New Orleans, Louisiana

2005Hurricane Katrina: Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast on August 29, and the failure of New Orleans' levee system flooded 80% of the city. Over 1,800 people died, 1 million were displaced, and the catastrophe exposed devastating failures in emergency management.

1897Birth of Jazz: In the neighborhoods of New Orleans, musicians like Buddy Bolden blended African rhythms, blues, ragtime, and brass band music into jazz — the most significant American contribution to world culture.

1803Louisiana Purchase: The United States bought the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon for $15 million, doubling the nation's size. New Orleans, the territory's most valuable city, became American.

1815Battle of New Orleans: Andrew Jackson's force of regulars, militia, pirates, and free Black soldiers defeated a British invasion army. The decisive victory made Jackson a national hero and eventually president.

1718French Colonial Founding: Bienville founded New Orleans as a French colony on a crescent bend of the Mississippi River. The French Quarter's grid pattern and architecture date from this era.

1853Yellow Fever Epidemic: A catastrophic yellow fever epidemic killed nearly 8,000 people in New Orleans in a single summer — one of the deadliest epidemics in American history.

1960Ruby Bridges Integrates Schools: Six-year-old Ruby Bridges became the first Black child to integrate an all-white elementary school in New Orleans, walking past screaming mobs escorted by federal marshals.

1975Superdome Opens: The Louisiana Superdome opened as the largest fixed-dome structure in the world, becoming home to the Saints and the site of multiple Super Bowls.

1838First Mardi Gras Parade: The first organized Mardi Gras parade rolled through New Orleans, beginning the tradition that would grow into the largest annual celebration in America.

2010Saints Win Super Bowl: The New Orleans Saints won Super Bowl XLIV, their first championship, just five years after Katrina. The victory was an emotional milestone in the city's recovery.