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48 unusual facts about Washington, D.C.


1 Pace Plaza

The architect designers of One Pace Plaza were Otto R. Eggers and Daniel P. Higgins firm Eggers & Higgins of New York, architects of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.

20th Scripps National Spelling Bee

The 20th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, District of Columbia in 1947, by the E.W. Scripps Company.

21st Scripps National Spelling Bee

The 21st Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, District of Columbia in 1948, by the E.W. Scripps Company.

22nd Scripps National Spelling Bee

The 22nd Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, District of Columbia in 1949, by the E.W. Scripps Company.

25th Scripps National Spelling Bee

The 25th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, District of Columbia in 1952, by the E.W. Scripps Company.

26th Scripps National Spelling Bee

The 26th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, District of Columbia in 1953, by the E.W. Scripps Company.

33rd Scripps National Spelling Bee

The 33rd Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, District of Columbia in 1960, by the E.W. Scripps Company.

34th Scripps National Spelling Bee

The 34th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, District of Columbia in 1961, by the E.W. Scripps Company.

Afghanistan–Uzbekistan barrier

Days after the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, when America announced the start of military operations against the Taliban regime based in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan fortified the border fence in the province of Surkhandaria to stop any illegal migrants or refugees crossing the border.

Camerata Ireland

During 2007 Camerata Ireland had performed in London, Paris, Dublin and the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., as part of the Rediscover Northern Ireland programme.

Chris Cleary

Chris Cleary (born August 2, 1979 in Washington, D.C.) is a retired American soccer player whose professional career had been played entirely in Europe.

Christylez Bacon

Christylez Bacon (pronounced: chris-styles) is a Grammy Nominated Progressive Hip-Hop artist and multi-instrumentalist from Southeast, Washington, D.C. As a performer, Christylez multi-tasks between various instruments such as the West African djembe drum, acoustic guitar, and the human beat-box (oral percussion), all while continuing the oral tradition of storytelling through his lyrics.

Clash of Eagles

The rest of the United States remains unoccupied but perilously exposed to further attacks, and the Roosevelt Administration evacuates the endangered Washington, D.C. and flees westwards to California.

Didarganj Yakshi

The statue's nose was damaged during a travelling exhibition, The Festival of India, en route to Smithsonian Institution and the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., USA.

Discon

Discon is the name given to the two Worldcons held in Washington, D.C..

District of Columbia Organic Act

The District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801, an act by the United States Congress, which incorporated the District of Columbia and placed it under the exclusive control of Congress

Ethel Armes

Born in Washington, D.C., the daughter of Col. George Augustus Armes and Lucy Hamilton Kerr, Ethel was brought up in Washington, D.C. where she attended private schools.

Farm Credit Council

The Farm Credit Council was established in 1983 and is headquartered in Washington, D.C. It is governed by a 23-person board that implements policy positions.

Forsyth Street

On the east side of the block from East Broadway to Canal Street, a number of so-called “Chinatown buses” (operated by different companies) start their routes to cities across the East Coast of the United States, including Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C..

Frank Rusch

Collaborators in the Alliance included the National Transition Network at Minnesota, the Academy for Educational Development in Washington, D.C., the National Alliance for Business, the National Council of Chief State School Officers, and the National Association of State Directors of Special Education.

High Heel Drag Queen Race

The High Heel Drag Queen Race is an informal costumed drag queen race in Washington, D.C. Each year on the Tuesday before the Halloween holiday, thousands of spectators come to Dupont Circle to watch as 100 or so costumed drag queens show off their elaborate outfits and race down 17th Street.

Holston Formation

Among the notable buildings where Tennessee marble is used as a building stone are two in Washington, D.C.: the National Gallery of Art, which uses stone from Knox and Blount counties, and the United States Capitol, which has stairways constructed from Hawkins County marble.

Incredible Internet

In April 2008, members of the coalition were honored in Washington, D.C., for their contributions to online safety awareness and education.

Ingrid Lukas

In May 2013 she was selected by the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Estonian Embassy to participate in the European Month of Culture in Washington, D.C..

Jerome Liebling

His photographs are in the permanent collections of many museums, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Fogg Museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., The Jewish Museum in New York, and the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa.

John B. Timberlake

They moved into a house in Washington, D.C. provided by her father, across the street from his hotel and tavern called the Franklin House.

