Eisenhower and Queen Elizabeth Driving in Presidential Limo
This wonderful old photo of Pennsylvania Avenue in 1957 shows President Eisenhower and Queen Elizabeth in an old Lincoln Cosmopolitan. Source: Flickr user Dave Gelinas And here’s another. Source: Flickr user Dave Gelinas Source: Flickr user Dave Gelinas
Eisenhower Inauguration Seen From a Blimp [Slideshow]
Here’s a pretty cool set of photos from January 20th, 1953. Source: Opie Radio
Eisenhower Paroled by Doctors in Denver; Returns to Washington
In September 1955, President Eisenhower suffered a heart attack while visiting Denver. He was rushed to Fitzsimmons Army Hospital, where he would spend seven weeks recovering. While convalescing, he continued to carry out his executive duties from his hospital suite...
Japanese State Visit to Eisenhower White House
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oKD5J7wllU In September of 1960, the U.S. and Japan were celebrating 100 years of diplomatic relations. Crown Prince Akihito and Princess Michiko traveled to Washington at the end of the month to celebrate the occasion with an official state visit....
Girl Padlocks White House Gates; Locks Eisenhower Inside
You know how bad it sucks to accidentally lock yourself out of your house. How about when you’re locked in and your home is the White House? Well, that actually happened to President Eisenhower. Here is an amusing article from...
Runaway Train Crashes Through Union Station Lobby
This is a guest post by GoDCer from Poolesville, Jack (the guy that tipped us off to some great stories, like the decapitated convict). President Dwight Eisenhower’s inauguration was just five days away. For days the advance guard of a...
Three Things About Poplar Point and Anacostia Flats
If you’re fortunate enough to be participating in WABA’s “Down the Tubes” ride tomorrow, the last stop on your journey is going to be Poplar Point. Probably 70% of District residents don’t know what this is or where it is,...
White House South Lawn Helicopter Landing Tests (1957)
President Eisenhower needed a quick and effective way to travel from Washington to his summer home in Rhode Island. Air Force One was too large for the trip and a motorcade would take too long, causing major traffic jams. Helicopters...
Dwight D. Eisenhower: The First President Videotaped in Color (1958)
I came across this one on YouTube. This was the first time the President of the United States was videotaped and then broadcast in color. This is the earliest surviving color videotape. It was filmed on May 22nd, 1958 in...
Pan Am’s First Passenger Jet to Europe (1958)
Aviation has a strong history in the Washington area. Following on the heels of our last aeronautical first (Concorde at Dulles), here is another first for the region and the country. In the fall of 1958, Pan Am (i.e., the...