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Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nation's Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United States of America. Washington, D.C. is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area, which also includes parts of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. It should not be confused with the U.S. state of Washington, located in the Pacific Northwest. Download high resolution version (1200x782, 340 KB) 030926-F-2828D-080 Washington, D.C. (Sept. ...
Download high resolution version (1200x782, 340 KB) 030926-F-2828D-080 Washington, D.C. (Sept. ...
Washington Monument The Washington Monument is a large white-colored obelisk in the center of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built as a memorial to George Washington, the first President of the United States and the leader of the revolutionary Continental Army, which won independence from the British...
This page is about the official residence of the President of the USA. For other White Houses see White House (disambiguation). ...
This article concerns places that serve as centers of government and politics. ...
The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America, the States, or (archaically) Columbia—is a federal republic of 50 states located primarily in central North America (with the exception of two states: Alaska and Hawaii). ...
The Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area is the metropolitan area consisting of Washington, DC, Baltimore, Maryland, Northern Virginia, Central Maryland, and Eastern West Virginia. ...
State nickname: Old Line State; Free State Other U.S. States Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Official languages English Area 32,160 km² (42nd) - Land 25,338 km² - Water 6,968 km² (21%) Population (2000) - Population 5,296,486 (19th) - Density 165 /km² (5th) Admittance into...
State nickname: Old Dominion Other U.S. States Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Governor Mark R. Warner Official languages English Area 110,862 km² (35th) - Land 102,642 km² - Water 8,220 km² (7. ...
State nickname: Mountain State Other U.S. States Capital Charleston Largest city Charleston Governor Joe Manchin Official languages None Area 62,809 km² (41st) - Land 62,436 km² - Water 376 km² (0. ...
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 states which have membership of the federation known as the United States of America (USA or U.S.). The separate state governments and the U.S. federal government share sovereignty. ...
This article deals with the U.S. state. ...
Darker red states are always part of the Pacific Northwest. ...
The District of Columbia is a federal district as specified by the United States Constitution with limited—and sometimes contentious—local rule. Similar to the position of the 13 American colonies under the British Parliament, the District is ruled "in all cases whatsoever" by the U.S. Congress, while nevertheless going unrepresented in that body. (See and compare the Declaratory Act of 1766 by the British Parliament and the "District Clause" – Article I, Section 8, Clause 17 – of the American Constitution; see also the American Declaration of Independence, and "The American Crisis, Number 1," December 23, 1776, by Thomas Paine). The land was taken from both the states of Virginia and Maryland, though only the Maryland portion remains part of the district. The population of the District of Columbia, as of 2003 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, is 563,384. If Washington, D.C. were considered as a state, it would rank last in area behind Rhode Island, 50th in population ahead of Wyoming, and 36th in Gross State Product, ahead of 15 other states. Page I of the Constitution of the United States of America Page II of the United States Constitution Page III of the United States Constitution Page IV of the United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America and is...
Betsy Ross purportedly sewed the first American flag with 13 stars and 13 stripes representing each of the 13 colonies. ...
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative institution in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories (it alone has parliamentary sovereignty). ...
The Declaratory Act, issued by Britain during Americas colonial period, was one of a series of resolutions passed attempting to regulate the behavior of the colonies. ...
A declaration of independence is a proclamation of the independence of a newly formed or reformed independent state from a part or the whole of the territory of another, or a document containing such a declaration. ...
Wikisource has original text related to this article: The American Crisis The American Crisis was a series of pamphlets published in London in 1775-1783, by revolutionary author Thomas Paine, focusing on the American colonies increasing difficulties with Great Britain -- difficulties which ultimately led to an open breach in the...
Thomas Paine Thomas Paine (January 29, 1737–June 8, 1809) was a widely recognized intellectual, scholar, and idealist who is considered to be one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. ...
2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January January 1 - Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ...
State nickname: The Ocean State Other U.S. States Capital Providence Largest city Providence Governor Donald Carcieri Official languages None Area 4,005 km² (50th) - Land 2,709 km² - Water 1,296 km² (32. ...
State nickname: Equality State Other U.S. States Capital Cheyenne Largest city Cheyenne Governor Dave Freudenthal Official languages English Area 253,554 km² (10th) - Land 251,706 km² - Water 1,851 km² (0. ...
The centers of all three branches of the U.S. federal government are in Washington, D.C., as well as the headquarters of most federal agencies. Washington also serves as the headquarters for the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the Organization of American States, among other international (and national) institutions. All of this has made Washington the frequent focal point of massive political demonstrations and protests, particularly on the National Mall. Washington is also the site of numerous national landmarks, museums, and sports teams, and is a popular destination for tourists. ...
Federal independent agencies were established through separate statutes passed by Congress. ...
The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD, in Romance languages: BIRD), better known as the World Bank, is an international organization whose original mission was to finance the reconstruction of nations devastated by WWII. Now, its mission has expanded to fight poverty by means of financing states. ...
The flag of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is the international organization entrusted with overseeing the global financial system by monitoring foreign exchange rates and balance of payments, as well as offering technical and financial assistance when asked. ...
The Organization of American States (OAS; OEA in the other three official languages) is an international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., USA. Its members are the 35 independent nations of the Americas. ...
