Most people think the Pentagon's famous five-sided shape represents military symbolism or strategic design. The real story is far more surprising: the world's most recognizable military building got its iconic shape because it had to fit around the property lines of an experimental farm in Arlington, Virginia. When architects had just one weekend in July 1941 to design the world's largest office building, they shaped it to match the boundaries created by old farm roads.
Explore the harrowing tale of Air Florida Flight 90's crash into the Potomac River during Washington D.C.'s 1982 blizzard. Uncover stories of tragedy, remarkable heroism, and the city's struggle amidst a day of unparalleled despair.
On November 21, 1929, a boiler explosion in the basement of the McCrory five-and-dime store in Washington, D.C. killed six people and injured dozens more. The legacy of the McCrory disaster serves as a reminder of the importance of workplace safety and the need to remain vigilant in upholding high standards of safety and prevention.
Washington's new airport opened for business in June 1941. This series of detailed photos shows what flying was like 80 years ago, more glamorous, quaint, and dressed up.
Digging into the past of Washington, DC? Check out this comparison of an old 1903 Baist map of DC near the Capitol and a Google Map of the same area in 2017. See how much things have changed!
Take a look back at the Treasury Building before the Civil War in 1860 with a photo from the Library of Congress. Learn more about this historic building from this blog post.
Take a look at this photograph of Washington, D.C. from the 1920s and see if you can recognize it. Click for more details and leave your thoughts in the comments!
The first State of the Union was in 1800 by our second president, John Adams. Thomas Jefferson began the tradition of passing along the state of the union in writing to Congress, allegedly because he felt he was an inadequate public speaker.
In 1913, the task of speaking directly to a joint session of Congress was reestablished by Woodrow Wilson.
Woodrow Wilson revived the tradition of the oral State of the Union address (1913)
Gentlemen of the Congress:
In pursuance of my constitutional duty...
Take a look at this rare photo of the Capitol Building just after the new dome was completed in 1863. A stunning view of the Capitol from the Library of Congress!
Take a look at the Washington Directory from 1822 and explore the regular people living in the city, including our fifth president, James Monroe. See the page that's really interesting!
Explore a captivating 1942 photograph of Washington D.C. during a gasoline shortage, revealing the city's resilience and adaptation to wartime challenges through a focus on its streetcar control tower and altered transportation habits.
Take a look back at history with photos of historic inaugurations of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, and Barack Obama. See how the ceremonies have changed over the years!
Take a look at this historic photo of the Heurich Brewery, taken in 1910. The brewery stood on the current site of the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. Source: Library of Congress.
Explore the transformation of Columbia Heights through photos from 1918-1922. See how the northeast corner of 14th and Irving St. NW looks today compared to the past. Get a glimpse of the area with photos from the Library of Congress and Google Street View.
