1821 Artist Jean Jacques Audubon set up a studio in New Orleans.

1837 Shreveport was founded.

1838 The first Mardi Gras parade took place in New Orleans on Shrove Tuesday.

1850 The capital was transferred to Baton Rouge from New Orleans where a new statehouse was waiting. Built at a cost of $100,000, the American gothic design of the building was very much in vogue. Mark Twain said about the building, "...this little sham castle ... this architectural falsehood ... this whitewashed castle with turrets and things would never been built in this otherwise honorable place had it not been for the medieval romances of Sir Walter Scott."



1861 For two months after seceding from the Union and before joining the Confederacy, Louisiana flew the flag of an independent nation.



1864 General Henry W. Allen was installed as governor of Confederate Louisiana and earned a reputation as the best administrator in the Confederacy.

1861-65 For a year after the Civil War broke out Louisiana was undisturbed. In 1862, however, New Orleans was captured. In 1863 the longest siege in American military history took place at Port Hudson, the southernmost point of the Confederacy's hold on the Mississippi.

1873 Black Lieutenant Governor P.B.S. Pinchback served briefly as Louisiana's Chief Executive.

1877 "The Reconstruction Period" ended in Louisiana when President Rutherford B. Hayes withdrew United States Army units from the state after the longest occupation of any of the southern states.

1901 The first oil well in Louisiana was drilled in Jennings marking the start of the state's important oil industry. In 1992 Louisiana ranked second in natural gas, third in crude oil production, and second overall with regard to energy, including coal.

1912 The Louisiana Legislature adopted an official state flag, which consists of a field of solid blue with the pelican group from the state seal in white and gold. This is the flag that is in use today.







1932 At the direction of Louisiana Governor Huey P. Long a 34 story new state capitol was constructed in Baton Rouge.

1935 Senator and former Governor Huey P. Long was assassinated in the Capitol at Baton Rouge. Also that year in New Orleans on January 1st, Tulane defeated Temple 20-14 in the first Sugar Bowl game.

1968 John McKeithen becomes first governor in the twentieth century to be elected to two consecutive terms.

1975 The Louisiana Superdome opened in New Orleans.

1977 Dutch Morial was elected first black mayor of New Orleans.

1980 David Connor Treen took office as the first Republican Governor in over one hundred years.

1983 Edwin Edwards became the first Louisiana governor to be elected to a third term.

1984 The Louisiana World Exposition greeted millions of visitors to New Orleans.

1987 The Louisiana State Archives Building opened at 3851 Essen Lane in Baton Rouge.

1991 Renovation of Louisiana's Old State Capitol began in order to provide home for the Louisiana Center for Political and Governmental History.

1992 Edwin Edwards was inaugurated to an unprecedented fourth term.

PRESENT

Agriculture: Louisiana is one of the nation's largest producers of cotton, sugarcane, rice, sweet potatoes and pecans. The state is also a major producer of soybeans and corn. The biggest land-based industry in the state is forestry, with an economic impact from paper-making and wood producrs greater than all other crops combined. Poultry is the largest livestock industry, followed by dairy and beef cattle. Louisiana is also the nation's largest producer of alligator hides and crawfish. (Source: Agriculture & Forestry Commissioner Bob Odom's Office)

Industry: In 1997, Louisiana's 4,562 manufacturing units employed 191,327 workers whose annual earnings totaled $7,046,381,641. Average weekly wages in manufacturing increased by $44.69, or 6.6%, between 1996 and second quarter 1998. Louisiana's overall employment and number of employees reached record high levels in 1998. The rate of growth in total employment in Louisiana in 1998 increased at twice the national rate of growth of total employment. (Source: Secretary of Labor Garey Forster's Office)

Tourism: As Louisiana's second largest industry, tourism employed 110,000 people and generated $7.8 billion in revenue for 1998. The tourism industry took immense pride in the state's historic places, unique arts and crafts, natural re- sources and rich heritage as part of its efforts to accomodate the 25.5 million visitors traveling to Louisiana last year. (Source: Lt. Gov. Kathleen Blanco's Office)

Mineral Production: Principal mineral products are petroleum, natural gas, salt (largest salt mine is in Louisiana), sulphur, carbon black and gravel. Louisiana ranks second in the nation in oil production.