2003 GMO USDA protest Protest expresses relatively overt reaction to events or situations: sometimes in favour, more often opposed. ...
Facing west across the Mall, with ones back towards the United States Capitol. ...
A tourist boat travels the River Seine in Paris, France Tourism can be defined as the act of travel for the purpose of recreation, and the provision of services for this act. ...
The official bird of Washington DC is the wood thrush. The official motto is Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All). Binomial name Hylocichla mustelina (Gmelin, 1789) The Wood Thrush, Hylocichla mustelina, is a medium-sized thrush. ...
| Contents | 2.1 Local government
2.2 Representation in federal government
Flag of the District of Columbia Ratio 10:19 490 × 260 pixels 1378 bytes File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
French Tricolore flag A flag is a piece of cloth flown from a pole or mast, usually intended for signaling or identification. ...
Seal as impression A seal is an impression, usually in wax or embossed on the paper itself, or other item attached to a legal instrument used to authenticate it in place of, or in addition to, a signature. ...
A motto is a phrase or collection of words intended to describe the motivation or intention of a sociological grouping or organization. ...
July 16 is the 197th day (198th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 168 days remaining. ...
1790 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...
Originally, a county was the land under the jurisdiction of a count (in Great Britain, an earl, though the original earldoms covered larger areas) by reason of that office. ...
An independent city is a city in the United States of America that does not belong to any county, but rather interacts directly with the state government. ...
A mayor (Latin maīor better) is the politician who serves as chief executive official of some types of municipalities. ...
There are multiple well-known persons called Anthony Williams. ...
The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ...
This article explains the meaning of area as a physical quantity. ...
Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ...
This article is about the unit of measure. ...
In the most common sense of the word, a population is the collection of people—or organisms of a particular species—living in a given geographic area. ...
2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January January 1 - Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ...
Density (symbol: ρ - Greek: rho) is a measure of mass per unit of volume. ...
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UTC also stands for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Coordinated Universal Time or UTC, also sometimes referred to as Zulu time, the basis for civil time, differs by an integral number of seconds from atomic time and a fractional number of seconds from UT1. ...
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Name "Washington, D.C." is the most common way to refer to the District throughout the rest of the United States and the world. Residents of Washington and its surrounding suburbs refer to the city simply as the District or D.C., to contrast its greater metropolitan area. Illustration of the backyards of a surburban neighbourhood Suburbs are inhabited districts located either on the outer rim of a city or outside the official limits of a city (the term varies from country to country), or the outer elements of a conurbation. ...
A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large city and its adjacent zone of influence, or of several neighboring cities or towns and adjoining areas, with one or more large cities serving as its hub or hubs. ...
"Washington" or "Washington, D.C."' is also used as a metonym for the federal government. Politicians and candidates for office sometimes use these terms pejoratively to convey a sense of solidarity with their constituents by distancing themselves from the negative image of an out-of-touch centralized government. (The Washington Post criticized this common political tactic in a 2001 editorial (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A22140-2001Aug30¬Found=true).) In rhetoric and cognitive linguistics, metonymy (in Greek meta = after/later and onoma = name) is the use of a single characteristic to identify a more complex entity. ...
A constituent is someone who can or does appoint or elect (and often by implication can also remove or recall) another as her agent or representative. ...
Alternative meaning: The Washington Post (march) Washington Post logo Screenshot from Washington Post website The Washington Post is the largest and oldest newspaper in Washington, D.C. It gained worldwide fame in the early 1970s for its Watergate investigation by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein which played a major role...
Law and government Flag of the District of Columbia Ratio 10:19 490 × 260 pixels 1378 bytes File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Flag of the District of Columbia Ratio 10:19 490 × 260 pixels 1378 bytes File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
A modern coat of arms is derived from the medi val practice of painting designs onto the shield and outer clothing of knights to enable them to be identified in battle, and later in tournaments. ...
Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population - Total (2001) - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Religion...
Order: 1st President Vice President: John Adams Term of office: April 30, 1789 – March 3, 1797 Preceded by: None Succeeded by: John Adams Date of birth: February 22, 1732 Place of birth: Westmoreland, Virginia Date of death: December 14, 1799 Place of death: Mount Vernon, Virginia First Lady: Martha Washington...
Local government On a local level, the city is run by an elected mayor (currently Anthony A. Williams) and the D.C. Council. District schools are administered by a school board that has both elected and appointed members. The 37 elected Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs) provide the most direct access for residents to their local government. However, Congress has plenary power over the district. It has the right to review and overrule laws created locally, and has often done so. The Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution does not apply to the District of Columbia. Anthony A. Williams (born July 28, United States politician who has served as mayor of Washington, DC since 1999. ...
The Council of the District of Columbia is the legislative branch of the local government of Washington, D.C.. As such, it is analogous to the city councils of other cities in the United States, but in some manners it is also analogous to state legislatures. ...
Advisory Neighborhood Commissions are composed of elected officials called Commissioners who each represent about 2000 people within the District of Columbia. ...
Amendment X (the Tenth Amendment) of the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, states: The Tenth Amendment is generally recognized to be a truism. ...
