Louis Armstrong was born in Storyville, an underprivileged district of New Orleans in the United States. He was brought up by his mother and grandmother, his father having deserted home. He was unfailingly jovial despite his family's precarious financial situation, and encouraged street children to join in his songs to raise a few pennies. One incident in particular was to determine his vocation. Between Christmas and New Year, it was customary for everyone to go around with a gun and cause a disturbance. Young Louis fired a few shots into the air, and the explosion had a major impact on both his destiny and the history of jazz. He was arrested and imprisoned in a house of delinquents. Refusing to give in to despair, and true to his inner nature, he took up the cornet. The trumpet followed, and with it a growing international reputation and a prestigious career.