Interesting Facts About Washington DC

Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States of America. It is located in the District of Columbia, on the banks of the river Potomac and is bordered by Virginia and Maryland. Washington, D.C. was founded on July 16, 1790.

Interesting Historical Facts about Washington DC

Major Pierre Charles L’Enfant designed the city of Washington, D.C. in 1791 - the first American city to be planned. It is also known as District of Columbia.

Virginia and Maryland donated some part of their land to Washington, D.C. Later, the Virginian portion of the land was given back to Virginia.

The city of Washington, D.C. was named after George Washington and the District was named in memory of Christopher Columbus.

The motto of Washington DC is "Justice for all" or Justitia Omnibus.

Wood Thrush is the district’s bird and American Beauty Rose, the flower. The tree of the district is Scarlet Oak and the "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the song.

Washington, D.C is a fascinating city that has memorials, museums, monuments and neoclassical government buildings. Washington, D.C is also famous for music and culture.

The design of the national flag of US was copied from George Washington’s family coat of arms.

Did you know, that Washington, D.C. was chosen as the permanent capital of the US by George Washington in 1791.

In 1800, the Government Headquarters of the USA is shifted to Washington, D.C. The Congress grants the first municipal charter of the City of Washington in 1802.

In 1862, slavery was abolished in Washington, D.C. and in 1888, the monument of Washington was open to the general public.

On March 29, 1961, residents of Washington were given the right to vote in presidential elections.

In 1992, the House of Representatives approved the statehood of Washington, D.C.

On September 11, 2001, the city of Washington D.C. was put on red alert because of the terrorists attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon Towers.

Other Interesting Historical Facts about Washington DC

The population of Washington, D.C. proper is around 572,059 and around 5.4 million in the metropolitan area.

The DC of Washington, D.C. stands for District of Columbia.

Did you know Capitol Hill, Washington D.C. is one of the historic districts? George Washington laid the first cornerstone of the Capitol building in 1793. Today, it is one of the tourist attractions of Washington, D.C. A few landmarks of Capitol Hill include the Supreme Court, Union Station, Library of Congress and United States Capitol.

Another happening place in Washington, D.C. is "The Federal Triangle". The places of interest and landmark here are: The White House, FBI Building, Ford’s Theater, Lincoln Museum and National Archives.

The National Mall in Washington is another important landmark which houses the Washington Monument, National Art Gallery, US Holocaust Memorial Museum and memorials such as Jefferson Memorial and Lincoln Memorial.

Arlington which is located in central Washington has the Pentagon building and the Arlington National Cemetery.

Apart from being the rich heritage center of America, Washington houses the headquarters of World Bank, IMF, and the Organization of American States. One hundred and seventy-two offices of the foreign embassies are located in Washington, D.C.