What was Washington, D.C. like in the 1970s? Take a look at our great posts with stories, people, photos, and history about the District from the seventies.
Dulles Airport Hijacking
Arthur G. Barkley was an unemployed bread truck driver from Phoenix hijacked a Washington-bound TWA jet, demanding $100 million in ransom. He was distraught from losing his job, became embroiled in lawsuits against his employer, the...
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.
Arkansas Congressman and the Argentine Stripper
I watched The Front Runner this weekend, the story about Gary Hart’s implosion of a presidential campaign in 1988. What a fascinating movie and slightly prescient of the tabloid times we live in today. It got...
Marijuana and Alcohol Consumed by Kids in Silver Spring
This is a bizarre and disappointing article that we dug up in The Washington Post. It was printed on April 2nd, 1977. Montgomery County school officials have learned that a small group of children–six sixth-graders and a...
1980s Friendship Heights Metro Construction
Do you remember living in Washington during the 1970s? How about when the Metro was being built up along Wisconsin Avenue? We dug up this great old article in the Washington Post from January 26th, 1978....
What Did Metro Center Look Like Under Construction in 1973?
Check out this great set of photos from 1973, showing construction of Metro Center underground. Also, don’t miss these other great old Metro photos showing Dupont Circle we posted a while ago. Source: Library of Congress Source: Library...
Aerial Views of the Navy Yard in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s
This photo is an aerial view of the Navy Yard just a couple of months before President Kennedy was assassinated. Source: National Museum of the U.S. Navy Here’s another one from the 1970s. Source: National Museum...
Never Built Three Sisters Bridge Across the Potomac
This is a story that is most likely unknown to the great majority of GoDCers. Long-time DC residents may remember the controversy over the bridge that was to be built, connecting Virginia and the District, right...
Drawings of Proposed I-95 Through D.C.
Here are some terrific old maps from 1971 showing the remainder of what would have been I-95 cutting through D.C. Today, what is now 395, ends at New York Ave. NW. Source: Roads to the Future
Proposed Demolition of McLean Gardens; Replaced by Embassy Complex
How about this interesting old article from The Washington Post, printed on August 6th, 1975. Initially, there was a plan to demolish the entire 700+ unit complex and replace it with a large park and compound for...
What Did Meridian Hill Look Like in 1976?
This is a view of Meridian Hill Park, back when it was pretty rough. It was once a beautiful and amazing park, and now it’s getting back to being a great place to spend some time...
Union Station Reconstruction in the 1970s
Check out this photo of Union Station being rehabilitated. Thankfully they saved it instead of knocking it down like they did so many other beautiful old buildings back then (i.e., look at everything in L’Enfant -…...
If Walls Could Talk: Super Liquor – House of Cards Edition
Like most of D.C., probably the country, we’re obsessed with House of Cards. It’s a little over the top, but sometimes that’s the beauty of it. Unfortunately, we don’t often expect movies about Washington to be...
If Walls Could Talk: Hank’s Oyster Bar Old Town
Congratulations to the latest #GoDCIWCT poll winner. A well-deserved victory for our most successful Twitter campaigner yet. Those retweets really helped! Okay, on with the show … Shane and Claude, hopefully you’ll enjoy this. By the way...
“Warm Up the Fat Lady” The Night the Bullets Won the NBA Title
Elvin ‘The Big E’ Hayes and Bobby Dandridge were in the house at the Verizon Center the other night to watch the struggling Washington Wizards lose in overtime to the Boston Celtics. Before the game, this...
Kenny Rogers Live at the Capital Centre the Day Iran Fell
Sweet concert! This is an ad in The Washington Post on February 11th, 1979 for a Kenny Rogers concert. Almost 35 years ago, this was a Sunday, and while Washingtonians were heading to Landover for the concert,...
Sammy Davis Jr. and Richard Nixon
Talk about an odd couple. Davis Jr. was in attendance back in 1963 for the March on Washington (we posted a photo earlier). Here, Nixon is granting Sammy Davis, Jr. membership to the National Advisory Council...
President Ford’s Second Day on the Job
Here’s a fascinating old photo from President Ford’s Administration. It was taken on August 10th, 1974. That’s important because Nixon resigned the previous day (remember, Nixon’s not a crook). Is it just me, or does he...