1. On April 16, 1812, Louisiana became the 18th state in the United States of America. The state was previously a French and Spanish colony before being purchased by the United States in 1803.

2. In 1862, during the American Civil War, the Battle of Fort Bisland took place in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana. The Confederates, led by General Richard Taylor, were able to repel Union advances and maintain control of the fort.

3. On April 16, 1896, the Louisiana Supreme Court issued a ruling in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson, upholding the constitutionality of segregation laws under the "separate but equal" doctrine. The decision was later overturned by the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.

4. In 1953, New Orleans hosted the first Jazz Fest on April 16, marking the beginning of the world-renowned music festival that has since become a cultural icon of Louisiana.

5. On April 16, 1997, a massive tornado outbreak swept through Louisiana, causing extensive damage and claiming the lives of 24 people. The outbreak was part of a larger tornado outbreak that affected several southern states.