DC residents pay all federal taxes, such as income tax, as well as local taxes. The mayor and council adopt a budget of local money with Congress reserving the right to make any changes. Because so much of the valuable property in the district is federally owned and hence exempt from local property taxes, the city is frequently cash-strapped; public services in the city suffer as a result.
Representation in federal government
 License plate reading "Washington, D.C." at the top and "Taxation Without Representation" at the bottom. According to the U.S. Constitution, Washington, D.C. is under the direct jurisdiction of Congress. Congress has delegated various amounts of this authority to local government. Still, D.C. residents lack some representation that is enjoyed by residents of U.S. states. File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
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Page I of the Constitution of the United States of America Page II of the United States Constitution Page III of the United States Constitution Page IV of the United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America and is...
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 states which have membership of the federation known as the United States of America (USA or U.S.). The separate state governments and the U.S. federal government share sovereignty. ...
Residents of the District vote for the President but do not have voting representation in Congress. Citizens of Washington are represented in the House of Representatives by Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC At-Large), a non-voting delegate who sits on committees and participates in debate but cannot vote. DC does not have representation in the Senate. Citizens of Washington, DC are thus unique in the world, as citizens of the capital city of every other country have the same representation rights as other citizens. Attempts to change this situation, including the proposed District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment, have been unsuccessful. For the pop band, see Presidents of the United States of America. ...
The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States of America. ...
Eleanor Holmes Norton U.S. Delegate for the District of Columbia Eleanor Holmes Norton (born June 13, 1937) is the non-voting Delegate from the District of Columbia to the United States House of Representatives. ...
A Delegate to Congress is a non-voting representative of a U.S. territory in the United States House of Representatives. ...
The District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution. ...
The history of DC's relationship with the federal government, as well as the arguments for and against increased representation, are covered in the article District of Columbia voting rights. Many democracy activists argue for District of Columbia voting rights—i. ...
History See main article History of Washington, DC. A Southern site for the capital was agreed at a dinner between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. The initial plan for the Federal City was a diamond, ten miles wide on each side, giving it 100 square miles (260 square kilometers). The actual site on the Potomac River was chosen by President Washington. Washington may have chosen the site for its natural scenery, in the belief that the Potomac would become a great navigable waterway, or even in the hope of increasing the value of his land holdings in the area. 1888 is a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ...
The Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is one of the worlds leading industrialised countries, located in the heart of Europe. ...
Order: 3rd President Vice President: Aaron Burr; George Clinton Term of office: March 4, 1801 – March 3, 1809 Preceded by: John Adams Succeeded by: James Madison Date of birth: April 13, 1743 Place of birth: Shadwell, Virginia Date of death: July 4, 1826 Place of death: Charlottesville, Virginia First Lady...
A portrait of Alexander Hamilton by John Trumbull, 1792. ...
Order: 1st President Vice President: John Adams Term of office: April 30, 1789 – March 3, 1797 Preceded by: None Succeeded by: John Adams Date of birth: February 22, 1732 Place of birth: Westmoreland, Virginia Date of death: December 14, 1799 Place of death: Mount Vernon, Virginia First Lady: Martha Washington...
On August 24, 1814, British forces burnt the capital during the most notable destructive raid of the War of 1812. President James Madison and U.S. forces fled and British forces burned public buildings including the Capitol, the Navy Yard, and the Treasury building. The Presidential Mansion was also gutted; repairs to cover up the damage would lead it to be redubbed the White House. August 24 is the 236th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (237th in leap years), with 129 days remaining. ...
1814 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...
After the Battle of York in 1813 the British and Canadians wanted revenge on the United States for the destruction they had caused on the capitol of Upper Canada at York. ...
The War of 1812 was a conflict fought in North America between the United States and Great Britain. ...
Order: 4th President Vice President: George Clinton; Elbridge Gerry Term of office: March 4, 1809 – March 3, 1817 Preceded by: Thomas Jefferson Succeeded by: James Monroe Date of birth: March 16, 1751 Place of birth: Port Conway, Virginia Date of death: June 28, 1836 Place of death: Montpelier, Virginia First...
 Newspaper Row, Washington, D.C., 1874. Washington remained a small city of a few thousand permanent residents until the outbreak of the U.S. Civil War in 1861. The significant expansion of the federal government to administer the war—and its legacies, such as veterans' pensions—led to notable growth in the city's population. But on April 14, 1865, just days after the end of the war, president Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in Ford's Theater. The American Civil War was fought in the United States from 1861 until 1865 between the United States – forces coming mostly from the 23 northern states of the Union – and the newly-formed Confederate States of America, which consisted of 11 southern states that had declared their secession. ...
1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ...
April 14 is the 104th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (105th in leap years). ...
1865 is a common year starting on Sunday. ...
Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865), sometimes called Abe Lincoln and nicknamed Honest Abe, the Rail Splitter, and the Great Emancipator, was the 16th (1861–1865) President of the United States, and the first president from the Republican Party. ...
John Wilkes Booth (May 10, 1838–April 26, 1865) was an American actor who is most famous for being the assassin of Abraham Lincoln. ...
