New Orleans History

New Orleans Timeline

• 1718
  Jean Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville and John Law founded the City of New Orleans and named it. The French Quarter street plan was made by Adrien de Pauger.
• 1721
  Population 470.
• 1722
  New Orleans becomes the Capital of the Louisiana Colony.
• 1727
  Ursuline Nuns arrive in New Orleans
• 1729
  Indian massacre of the French at Natchez
• 1755
  French Acadians began to arrive in New Orleans
• 1763
  New Orleans becomes a Spanish colony by the signing of the Treaty of Paris
• 1767
  New Orleans became Capital of Spanish Louisiana
• 1769
  First Spanish Governor, Alexander O'Reilly takes control of Louisiana Colony, French rebellion resulted in execution of five French leaders
• 1788
  In the French Quarter, over 850 structures are destroyed by fire including the cathedral.
• 1794
  St. Louis Cathedral construction is completed. Another large fire destroys buildings in the French Quarter
• 1800
  Louisiana secretly returned to France
• 1803
  Louisiana Purchase, Napoleon I sells Louisana to the United States.
  Population about 8,000
• 1812
  Louisiana admitted to the Union as the 18th state.
  First steamboat reached New Orleans
• 1814-1815
  General Andrew Jackson defeats the British ending the War of 1812.
• 1827
  The first Mardi Gras celebration is held in New Orleans.
• 1835
  The United States Mint is built in New Orleans.
• 1837
  The first documented Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans.
• 1840
  Port of New Orleans ranked fourth in World
• 1850
  Place d'Armes officially renamed Jackson Square.
  Population 116,375
• 1852
  New Orleans third largest city in the United States
• 1853
  Yellow Fever Epidemic (more than 8,000 died)
• 1857
  First modern Mardi Gras parade sponsored by a Krewe
• 1861
  Louisiana secedes from the Union
• 1862
  New Orleans captured by Federal Troops under General David Farragut, placed under the command of Gen. Benjamin Butler
• 1865
  Louisiana returns to the Union.
• 1872
  Krewe of Rex organized
• 1884
  World Cotton Exposition
• 1894
  Krewe of Zulu organized
• 1900
  Population 287,104
• 1910
  The last coins are minted in New Orleans and the Mint is closed.
• 1911
  Loyola University is established.
• 1916
  Xavier College established.
• 1921
  The Vieux Carré Commission is created.
• 1958
  City Hall, 1300 Perdido Street opened
• 1967
  The New Orleans Saints franchise awarded
• 1975
  The Superdome is completed
• 1979
  Mardi Gras cancelled due to New Orleans Police strike
• 1982
  Airplane crash (PanAm flight 759) in Kenner
• 1983
  Pontchartrain Beach Amusement Park's last day of rides, September 25
• 1984
  Louisiana World Exposition (World's Fair) opens
• 1987
  Pope John Paul II visits
• 1988
  New Orleans hosts the Republican National Congress
• 1990
  Aquarium of the Americas grand opening
• 1992
  Hurricane Andrew
• 1995
  Harrah's New Orleans Casino grand opening
• 1995
  Extensive street flooding in New Orleans

D-Day Museum

The 16,000-square-foot gallery of The National D-Day Museum is divided into four, state-of-the-art, interactive exhibits that intermix oral histories from veterans worldwide, artifacts, documents and photographs with hands-on activities and never before seen film footage. These series of exhibits take Museum visitors through the weeks and days leading up to the D-Days of World War II to the foggy morning of June 6 when the Allies landed on the beaches of Normandy to the other decisive air and sea assaults that led to victory in Europe and the Pacific.

Historic New Orleans Collection

The Historic New Orleans Collection was established in 1966 by General and Mrs. L. Kemper Williams, private collectors of Louisiana materials, to maintain and expand their collection and make it available to the public through research facilities and exhibitions. The Collection operates a museum accredited by the American Association of Museums in a complex of historic French Quarter buildings at 533 Royal Street. Facilities at Royal Street include the Williams Gallery for changing exhibitions, several permanent exhibition galleries illustrating the history of the city and state, the Williams Residence house museum, and a museum shop. The Williams Research Center, composed of curatorial, manuscripts, and library collections, is housed in a restored police and court building at 410 Chartres Street.

Battle of New Orleans

Few events in American history have captured the popular imagination and found representation in such diverse forms of expression as has the Battle of New Orleans. General Andrew Jackson's defeat of the British forces below New Orleans in January of 1815 established once and for all that Louisiana would remain an American possession. The battle and the personalities involved have remained favorite subjects for generations of historians, storytellers, and artists. The Historic New Orleans Collection is particularly fortunate to have been entrusted with the world's foremost assembly of original documents, artworks, rare books and memorabilia relating to the Battle of New Orleans.

Louisiana State Museum

New Orleans' most prominent heritage attraction is the Louisiana State Museum, a complex of national landmarks housing thousands of artifacts and works of art reflecting Louisiana's legacy of historic events and cultural diversity. The Museum operates five properties in the famous French Quarter: the Cabildo, Presbytere, 1850 House, Old U.S. Mint and Madame John's Legacy. Also the Wedell-Williams Memorial Aviation Museum in Patterson, the Old Courthouse in Natchitoches, and the E.D. White Historic Site in Thibodaux.

History of Jazz in New Orleans