Harman Patil (Editor)

Timeline of Washington, D.C.

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Washington, D.C., USA.

Contents

1700s

  • 1791
  • January 24: Federal District proclamation issued by US president Washington.
  • District surveyed by Ellicot and Banneker.
  • L'Enfant Plan for design of city introduced.
  • 1792 - Construction of White House (presidential residence) begins.
  • 1794 - Tudor Place (residence) built.
  • 1797 - Bridge built.

    • 1800s-1850s

  • 1800
  • Seat of Federal government of the United States relocated to Washington from Philadelphia; president Adams moves in to White House.
  • United States Capitol building constructed.
  • Washington Navy Yard established.
  • Population: 14,093.
  • 1801
  • February 24: US Congress establishes the District of Columbia (comprising Washington, Alexandria, and Alexandria County).
  • March 4: US president Jefferson inaugurated.
  • 1802
  • "City of Washington incorporated; mayor-council government established."
  • Jail built.
  • 1806 - Public school opens.
  • 1809 - Alexandria-Washington bridge built.
  • 1814 - August 24: Burning of Washington by British forces.
  • 1815 - Washington City Canal begins operating.
  • 1816 - St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square built.
  • 1818 - Central heating installed in the US Capitol building.
  • 1835
  • Baltimore and Ohio Railroad begins operating.
  • Labor strike by federal navy yard workers.
  • 1836 - December 15: 1836 U.S. Patent Office fire.
  • 1840 - Population: 23,364 in city; 43,712 in district.
  • 1842 - United States Naval Observatory established.
  • 1844 - Baltimore-Washington telegraph begins operating.
  • 1846
  • District of Columbia retrocession of Alexandria and Alexandria County to Virginia.
  • National Smithsonian Institution established.
  • 1848 - Washington Gas Light Company established.
  • 1850 - Slave trade abolished per Compromise of 1850.

    • 1860s-1890s

  • 1860 - Population: 61,122.
  • 1862 - Slavery abolished.
  • 1863 - National Academy of Sciences headquartered in city.
  • 1864 - July: Battle of Fort Stevens.
  • 1865 - April 14: Assassination of president Lincoln.
  • 1867
  • Howard University founded.
  • "Blacks given right of suffrage."
  • 1869
  • National Convention of the Colored Men of America held in city.
  • American Equal Rights Association meets in city.
  • 1870
  • Children's Hospital established.
  • Population: 109,199.
  • 1871
  • District of Columbia Organic Act of 1871 effected.
  • Norton P. Chipman becomes delegate to the US House of Representatives from the District of Columbia.
  • 1877 - Washington Post newspaper begins publication.
  • 1878 - Telephone begins operating.
  • 1880 - Population: 147,293 in city; 177,624 in district.
  • 1881
  • February: Flood.
  • "Tiber Canal filled in to become Constitution Avenue."
  • American National Red Cross headquartered in city.
  • 1885 - Washington Monument dedicated.
  • 1888 - Electric streetcar begins operating.
  • 1889 - National Zoo opens.
  • 1890
  • Rock Creek Park established.
  • Population: 230,392.
  • 1893 - American University founded.
  • 1897 - American Negro Academy founded.
  • 1899 - Height of Buildings Act of 1899 legislated.

    • 1900s-1940s

  • 1900 - Population: 278,718.
  • 1902 - McMillan Plan for design of city introduced.
  • 1906 - District Building (city hall) constructed.
  • 1907
  • Union Station built.
  • Washington National Cathedral construction begins.[1]
  • 1910 - Population: 331,069.
  • 1912 - "Cherry trees planted around the Tidal Basin."
  • 1915 - Association for the Study of Negro Life and History established.
  • 1917 - National Sylvan Theater opens.
  • 1919 - July: Racial unrest.
  • 1920 - Population: 437,571.
  • 1922
  • January 28: Storm crushes Knickerbocker Theatre.
  • May 30: Lincoln Memorial dedicated.
  • 1923 - Smithsonian's Freer Gallery of Art opens.
  • 1924
  • National Capital Park Commission established.
  • Washington Senators baseball team wins 1924 World Series.
  • 1926 - Federal Triangle construction begins.
  • 1930 - Population: 486,869.
  • 1931 - National Symphony Orchestra formed.
  • 1932
  • May: "Bonus Army" demonstration.
  • Arlington Memorial Bridge opens.
  • Folger Shakespeare Library built.
  • 1935 - National Cherry Blossom Festival begins.
  • 1937 - Washington Redskins football team active.
  • 1940 - Population: 663,091.
  • 1941
  • National Airport built.
  • National Gallery of Art opens.
  • 1942 - Declaration by United Nations signed in city.
  • 1944 - International Dumbarton Oaks Conference held in city.
  • 1946 - International Monetary Fund headquartered in city.[2]
  • 1949 - Whitehurst Freeway begins operating.

