1. Louisiana became a state on July 5, 1812. The Louisiana Territory had been purchased by the United States from France in 1803, but it took several years to organize as a territory and then prepare for statehood. Louisiana was the 18th state to join the Union.
2. The Battle of Baton Rouge took place on July 5, 1862, during the Civil War. Union forces under General Thomas Williams, aided by gunboats on the Mississippi River, attacked Confederate troops defending Baton Rouge. The Union was successful in taking the city, which was an important center for the Confederacy's control of the Mississippi River.
3. The first jazz music recording was made in New Orleans on July 5, 1917. The Original Dixieland Jass Band recorded "Livery Stable Blues" and "Dixie Jass Band One-Step" for the Victor Talking Machine Company. Jazz music had been developing in New Orleans for several years prior to this, but this was the first time it had been recorded and distributed to a wider audience.
4. The first rural electrification project in Louisiana was launched on July 5, 1938. The project, which was funded by the Rural Electrification Administration (REA), brought electricity to rural areas of Louisiana that had been without it. This allowed farmers to use electrically powered tools and appliances, making their work easier and more efficient.
5. Hurricane Dennis made landfall on the Louisiana coast on July 5, 2005. The storm brought heavy rain and strong winds, causing flooding and power outages in some areas. Although Dennis was not as severe as Hurricane Katrina, which would strike Louisiana later that same year, it was a reminder of the state's vulnerability to hurricanes and other natural disasters.