Langdon Park

Langdon, Washington, D.C., an area of Washington, D.C. in the United States

Lewis Grandison Alexander

Lewis Grandison Alexander (July 4, 1900 - 1945) was an American poet, actor, playwright, and costume designer who lived in Washington, D.C. and had strong ties to the Harlem Renaissance period in New York.

Logan Circle

Logan Circle, Washington, D.C., a traffic circle and neighborhood in Washington, D.C.

Lucius C. Clark

Lucius C. Clark (June 4, 1869, Grundy County, Iowa – March 27, 1949, Washington, D.C.) was Chancellor of American University from 1922 until 1932.

Lynn Montross

From 1950 to 1961 he was a historical writer for the United States Marine Corps and lived in the Washington, D.C. area.

Malek Jandali

In July 2011 Jandali performed Watani Ana at a protest in Lafayette Park.

Medicine in the American Civil War

After the Battle of Bull Run, the United States government took possession of several private hospitals in Washington, D.C., Alexandria, Virginia, and surrounding towns.

Mirza Khazar

In October 1985, he was invited to Washington, D.C. to be editor-in-chief of the Azerbaijani Service of Radio Voice of America.

National Monuments Foundation

The National Monuments Foundation is also consulting with the Adams Presidential Library and Memorial Foundation for a memorial to commemorate the second and sixth presidents of the United States and their wives as well as winning the National Civic Art Society’s competition for a memorial to President Dwight D. Eisenhower, both in Washington, D.C.

Oregon Superintendent of Indian Affairs

Most agents reported to superintendents, while other reported directly to the central office in Washington, D.C. and relied on local military posts for law enforcement as it related to Indians.

Oxon Run Parkway

The Oxon Run Parkway, is a roadway and small park in the Washington Highlands neighborhood of Washington, D.C..

Pierce, Butler and Pierce Manufacturing Company

William K. Pierce, 64, "formerly a millionaire," committed suicide by shooting himself through the head on April 5, 1915, in Washington, D.C., at the home of Major Charles P. Lynch, his brother-in-law, after the Syracuse manufacturing company "had lost a fortune in few years."

Poughkeepsie Bridge Route

The Poughkeepsie Bridge Route was a passenger train route from Washington, D.C. to Boston, Massachusetts, via Baltimore, Maryland and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Robert Collet

In 1987, Collet achieved the extraordinary feat of winning three Group one races on three different continents with the same horse when Le Glorieux captured the Deutschland-Preis in Europe, the Washington, D.C. International in North America and the Japan Cup in Asia.

Roy Marlin Voris

In the Summer of 1947, Voris was attached to the Naval Bureau of Aeronautics in Washington, D.C. (where he spent the next two years); he also married his high school sweetheart, Thea.

Sam Boulmetis, Sr.

The winner of numerous important races, Boulmetis won the Arlington Classic twice and the prestigious Washington, D.C. International Stakes and Canadian International Stakes, forerunners to the Breeders' Cup races which drew the best horses to the United States and Canada from around the world.

ShmooCon

ShmooCon IX was held at the Hyatt Regency Washington in Washington, D.C..

The Moving Wall

The Moving Wall is a half-size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. It was devised by John Devitt after he attended the annual commemoration celebrated in Washington for Vietnam veterans.

Venčac

Some parts of White House, Washington, D.C. are built from this quality material from Venčac.

Wally Bruner

He then landed a job as Capitol Hill Correspondent for ABC News and he moved to Washington, D.C..

WGMS

WGMS-FM, a now-defunct station in Washington, D.C. that broadcast from 1947 until 2005 at 103.5 FM (and from 2005 to 2007 at 103.9/104.1 FM) with a classical music format.

Yadkin River Veterans Memorial Bridge

The bridge was not only a bottleneck for traffic moving between Charlotte and Greensboro (and between the larger metropolitan areas of Atlanta and Washington, D.C.); it was also structurally deficient and in need of replacement.


17th Scripps National Spelling Bee

The 17th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, District of Columbia in 1941.

27th Scripps National Spelling Bee

The 27th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, District of Columbia in 1954, by the E.W. Scripps Company.

Albert Berg

After leaving the Indiana Institution for the Deaf, Berg enrolled at the "Columbia Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb" (later renamed Gallaudet University), run by Edward Miner Gallaudet in Washington, D.C. He was a halfback and captain of the football team at Gallaudet.