Fords Theatre in the 19th century Fords Theatre in Washington, D.C. was the site of the assassination of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865. ...
In the early 1870s, Washington was given a territorial government, but governor Alexander Shepherd's reputation for extravagance resulted in Congress abolishing his office in favor of direct rule. Congressional governance of the District would continue for a century. Events and Trends Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) results in the collapse of the Second French Empire and in the formation of both the French Third Republic and the German Empire. ...
The Washington Monument opened in 1888. Plans were laid to further develop the monumental aspects of the city, with work contributed by such noted figures as Frederick Law Olmsted and Daniel Burnham. However, development of the Lincoln Memorial and other structures on the National Mall did not get underway until the early 20th century. Washington Monument The Washington Monument is a large white-colored obelisk in the center of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built as a memorial to George Washington, the first President of the United States and the leader of the revolutionary Continental Army, which won independence from the British...
1888 is a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ...
Frederick Law Olmsted (April 27, 1822–August 28, 1903) was a United States landscape architect, famous for designing many well known urban parks, including Central Park in New York, New York, the oldest coordinated system of public parks and parkways in Buffalo, New York, Mount_Royal_Park in Montreal, the Metropolitan Parks...
Masonic Temple Building Daniel Hudson Burnham (September 4, 1846 - June 1, 1912) was born in Henderson, New York and raised in Chicago, Illinois. ...
The Lincoln Memorial, built 1915 - 1922 The Lincoln Memorial, on the National Mall in Washington, DC, is a memorial to United States President Abraham Lincoln. ...
Facing west across the Mall, with ones back towards the United States Capitol. ...
 Aerial photo of Washington, DC (looking WSW, roughly along the National Mall) The Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified on March 29, 1961 allowing residents of Washington, DC to vote for president and have their votes count in the Electoral College. Download high resolution version (1059x1220, 776 KB)public domain enlarged image This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ...
Download high resolution version (1059x1220, 776 KB)public domain enlarged image This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ...
Amendment XXIII (the Twenty-third Amendment) of the United States Constitution permits the District of Columbia to choose Electors for President and Vice President. ...
March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (89th in Leap years). ...
1961 (As MAD Magazine pointed out on its first cover for the year) was the first upside-down year - i. ...
The United States Electoral College is the electoral college which chooses the President and Vice President of the United States at the conclusion of each Presidential election. ...
The first 4.6 miles (7.4 kilometers) of the Washington Metro subway system opened on March 27, 1976. Bethesda Metro station. ...
This page refers to urban rail mass transit systems. ...
March 27 is the 86th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (87th in Leap years). ...
1976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ...
Walter Washington became the first elected mayor of the District in 1974. Marion Barry became mayor in 1978, but was arrested for drug use in an FBI sting on January 18, 1990, and would serve a six-month jail term. His successor, Sharon Pratt Kelly, became the first black woman to lead a city of that size and importance in the U.S. But Barry defeated her in the 1994 primary and was once again elected mayor for his fourth term, during which the city nearly became insolvent and was forced to give up some home rule to a Congressionally appointed financial control board. Walter Edward Washington (April 15, 1915 – October 27, 2003) was the first elected mayor (and first black mayor) of the District of Columbia (Washington, DC). ...
1974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ...
(Not to be confused with Marion Berry, U.S. Representative from Arkansas. ...
Events January January 1 - The Copyright Act of 1976 takes effect, making sweeping changes to United States copyright law. ...
Many drugs are provided in tablet form. ...
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a Federal police force which is the principal investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ...
January 18 is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...
1990 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Sharon Pratt Dixon (later Sharon Pratt Kelly; b. ...
1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ...
The Washington area was the target of at least one of the four hijacked planes in the September 11, 2001 attacks. One plane struck the Pentagon in Arlington County, killing 125 people in addition to the 64 aboard the plane, while another that was downed in a field in Pennsylvania is believed by many to have been intended to hit either the White House or the U.S. Capitol. File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
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Security Camera image of the moment that American Airlines Flight 77 hit the Pentagon American Airlines Flight 77 was a morning flight that routinely flew from Washington Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Virginia, near Washington DC, to Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California (IAD-LAX). ...
The September 11, 2001 attacks were a series of coordinated terrorist attacks carried out in the United States on September 11, 2001. ...
The Pentagon, looking east with the Potomac River and Washington Monument in the distance. ...
State nickname: The Keystone State Other U.S. States Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Governor Ed Rendell Official languages None Area 119,283 km² (33rd) - Land 116,074 km² - Water 3,208 km² (2. ...
This page is about the official residence of the President of the USA. For other White Houses see White House (disambiguation). ...
United States Capitol The United States Capitol is the building which serves as home for the legislative branch of the United States government. ...
Shortly thereafter, Washington endured an anthrax attack, when what may have been a domestic terrorist sent anthrax-contaminated mail to numerous members of Congress. Thirty-one staff members were infected, and two U.S. Postal Service employees at a contaminated mail sorting facility at Brentwood later died. (Redirected from 2001 anthrax attack) A letter sent to Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle containing weaponised anthrax powder caused the deaths of two postal workers. ...
Terrorism is a controversial term with multiple definitions. ...
Anthrax bacteria. ...
