1. Louisiana State University was officially founded on January 11, 1860, after the Louisiana General Assembly passed a bill establishing the institution. The university is located in Baton Rouge and is currently the flagship institution of the Louisiana State University System.

2. Louisiana's first Black governor, P.B.S. Pinchback, was born on January 11, 1837. Pinchback served as the governor of Louisiana for over a month in 1872 after the impeachment and removal of Governor Henry Warmoth.

3. On January 11, 1805, the Corps of Discovery, led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, reached the mouth of the Missouri River and began their journey up the Mississippi River. The expedition would later enter Louisiana Territory, which at the time was still part of France.

4. On January 11, 1815, the Battle of New Orleans ended with an American victory over the British. The battle, which took place during the War of 1812, is widely considered to be one of the most significant victories in American military history.

5. Louisiana's Cajun Mardi Gras tradition is celebrated on or around the date of January 11 each year. Known as "Courir de Mardi Gras," these celebrations involve participants wearing colorful costumes and masks, riding on horseback or in wagons, and going from house to house to collect ingredients to make a communal gumbo.