FUN WITH MAPS ISSUE 2026-125

By Steve Kovacs (Introduction by Chuck Gibson)

LOVELAND, OH (August 4, 2026) – In Fun with Maps today, we celebrate one of the all-time great jazz musicians born on this date 125 years ago.

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD

Acclaimed jazz musician Louis Armstrong was born on August 4, 1901 in New Orleans, Louisiana (NOLA).

Praised for his mastery of rhythm and phrasing, whether singing scat or playing the trumpet, Armstrong was a primary influence in the acceptance and popularization of jazz as a truly American music genre.  He was the first Black musician to host his own radio show.

Armstrong grew up in a rough neighborhood in NOLA,  and he was arrested when he was 12 and sent to the Colored Waif’s Home for Boys.  It was there he learned to play the cornet.  When his incarceration ended, he set out to become a professional musician as he worked on riverboats, the streets of the city, and honky tonk jazz clubs.

His nickname, Satchmo, was short for “satchel mouth”, referring to his trademark large grin.  He played with such enthusiasm; he often had damaged lips from the strength of his blowing.  In fact, his passionate output meant he frequently had to “stand back” in recording sessions to avoid distortion.

Here is Barnes’s pictorial map of New Orleans’s French Quarter from 1942. 

Steve Kovacs and his wife Theresa reside in Loveland, Ohio where they raised their two children. He is a passionate collector of antique maps. Be sure to visit his antique map boutique world-on-paper online. Watch for his daily feature Steve Kovacs: Antique Maps & Fun Facts here on Loveland Beacon.