A USPS Truck at Night A U.S. Post Office sign The United States Postal Service (USPS) is the United States government organization responsible for providing postal service in the United States and is generally referred to as the post office. ...
Brentwood is a neighborhood in Northeast Washington, DC and is named after the Brentwood Mansion built in the area in 1817 by Robert Brent, the first mayor of Washington City. ...
During three weeks of October 2002, John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo killed ten people and wounded three others in the region in what became known as the Beltway Sniper attacks. In March 2004, Muhammad was sentenced to death and Malvo to life imprisonment for the attacks by a Virginia court. 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
John Allen Muhammad (born John Allen Williams on December 31, 1960) carried out the Beltway sniper attacks. ...
Lee Boyd Malvo Lee Boyd Malvo (alias John Lee Malvo) (born February 18, 1985), along with John Allen Muhammad, was arrested on October 24, 2002 in connection with the Beltway sniper attacks. ...
Lee Boyd Malvo John Allen Muhammad The Beltway Sniper attacks took place during three weeks of October 2002 in the eastern United States. ...
2004 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December Deaths • 08 Abu Abbas • 20 Queen Juliana • 28 Peter Ustinov • 30 Alistair Cooke More March 2004 deaths Ongoing events EU Enlargement Exploration of Mars: Rovers Haiti Rebellion Israeli-Palestinian conflict Occupation of Iraq Same-sex marriage in...
In November 2003, the toxin ricin was found in the mailroom of the White House, and in February 2004, in the mailroom of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. As with the earlier anthrax attacks, no arrests have been made. 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January January 1 - Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ...
Castor beans The protein ricin (pronounced rye-sin) is a poison manufactured from the castor bean (Ricinus communis). ...
2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Bill Frist Dr. William Harrison Frist (born February 22, 1952 in Nashville, Tennessee) is a Republican U.S. Senator from Tennessee and a cardiac surgeon. ...
Partly in response to these events from the past few years, the Washington area has taken many steps to increase security. Screening devices for biological agents, metal detectors, and vehicle barriers are now much more commonplace at office buildings as well as government buildings, and in transportation facilities. A U.S. Army soldier uses a metal detector to search for weapons and ammunition in Iraq Metal detectors use electromagnetic induction to detect metal. ...
Geography  USGS satellite image of Washington, DC, taken April 26, 2002. The Potomac River and its eastern branch, the Anacostia River, are visible. Virginia lies across the Potomac from Washington, while Maryland surrounds it on all other sides. The orange lines in the image mark the quadrant divisions of Washington, with the U.S. Capitol at the center of the dividing lines. To the west of the Capitol extends the National Mall, visible as a slight green band in the image. Washington is located at 38° 53′ 42″ N 77° 02′ 11″ W (http://kvaleberg.com/extensions/mapsources/index.php?params=38_53_42_N_77_02_11_W_) (the coordinates of the Zero Milestone, on The Ellipse). The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. ...
Upper part of the Potomac River The Potomac River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States (USA). ...
The Anacostia River is a river that flows about 8. ...
State nickname: Old Dominion Other U.S. States Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Governor Mark R. Warner Official languages English Area 110,862 km² (35th) - Land 102,642 km² - Water 8,220 km² (7. ...
State nickname: Old Line State; Free State Other U.S. States Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Official languages English Area 32,160 km² (42nd) - Land 25,338 km² - Water 6,968 km² (21%) Population (2000) - Population 5,296,486 (19th) - Density 165 /km² (5th) Admittance into...
United States Capitol The United States Capitol is the building which serves as home for the legislative branch of the United States government. ...
Facing west across the Mall, with ones back towards the United States Capitol. ...
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 177.0 km² (68.3 mi²). 159.0 km² (61.4 mi²) of it is land and 18.0 km² (6.9 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 10.16% water. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census) is a part of the United States Department of Commerce. ...
Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ...
This article is about the unit of measure. ...
Washington is surrounded by the states of Virginia (on its southwest side, and a small part of its northwest one) and Maryland (on its southeast and northeast sides, and most of its northwest one); it interrupts those states' common border, which is the Potomac River both upstream and downstream from the District. The city contains the historic federal city, the territory of which was formerly part of those two adjacent states before they respectively ceded it for the national capital. The land ceded from Virginia was returned by Congress in 1846, so what remains of the modern District was all once part of Maryland. A U.S. state is any one of the 50 states which have membership of the federation known as the United States of America (USA or U.S.). The separate state governments and the U.S. federal government share sovereignty. ...
State nickname: Old Dominion Other U.S. States Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Governor Mark R. Warner Official languages English Area 110,862 km² (35th) - Land 102,642 km² - Water 8,220 km² (7. ...
State nickname: Old Line State; Free State Other U.S. States Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Official languages English Area 32,160 km² (42nd) - Land 25,338 km² - Water 6,968 km² (21%) Population (2000) - Population 5,296,486 (19th) - Density 165 /km² (5th) Admittance into...
1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...
