 in New Orleans 1837: New Orleans held first Mardi Gras parade 1849: Baton Rouge became capital of Louisiana 1853: Yellow fever epidemic killed more than 11,000 in New Orleans 1861: Louisiana seceded from Union; joined the Confederacy 1862: New Orleans captured by Union troops; salt mine discovered at Avery Island 1866: Race riot in New Orleans killed 38 people, wounded 146 1868: Louisiana readmitted to Union; state lottery established 1870: Robert E. Lee beat Natchez in steamboat race 1873: Colfax riot occurred, more than 100 African American men killed 1874: Severe flooding occurred throughout the state 1879: New state constitution adopted; mouth of Mississippi River deepened to allow large ocean vessels to reach New Orleans 1884: World's Fair held in New Orleans 1891: Mob in New Orleans lynched 11 Italians charged in murder of Police Chief Hennessy 1892: Knights of Labor held general strike in New Orleans 1893: Hurricane killed over 2,000 in Louisiana and Mississippi 1901: First oil flow discovered at Jennings 1915: Hurricane struck New Orleans, killed 275 people, caused $13 million in damages 1916: Natural gas field discovered near Monroe 1921: New state constitution adopted 1927: Floods devastated 1,300,000 acres, 300,000 left homeless 1928: Huey P. Long elected governor 1932: Huey P. Long became U S Senator; new capitol completed in Baton Rouge 1934: Outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow gunned down by law enforcement officers and posse near Gibsland 1935: Huey Long assassinated on steps of state capitol 1939: Political scandals forced resignation of Governor Richard Leche 1947: First offshore oil well in Louisiana established 1956: Longest over-water bridge in world - Lake Pontchartrain Causeway opened 1957: Hundreds of people in Cameron Parish killed during Hurricane Audrey 1958: Segregation on city buses abolished in New Orleans 1960: Two public schools in Orleans Parish desegregated 1965: Hurricane Betsy devestated southern Louisiana; over 60 deaths occurred 1966: National Football League awarded franchise to New Orleans Saints 1969: Hurricane Camille struck, killed 250 people 1973: Lindy Boggs became first congresswoman in Louisiana 1975: Super Dome in New Orleans completed 1983: Edwin Edwards became first three-term governor 1985: Governor Edwards indicted on federal racketeering charges 1986: Governor Edwards acquitted of all charges 1987: Pope John Paul II visited New Orleans; Cuban detainees at detention center in Oakdale staged eight-day seize, held 26 people hostage 1988: Republican National Convention held in New Orleans 1989: Former grand wizard of Ku Klux Klan, David Duke, elected to state legislature 1991: State legislature approved riverboat gambling 1992: Hurricane Andrew killed 11, caused $1 billion in damages 1998: Major flooding throughout southern part of state from Tropical Storm Francis 2005: Hurricane Katrina struck southeastern Louisiana, damaged levees flooded New Orleans, more than 1,500 people killed, over two million homeless; Hurricane Rita caused major flooding in New Orleans