New Orleans (La Nouvelle-Orléans) was founded in the spring of 1718 by the French Mississippi Company, under the direction of Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, on land inhabited by the Chitimacha. While the actual founding date is uncertain, May 7 has become the traditional date to mark the anniversary. As I’m sure Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville said on May 7, 1718, “laissez le bons temps rouler!”