These posts came from outside contributors.
It’s 4:20 Somewhere
Hazy blue smoke surrounds the origins of the annual Fourth of July Smoke-In. Though it now takes place in Lafayette Square, across the barricaded street from the White House, it began on the Mall.
“The President’s Walk” Was Almost Reagan’s Last
This is a guest post by Angela Harrison Eng The Washington Hilton Hotel is located at 1919 Connecticut Ave. NW, near DuPont Circle. At a glance, the hotel is one of many in a sea of...
The Women’s Suffrage Parade of 1913
This is a guest post by Angela Harrison Eng. March 3, 2013, was an important day in women’s history, yet it went virtually unnoticed in the public eye. Before women gained the right to vote nationwide...
The Little Green House on K Street
This is a guest post by Angela Harrison Eng At a first glance, there is nothing monumental about 1625 K Street NW. A bland building occupies the space, along with several nondescript businesses and a parking...
Before Fast Food, There Was Childs’ Food
This is a guest post by Angela Harrison Eng Before the modern fast food restaurant, there was Childs Restaurant. Childs was a chain that originated in New York City and spread southward, eventually opening franchises in...
The Knickerbocker Theatre Tragedy
This is a guest post by Angela Harrison Eng Winter storms like hurricanes are regularly named every year. This naming practice, however, was not always the norm. One snowstorm that hit DC in 1922 was named...
The Little House in DC Plays Unique Role in Girl Scout History
This is a guest post by Angela Harrison Eng I was a Girl Scout when I was a kid. Unlike a lot of girls I knew, I stayed a Girl Scout until my late teen years....
D.C.’s Connection With the Titanic
This is a guest post by Angela Harrison Eng. New York has significant ties to Titanic. Many of Gotham’s elite members of society died in the disaster, including John Jacob Astor, Benjamin Guggenheim, and Isidor and...
Mary Surratt Boarding House is Now a Chinese Restaurant
Mary Surratt's boarding house is a Chinese restaurant, still standing just around the corner from Gallery Place Metro. Today, it's Wok and Roll.
Engravings of President’s House and Capitol After Burning of Washington
Below are two amazing engravings of the President’s House and the Capitol Building following the Burning of Washington on August 24, 1814. The engravings were done by William Strickland. The British marched on Washington and attacked...
A Call to Arms After the Burning of Washington
We found a couple of fascinating pages out of two newspapers from the days following the Burning of Washington. Both papers, The Columbian – out of New York City – and the Federal Republican – out...
British Troops Regret Burning Washington; Madison’s Cabinet Slow to React
We’re coming up on the 200th anniversary of the Burning of Washington. On the 100th anniversary, the Washington Times wrote a long retrospect on what happened, along with reactions from some of the players. The Times...
The Greatest Commencement Addresses in Washington, DC, Ever
It’s that time of year, again. Commencement speakers address graduating college and university classes, and inevitably their speeches are ranked, assessed, complimented, and criticized. This year, both NPR and Vox.com have compiled the best commencement speeches ever....
Playbill from Ford’s Theatre on the Night of Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination
April 14, 1865 at Ford’s Theater began with a showing of Our American Cousin, and ended with an assassinated President Lincoln. The Library of Congress has the program from that evening. Pretty incredible to think that...
The Time Walter Johnson Pitched 18 Innings in One Game!
Walter Johnson is one of the greatest pitchers of all time, and on May 15, 1918, he delivered a performance that stood out from any of his other games. He pitched a total of 18 innings...
Sketches of Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination
The Library of Congress has a large collection of graphic arts created over the course of two centuries. They depict famous locations and subjects. There are a large number dedicated to capturing the assassination and aftermath...
U.S. Navy Needs Your Binoculars for World War II
Between 1936 and 1943 the Work Projects Administration (WPA), about 2,000 posters were designed to promote the arts, community activities, and used for education. The Library of Congress has digitized 907 of these posters. The one...
Senators Demolish the Yankees in 1925 Home Opener at Griffith Stadium
We found this great composite of photos summarizing the opening game for the Washington Senators against the New York Yankees at Griffith Stadium, on April 22, 1925 – 89 years ago last week! This was the...