Physical geography The physical geography of the District of Columbia is very similar to the physical geography of much of Maryland. The District has three natural flowing bodies of water: the Potomac River, the Anacostia River, and Rock Creek. Both Anacostia River and Rock Creek are tributaries of the Potomac. There are also three man-made reservoirs: Dalecarlia Reservoir, which crosses over the northwest border of the District from Maryland, McMillan Reservoir near Howard University, and Georgetown Reservoir upstream of Georgetown. Physical map of the Earth (Medium) (Large 2 MB) Geography is the scientific study of the locational and spatial variation in both physical and human phenomena on Earth. ...
State nickname: Old Line State; Free State Other U.S. States Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Official languages English Area 32,160 km² (42nd) - Land 25,338 km² - Water 6,968 km² (21%) Population (2000) - Population 5,296,486 (19th) - Density 165 /km² (5th) Admittance into...
Upper part of the Potomac River The Potomac River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States (USA). ...
The Anacostia River is a river that flows about 8. ...
Rock Creek is also the name of several cities in the United States: Rock Creek, Alabama, Rock Creek, Minnesota, Rock Creek, Ohio, and Rock Creek, Wisconsin. ...
Upper part of the Potomac River The Potomac River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States (USA). ...
A reservoir (French: réservoir) is an artificial lake created by flooding land behind a dam. ...
Howard University is a historically black college in Washington, D.C. It was established by a congressional charter in 1867, and much of its early funding came from the Freedmens Bureau. ...
The highest point in the District of Columbia is 410 feet (125 m) above sea level at Tenleytown. The lowest point is 1 foot, which occurs at least as far up the Potomac River as 0.35 miles (0.57 km) upstream from the terminus of Rock Creek.
City layout Washington, DC, was created to serve as the national capital from its inception. The original street layout was designed by Pierre Charles L'Enfant at the time of the city's founding. L'Enfant based his design on Paris, which incorporated a basic grid system, inter-cut with broad diagonal avenues radiating from circles and squares; according to a popular urban legend, the diagonal avenues also served as sightlines for the defense of the city in the event of an invasion. Pierre Charles LEnfant ( 2 August 1754 – 14 June 1825) designed the street plan of the Federal City in the United States, now known as Washington, DC. Born in France, he came to the American colonies as a military engineer with General Lafayette and became closely identified with the United...
The Eiffel Tower has become the symbol of Paris throughout the world. ...
At the center of the design, is the United States Capitol Building, from which four quadrants radiate along the four compass directions: Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, and Southeast. The quadrants are separated by North Capitol Street, South Capitol Street and East Capitol Street, with the centerline of the National Mall taking the place of what would be western demarcation line. Two avenues, Constitution and Independence, line the sides of the Mall. United States Capitol The United States Capitol is the building which serves as home for the legislative branch of the United States government. ...
Color-enhanced USGS satellite image of Washington, DC, taken April 26, 2002. ...
Southwest DC is the southwestern quadrant of the city, located south of the National Mall and west of South Capital Street. ...
Northeast DC is the northeastern quadrant of the city, located north of East Capitol Street and east of North Capital Street. ...
Southeast DC is the southeastern quadrant of the city, located south of East Capitol Street and east of South Capital Street. ...
Facing west across the Mall, with ones back towards the United States Capitol. ...
Streets that are oriented north/south are designated by numbers and count upwards from east to west in Northwest and Southwest (1st St NW, 2nd St NW, 3rd St NW, etc.); these streets repeat in Northeast and Southeast, counting upwards from west to the east.
Streets that are oriented East/West utilize a single letter of the alphabet in the central city. Thus, east-to-west lettered streets (A St NW, B St NW, etc.) "count" upwards from south to north in NW and NE, and likewise repeat in the opposite direction in SW and SE. Street numbers count upwards traveling outward from the dividing lines of the quadrants. There is no J Street in any quadrant; there are several rumors for the reason of this, including one that L'Enfant simply disliked the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Jay. However, the most reasonable answer is that J and I look too much alike and could easily have been confused in the handwriting of the 18th century. (In a nod to this, the food court at The George Washington University is named J Street). North of the mall, the road that would be B street is known as Constitution, South of the mall the second east-west street is called Independence. A Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is the head judge in a supreme court. ...
John Jay, first Chief Justice of the United States John Jay (December 12, 1745–May 17, 1829) was an American politician, statesman, revolutionary, diplomat and jurist. ...
Women waiting for pizza in the food court of the Staten Island Mall A food court is a type of indoor plaza contiguous with the counters of multiple food vendors and providing a common area for self-serve dining. ...
The George Washington University (GWU) is a private university in Washington, D.C., founded in 1821 as The Columbian College. ...
Because both the numbers and the letters repeat for each quadrant, each street name is appended by the quadrant in which it is located (NE, NW, SE and SW). Use of these directional designations is required in giving directions and in the use of delivering mail.
Once single letters are exhausted as east-west street names the "alphabet" system continues anew with two syllable names beginning the first letter of the alphabet; streets in this set are commonly referred to as being in the "second alphabet" (for example, Calvert St. NW would be the third street of this second alphabet). In Northwest and Northeast DC, which are the largest quadrants, a "third alphabet" is started using three syllable words, i.e. Brandywine St NW. Diagonal avenues, generally named for states, are exempt from this syllabic rule, as are streets designated as "Place" or "Way" and streets laid out after the alpha-name was established for that area (For example, between E and F Streets in Southeast, you'll find Duddington Place).
