Discover the intricacies of the relationship between Margaret Thatcher and Jimmy Carter during the turbulent times of 1979 in the United States. This blog post delves into their similarities and differences, their joint vision, and the significance of Thatcher's visit to the White House. Read on to learn more about the historical ties that bind the US and UK together and the subsequent impact of this...

The Civil War reached the outer edges of Washington in 1864. It was so close that President Lincoln rode near the front lines of Fort Stevens and came under fire.

Learn about Charles Guiteau's time in Washington before he assassinated President James Garfield. He believed he had played a major role in Garfield's election victory, for which he should have been rewarded with a consulship.

A brazen daylight assassination attempt against President Truman took place right on Pennsylvania Avenue with a shootout in front of Blair House. It was carried out by militant Puerto Rican pro-independence activists. White House Police officer Leslie Coffelt, was killed protecting the President.

Metro in Washington DC opened on March 27th, 1976. All rides were free that day on the 4.6 miles of tracks.

Terrific old photo of the Washington Monument being dedicated in 1885. Check out the amazing details.

Remember the names of those involved in the Watergate scandal? In August 1974, Richard Nixon resigned before being impeached.

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.

I remember this so vividly. I walked the length of the Mall, stood on the west front steps of the Capitol (which you can no longer do) and stared out onto a virtual sea of candles flickering on the Mall. This photo is a good representation of what I saw that night on September 12th, the day after the tragic events in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania. I wrote another post about this some time...

Relive the Fourth of July in Washington, DC, way back in 1919 with these amazing photos from the Library of Congress. Take a step back in time!

On July 27th, 1909, Orville Wright set the flight duration record at Ft. Myer. This historic flight was over 40 miles with an average speed of over 40 miles per hour. Witness the test flight in this video.

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...

In the 1925 World Series, the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the defending champion Washington Senators in seven games.

Hinckley was arrested and found not guilty of his charges by reason of insanity. He was sent to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Washington, DC, less than ten minutes from the place he attempted to assassinate Reagan.

The Washington Senators were in the World Series in 1924, and ultimately would come away victorious. What you might not know is that Grace Coolidge (she also spent some time in Columbia Heights) was a huge baseball fan. Her husband, not so much. But she had plans to change that, at least for a night to watch game six of the World Series against the New York Giants. Below is an article that we dug...

A series of tragic photos showing Columbia Heights after the 1968 Washington, DC riots.

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!

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 Knickerbocker Storm” (see photos of the blizzard) because it indirectly led to the deaths of 98 people inside the historic Knickerbocker Theater. The Knickerbocker opened on October 13,...

Here’s a cool old photo of President Calvin Coolidge visiting President Gerardo Machado at the Cuban Embassy on April 22nd, 1927. President Coolidge calls on President Machado of Cuba upon arrival in Washington. President Coolidge with President Gerardo Machado of Cuba […]ides photographed at the Cuban embassy in Washington Chief Executive of the United States paid a return […]a’s...

Explore these 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 and depict the destruction caused by the British attack and subsequent tornado.

Two hundred years ago, the nation's capital was burned by a foreign power. Explore the reactions of two newspapers, The Columbian and the Federal Republican, to this historic event with us. PDFs of the articles are included.

Reflecting on the 200th anniversary of the Burning of Washington, read The Washington Times' 1914 article on the topic, including major players' reactions, rumors leading up to it, and President Madison's disbelief.

Discover the amazing story of how Geronimo and five other Western Indian chiefs attended and celebrated Teddy Roosevelt's inaugural parade in Washington, DC in 1905. Click the image for a larger version.

Take a look at the program from April 14, 1865 at Ford's Theater - the night President Lincoln was assassinated. You can see the characters, actors and the ticket prices for the show. Incredible to think of what that audience experienced that night.

On May 15th, 1918, Walter Johnson delivered an unforgettable performance as he pitched 18 innings in one game and won against the defending World Series Champion Chicago White Sox. Read to learn more about this incredible game and how it happened!

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 of President Lincoln. Below are an assortment, with descriptions. The text below this work says, “President Lincoln’s Last Reception, Respectfully Dedicated to...

In 1912, the Mayor of Tokyo gave 3,000 cherry trees to Washington, DC as a sign of friendship. Learn more about the gift and find out where to find cherry blossoms in DC away from the tourist masses!

This was the first time an official of the Soviet Union testified before a House committee, by Vitaly Churkin, in an attempt to be transparent after the Chernobyl nuclear accident.

Celebrate the 152nd anniversary of the D.C. Emancipation Act, which ended slavery in the District of Columbia and freed almost 3,000 slaves in Washington. Read the transcript of the bill and learn about the events of April 17th, 1862 in local newspapers.

In 1949, Mayor Thomas D'Alesandro opposed building an airport in Virginia to relieve Washington's air traffic. Check out this article from The Washington Post to learn more about the story. #GhostsOfDC #1940s #Airport #DCA #BWI #Dulles