Ardeshir Zahedi

In the mid-1970s, Zahedi became known as a companion of the American movie star Elizabeth Taylor, with the two being dubbed "the hottest couple" in Washington D.C., according to the writer Barbara Howar.

Banneker Recreation Center

Banneker Recreation Center is an historic structure located in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The building was built in 1934 and was named for Benjamin Banneker, a free African American who assisted in the survey of boundaries of the original District of Columba in 1791.

Chris Cillizza

Dana Milbank and Chris Cillizza appeared in a series of humor videos called "Mouthpiece Theater" which appeared on the Washington Posts website.

David Corn

In the Washington Post, Roger Warner called it "an impressive feat of research"; but, in the New York Times, Joseph Finder claimed Corn was seriously distorting history to blame Shackley for a series of CIA failings.

DeWint House

Samuel Fraunces (owner of Fraunces Tavern in New York City) came up to prepare the dinner for Washington and his guest.

Dixie Network

Marston also was elected to the National Association of Broadcasters Board of Directors in 1970 Edward B. Fritts, who began his broadcast career at WENK, Union City, Tennessee, was elected President of The National Association of Broadcasters, Washington, D.C., where he led the national trade association with distinction.

Doug Swift

Swift's blitz late in the second quarter of Super Bowl VII forced Washington Redskins quarterback Billy Kilmer to make a hurried throw, which Nick Buoniconti intercepted and returned into Washington territory to set up the Dolphins' second touchdown in a 14-7 victory, cementing Miami's 17-0 season.

East Washington Avenue Bridge

The East Washington Avenue Bridge was a movable Strauss underneath-counter weight deck-girder bascule bridge in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Edith Pfau

Pfau's education ministry included eleven years teaching at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, eleven years at Immaculata Junior College in Washington, D.C., and ten years at Providence University in Shalu, Taichung, Taiwan.

Edward Everett

A new British administration, friendlier to the United States than the previous one, sent Lord Ashburton to Washington to negotiate directly with Webster, and Everett's role was reduced to acquiring documents from British records, and pressing the American case to the Foreign Office.

Evangelical and Reformed Church

United States President Theodore Roosevelt attended Washington D.C.'s Grace Reformed Church, an Evangelical and Reformed congregation.

Ezra Darby

Darby was elected as a Democratic-Republican to the Ninth and Tenth Congresses and served from March 4, 1805, until his death in Washington, D.C., January 27, 1808.

Frank Cowan

He worked for Johnson for the next year and a half, then opened his own law practice in Washington after Ulysses S. Grant succeeded Johnson.

Frederick Gutheim

He is noted for writing The Potomac, a history of the Potomac River and the 40th volume in the Rivers of America Series, and Worthy of a Nation a history of the development of Washington, D.C..

Freedom Sunday for Soviet Jews

Freedom Sunday for Soviet Jews was the title of a national march and political rally that was held on December 6, 1987 in Washington, D.C. An estimated 250,000 participants gathered on the National Mall, calling for U.S.S.R. President Gorbachev to extend his policy of Glasnost to Soviet Jews by putting an end to their forced assimilation and allowing their emigration from the Soviet Union.

George J. Walker

He served tours in France, Germany, Korea and Vietnam as well as stateside assignments at Seneca Army Depot, Romulus, New York; Fort Holabird, Maryland; Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; Fort Huachuca, Arizona; Fort Hood, Texas; Washington, DC; and Fort McPherson, Georgia.

George W. Littlefield

Works on Littlefield include David B. Gracy, II, George Washington Littlefield: A Biography in Business (Ph.D. dissertation; Texas Tech University, 1971) and J. Evetts Haley's George W. Littlefield, Texan (1943; through the University of Oklahoma Press in Norman, Oklahoma).

Got Live If You Want It

Got Live If You Want It is the third album of Washington, D.C. based band Dead Meadow.

Green Fire

The author of the novel Green Fire, on which the film was based, was Major Peter William Rainier 1890-1946, a South African whose great-great-grand-uncle was the person that Mount Rainier, Washington was named after (by the explorer George Vancouver).

In the News

Three new one-minute segments were produced each week, narrated by CBS Radio News Washington Correspondent Dan Raviv.

Inclusive capitalism

Allen Hammond is Vice President of Special Projects and Innovation at the World Resources Institute: a Washington, DC-based, non-profit, environmental, think tank created in 1982 through a $15 million donation by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation of Chicago (World Resources Institute website 2008).