The city's layout is best understood in terms of the Cartesian coordinate system. While the system may appear complex, once learned, it allows one to pinpoint not only where one is, but also where and how far one may need to travel. For example, if one needed to find 633 A Street SE, the address informs that the address is southeast of the Capitol, with A Street one block south of East Capitol Street, and that the location on that street is between 6th Street and 7th Streets SE. Another more familiar example would be the White House, located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, is located at 16th Street NW (Lafayette Square) and Pennslvania Avenue NW. This works both ways; an address at 514 19th St NW would be on 19th St west of the Capitol, and since E is the fifth letter of the alphabet, the 514 address would be between E and F Streets NW. Cartesian means relating to the French mathematician and philosopher Descartes, who, among other things, worked to merge algebra and Euclidean geometry. ...
This page is about the official residence of the President of the USA. For other White Houses see White House (disambiguation). ...
"I," "Q," and "U" streets properly utilize a single letter of the alphabet for their names. "Eye Street," "Que Street," and "You Street" have also appeared in some historical and comptemporary instances, however their use is informal.
Low Skyline To preserve the grandeur of the National Mall, the White House, the Capitol, and various other key locations, the entire city is subject to strict height limits. This limitation was placed in effect just prior to the 20th century when government officials realized that structural steel "skyscrapers" could overwhelm the city. Thus, Washington has a relatively modest skyline in comparison to the majority of American cities. However the District is ringed by high-rise buildings in many nearby suburbs like Arlington, Virginia and Bethesda, Maryland. Arlington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia (which calls itself a commonwealth), directly across the Potomac River from Washington, DC. By an act of Congress July 9, 1846, the area south of the Potomac was returned to Virginia effective in 1847 As of 2000...
Bethesda is an urbanized, but unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland, near Washington, DC. It takes its name from a church once located there, the Bethesda Presbyterian Church (built 1820), which in turn was named from a passage in the Christian New Testament. ...
Neighborhoods The District of Columbia is divided into eight wards and 37 Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs) within these wards. The total number of named neighborhoods is 127. Advisory Neighborhood Commissions are composed of elected officials called Commissioners who each represent about 2000 people within the District of Columbia. ...
| |  DC wards map (political) (2002 boundaries) |
History The choice of the exact site on the Potomac River was left to the first president, George Washington. He chose a 10-mile-(16 km)-square area that included the existing villages of Georgetown and Alexandria, and another called Hamburg in the Foggy Bottom area. A new city, eventually named Washington City, was laid out in undeveloped area within the district. The remainder of the territory was designated Washington County (on the Maryland side of the Potomac) and Alexandria County (on the Virginia side). Upper part of the Potomac River The Potomac River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States (USA). ...
Order: 1st President Vice President: John Adams Term of office: April 30, 1789 – March 3, 1797 Preceded by: None Succeeded by: John Adams Date of birth: February 22, 1732 Place of birth: Westmoreland, Virginia Date of death: December 14, 1799 Place of death: Mount Vernon, Virginia First Lady: Martha Washington...
Arlington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia, directly across the Potomac River from Washington, DC. Originally part of the District of Columbia, by an act of Congress July 9, 1846, the area south of the Potomac was returned (retroceded) to Virginia effective in 1847. ...
The land from the State of Virginia was eventually returned to the state in 1846. This land in Virginia makes up the modern area of Arlington County and the old part of Alexandria, Virginia, both which are considered suburbs of Washington. In fact, the Arlington National Cemetery and the Pentagon complex are both located in Arlington but are largely tied to the federal government in Washington. Between 1790 and 1846, Alexandria was referred to as "Alexandria, D.C." 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...
Arlington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia, directly across the Potomac River from Washington, DC. Originally part of the District of Columbia, by an act of Congress July 9, 1846, the area south of the Potomac was returned (retroceded) to Virginia effective in 1847. ...
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. ...
Arlington Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia, is an American military cemetery established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Robert E. Lees home. ...
The Pentagon, looking east with the Potomac River and Washington Monument in the distance. ...
1790 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...
1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...
The Georgetown neighborhood was originally part of Maryland and was the only significant population in the area that would become the District of Columbia. Georgetown became part of the District in 1790 when the Federal City was first created, but Georgetown remained an independent city, referred to as "Georgetown, D.C.", until 1871, when it was merged with Washington City and Washington County, completing the process of Washington and the District of Columbia occupying the same geographic borders. 1790 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...
1871 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...
The monumental core of the city consists of the National Mall and many key federal buildings, monuments, and museums, including the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and the National Air and Space Museum. Its layout is based on that proposed by the McMillan Commission report in 1901. Facing west across the Mall, with ones back towards the United States Capitol. ...
Washington Monument The Washington Monument is a large white-colored obelisk in the center of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built as a memorial to George Washington, the first President of the United States and the leader of the revolutionary Continental Army, which won independence from the British...
The Lincoln Memorial, built 1915 - 1922 The Lincoln Memorial, on the National Mall in Washington, DC, is a memorial to United States President Abraham Lincoln. ...
