Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans on August 4th 1901. His childhood was a very tough one to get through. He lived in the part of town so poor, it was nicknamed "The Battlefield". After his father left his family when Louis was very young, his mother had to leave him with his grandmother most of the time to make money. Sadly, she turned to prostitution to provide for her family. In the fifth grade, Louis left school so that he could work. Luckily for Louis, a Jewish family gave him a job delivering coal and collecting junk. They often invited him to their meals and during these times they encouraged him to sing. During a New Years Eve party in 1912, Louis was arrested for firing a gun into the air. He was sent to the Colored Waif's Home for Boys. There he was given lessons on the cornet and discovered his love for music. He was then released from the home in 1914 and gave himself a reputation in New Orleans as a good blues musician. Though he was still working hard jobs, he became mentored by Joe "King" Oliver (one of the cities finest cornet players) who gave him tips and even used him as a sub for his own concerts!
In 1918, Louis got married to Daisy Parker and adopted a mentally disabled child whose mother (Louis's cousin) had died at child birth. During this time, Louis's reputation was still getting bigger. He replaced Joe Oliver in the most popular band in New Orleans and eventually quit labor jobs and started playing at parties, dances, funeral marches, etc.
In 1968 Louis had heart and kidney problems. He didn't get out of the house too much but still practiced the trumpet daily. During the Summer of 1970 he began taking engagements all around the world, however a heart attack after one gig made him stop for about two months. Even though he made a promise to play in public once more, Louis Armstrong died in his sleep on July 6, 1971 in his home in Queens, New York.