Isa Genzken

Genzken's work is included in the collections of many institutions internationally, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh; the Generali Foundation, Vienna; the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.; the Kemper Art Museum, St. Louis; the Museum Ludwig, Cologne; the Museum Frieder Burda, Baden-Baden; and the Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven.

Jhoon Goo Rhee

Rhee is well known in the Washington, D.C. area for a television commercial that has a jingle by Nils Lofgren and features the catch phrase, "Nobody bothers me," followed by "Nobody bothers me, either."

KHCV

KFFV, a television station (channel 44) licensed to serve Seattle, Washington, United States, which held the call sign KHCV from 1999 to 2009

KXLY

KXLY-TV, a television station (channel 4) licensed to Spokane, Washington, United States

Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision

Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision is a 1994 documentary film made by Freida Lee Mock about the life of American artist Maya Lin, whose best-known work is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Michael Brunson

In 1973, Brunson became ITN Washington Correspondent, where he remained until 1977, covering Watergate and the 1976 US Presidential election between Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford.

Midge Miller

She had used a tax rebate provided by the new administration of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney to travel to Washington, D.C. to lobby against Bush's proposed Star Wars national missile defense program.

National Capital Parks-East

National Capital Parks-East (NCPE) is an administrative grouping of a number of National Park Service sites generally east of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., but also nearby in Maryland.

Old Lyme, Connecticut

John McCurdy (b.1724), whose home was the resting place for George Washington on April 10, 1776 while traveling to New York City to take on the British Army and Navy (source: Papers of George Washington, Connecticut State Library); grandfather of Connecticut Supreme Court judge Charles McCurdy

Olympic National Forest

Other Washington towns near entrances of the forest include Port Angeles, Sequim, and Amanda Park.

Onalaska, Washington

Onalaska, Washington, Onalaska, Wisconsin, Onalaska, Arkansas and Onalaska, Texas are all historically connected to one another through the lumber industry.

Ozette

Ozette Lake, a lake in the state of Washington in the United States

Paul Duke

In 1999, upon the dismissal of his successor, Ken Bode, he briefly returned as moderator of Washington Week in Review until the eventual permanent host, Gwen Ifill, was able to assume her new duties.

Phil Graham

The following year the Post/CBS joint venture bought the CBS-affiliated television station in Washington, and changed the call letters to WTOP-TV, and in 1953 the company bought WMBR radio and WMBR-TV in Jacksonville, Florida.

Puyallup

The Washington State Fair, formerly the Puyallup Fair and the Western Washington Fair, held in Puyallup, Washington

Richard Urquhart Goode

In 1889, he was appointed a geographer with the Survey and was placed in charge of surveys of the Pacific Coast States - California, Oregon, and Washington.

Robert Stewart Sparks

In 1925, the 5th District was bounded by Washington Street on the north, the city limits on the east, Exposition Boulevard on the south and Vermont Avenue on the west.

Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon

The SunTrust Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon, formerly known as the National Marathon, is an annual marathon and half marathon held in Washington, D.C. It was established in 2006 as an annual event.

The Higher Learning Foundation

The Higher Learning Foundation was a public charity located in Washington, D.C. Its goal was to improve college achievement possibilities for graduates of the District of Columbia Public Schools system (DCPS).

Track of the Cat

The outdoor scenes were filmed on Mount Rainier, Washington and Mitchum regarded shooting in the deep snow and cold as the worst filming conditions he had ever experienced.

Tractorcade

Tractorcade was a protest in Washington, D.C. by the American Agriculture Movement.

Ultrasonic Studios, New Orleans

The studio was located on Washington Avenue in the Uptown neighborhood near Xavier University.

Ulysses S. Grant as peacetime general, 1865–1869

In May 1865, the Union League of Philadelphia purchased the Grants a house in that city, but Grant's work was in Washington.

Washington's 39th legislative district

This urban district is represented by state senator Kirk Pearson and state representatives Dan Kristiansen (pos. 1) and Elizabeth Scott (pos. 2), all Republicans.

WDAZ-TV

Owned by Forum Communications of Fargo, which also owns the Grand Forks Herald, WDAZ has facilities on South Washington Street in Grand Forks near Kmart and a news bureau and sales office on U.S. Highway 2 in Devils Lake.

Yakima Valley

Yakima River Valley in southeastern portion of the state of Washington