    • 1950s-1990s

  • 1950 - Population: 802,178.
  • 1953 - January 15: 1953 Pennsylvania Railroad train wreck.
  • 1954 - March 1: United States Capitol shooting incident (1954).
  • 1957 - May 17: National Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom civil rights demonstration takes place in D.C.
  • 1959 - International Antarctic Treaty signed in city.
  • 1960
  • Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan signed in city.
  • Population: 763,956.
  • 1962 - Streetcar stops operating.
  • 1963 - August 28: March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom; King gives "I Have a Dream" speech.
  • 1964
  • November: "D.C. residents are able to vote for president for the first time."
  • Capital Beltway constructed.
  • 1965
  • April 17: March Against the Vietnam War.
  • Washingtonian magazine begins publication.
  • 1967
  • Mayor-council form of government implemented; Walter Washington becomes mayor.
  • Smithsonian Folklife Festival begins.
  • Biograph cinema opens.
  • 1968
  • April: 1968 Washington, D.C. riots occur.
  • American Association of Retired Persons headquartered in city (approximate date).
  • 1969
  • November 15: Protest against Vietnam War.
  • Gay Blade newspaper begins publication.
  • Key Theatre in business.
  • 1970 - Population: 756,510.
  • 1971
  • April: Antiwar protest.
  • May: 1971 May Day protests against war.
  • June 30: New York Times Co. v. United States decided; allows Washington Post to publish Pentagon Papers about Vietnam.
  • Walter E. Fauntroy becomes delegate to the US House of Representatives from the District of Columbia.
  • National Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts opens.
  • Center for Science in the Public Interest headquartered in city.
  • 1972 - Watergate scandal discovered.
  • 1973 - Mayoral election established, per US Congress' District of Columbia Home Rule Act.
  • 1974
  • 1974 White House helicopter incident
  • Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum opens.
  • 1976
  • March: Washington Metro begins operating.
  • May: Concorde supersonic airplane begins operating.
  • US Bicentennial held.
  • 1979
  • Marion Barry becomes mayor.
  • C-SPAN begins televising federal government proceedings.
  • 1981
  • March 30: Attempted assassination of president Reagan.
  • Washington City Paper begins publication.
  • 1982
  • January 13: Crash of Air Florida Flight 90.
  • Washington Convention Center built.
  • National Vietnam Veterans Memorial erected.
  • Washington Times newspaper begins publication.
  • 1987
  • Smithsonian's Sackler Gallery and National Museum of African Art open.
  • Dupont Circle 5 cinema in business.
  • 1990 – Population: 606,900.
  • 1991
  • Eleanor Holmes Norton becomes delegate to the US House of Representatives from the District of Columbia.
  • City bicentennial.
  • 1995 - October 16: National Million Man March held in city.
  • 1996 - City website online (approximate date).
  • 1999 - Anthony A. Williams becomes mayor.

    • 2000s

  • 2000 - May 14: Million Mom March held.
  • 2001 - September: 2001 anthrax attacks.
  • 2003 - Washington Convention Center rebuilt.
  • 2007 - Adrian Fenty becomes mayor.
  • 2008 - Nationals Park (stadium) opens.
  • 2009
  • January 20: Inauguration of U.S. president Obama.
  • Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian is released, taking place in D.C.
  • 2010 - Population: 601,723.
  • 2011
  • Vincent C. Gray becomes mayor.
  • CityCenterDC construction begins.
  • 2015 - Muriel Bowser becomes mayor.
  • 2016
  • January 2016 United States winter storm.
  • DC Streetcar begins operating.
  • March–April: 2016 Nuclear Security Summit.
  • National Museum of African American History and Culture opens.
  • District of Columbia statehood referendum, 2016
  • 2017 - January 21: National Women's March on Washington scheduled.

    • References

    Timeline of Washington, D.C. Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


    Similar Topics