Interior of museum, with Gemini capsule, Soviet rockets, and Wright Flyer visible The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) of the United States Smithsonian Institution maintains the largest collection of aircraft and spacecraft in the world. ...
1901 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...
Crime  DC homicide trends (1985-2004) "Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country." — former Mayor Marion Barry ...
(Not to be confused with Marion Berry, U.S. Representative from Arkansas. ...
At the peak of the violent crime wave, in the early 1990s, Washington DC was known as the murder capital of the U.S. The number of homicides peaked in 1991, with 482 in that year. Despite the high rate of crime, violence was not evenly distributed across the city, but rather was primarily concentrated in specific neighborhoods, located east of Rock Creek Park. These areas included Columbia Heights, Adams Morgan, Logan Circle, Shaw, Le Droit Park and the East End of Downtown (Chinatown), all located to the north of the National Mall. As recently as 2001, many services such as baby sitters would not go east of 16th Street, into these neighborhoods due to the prevalence of violent crime. High rates of crime have also plagued substantial portions of Northeast Washington, including the Trinidad neighborhood, as well as most of the neighborhoods located east of the Anacostia River, in Southeast Washington. A violent crime or crime of violence is a crime in which the offender uses or threatens violent force upon the victim. ...
Events and trends Technology Explosive growth of the Internet; decrease in the cost of computers and other technology Reduction in size and cost of mobile phones leads to a massive surge in their popularity Year 2000 problem (commonly known as Y2K) Microsoft Windows operating system becomes virtually ubiquitous on IBM...
Rock Creek Park is an urban natural area with public park facilities which bisects Washington, DC. East of the park, the city has a decidedly urban character. ...
Columbia Heights is a neighborhood in Washington, DC. Geography Located in the northwest quadrant of Washington, DC, Columbia Heights borders the neighborhoods of Shaw, Adams Morgan, Mount Pleasant, Petworth, and Pleasant Plains. ...
Adams Morgan is a neighborhood in Washington, DC, in the northwest quadrant of the city above Dupont Circle, focused at the crossroads of 18th Street and Columbia Road. ...
Logan Circle is a neighborhood in Washington, DC. The actual traffic circle is the intersection of 13th Street, P Street, and Rhode Island Avenue in Northwest, with a grassy area in the middle. ...
Shaw is a neighborhood in Washington, DC. It is roughly (and inconsistently) defined as the neighborhood north of Mount Vernon Square or Logan Circle, west of 7th Street NW, and south of Columbia Heights. ...
Le Droit Park is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C. located immediately south of Howard University. ...
Facing west across the Mall, with ones back towards the United States Capitol. ...
2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Northeast DC is the northeastern quadrant of the city, located north of East Capitol Street and east of North Capital Street. ...
The Anacostia River is a river that flows about 8. ...
Southeast DC is the southeastern quadrant of the city, located south of East Capitol Street and east of South Capital Street. ...
The tide has since turned as gentrification is sweeping eastward across the District and has transformed the neighborhoods of Adams Morgan, Logan Circle, Columbia Heights, and the East End of Downtown (Chinatown). In the past ten years, the number of homicides has been halved, from 399 in 1994 to 198 in 2004. The gentrification of these neighborhoods was, in part, spurred by the extension of Metrorail's Green Line to the Shaw, U Street, Columbia Heights, and Petworth neighborhoods, during the late 1990s. The revitalization efforts began, first in the Adams Morgan and Logan Circle areas, and more recently in Columbia Heights. In 2005, gentrification is now beginning to reach Shaw, Le Droit Park, Petworth, Bloomingdale, Eckington, as well as Trinidad. The transformation of the Downtown/Chinatown areas into clean, safe areas was aided by the construction of the MCI Center, which opened in 1997, and the new Washington Convention Center that opened in 2004 at Mount Vernon Square. As a result of the revitalization efforts, the home values in these neighborhoods have skyrocketed, while the violent crime rates have plummeted. This once impoverished part of Jersey Citys historic downtown is quickly becoming gentrified. ...
Chinatowns Friendship Archway, as seen looking west on H St. ...
Bethesda Metro station. ...
Greenbelt station, end of the Green line on the Washington Metro The Green Line of the Washington Metro consists of 21 subway stations from Greenbelt to Branch Ave. ...
Events and trends Technology Explosive growth of the Internet; decrease in the cost of computers and other technology Reduction in size and cost of mobile phones leads to a massive surge in their popularity Year 2000 problem (commonly known as Y2K) Microsoft Windows operating system becomes virtually ubiquitous on IBM...
Petworth is a small town in West Sussex, England. ...
Bloomingdale is the name of some places in the United States of America: Bloomingdale, Florida Bloomingdale, Georgia Bloomingdale, Illinois Bloomingdale, Indiana Bloomingdale, Kentucky Bloomingdale, Michigan Bloomingdale, New Jersey (two places): in Passaic County in Somerset County Bloomingdale, New York Bloomingdale, North Carolina Bloomingdale, Ohio Bloomingdale, Pennsylvania (three places): in Carbon...
This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...
The MCI Center, view to the southeast across 7th St. ...
1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Reef. ...
2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
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