What year did the Sieurs d'Iberville and Bienville arrive to found the French Colony?

The founding of the French colony in what is now New Orleans is marked by the arrival of Sieurs d'Iberville and Bienville in 1699. This year is significant because it marks the beginning of French colonization efforts in the Mississippi River region. Iberville and his brother Bienville established a settlement near the Mississippi River as part of King Louis XIV's directive to expand French territory in North America. Their arrival was pivotal in the establishment of New Orleans and later developments that would lead to the city becoming a critical hub in the French colonial empire in the Americas. This timeline underlines the date of 1699 as the critical moment when the French influence began to shape the culture, economy, and political landscape of the region, leading ultimately to the establishment of the city of New Orleans itself.