1. Hurricane Katrina made landfall on August 23, 2005, causing massive destruction and devastation to the entire Gulf Coast region, including Louisiana. The storm is still considered to be one of the deadliest and costliest natural disasters in US history.

2. On August 23, 1864, Union forces under the command of Gen. Nathaniel Banks were defeated by Confederates led by Gen. Richard Taylor in the Battle of Mansfield, one of the major conflicts of the Red River Campaign during the Civil War.

3. Louisiana-based jazz musician and bandleader Kid Ory was born on August 23, 1886. He is widely recognized as one of the pioneers of traditional New Orleans jazz and his music had a major influence on the development of the genre.

4. On August 23, 1962, the first classes were held at the University of New Orleans, a public research university located in the city's Lakefront area. Today, UNO is home to over 8,000 students and offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

5. August 23 is also marked as "International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition", an observance designated by UNESCO to raise awareness of the transatlantic slave trade and its impact on the world. Louisiana, particularly New Orleans, played a significant role in the slave trade during the colonial and antebellum periods.