Marion Barry and the Bus Boycott That Launched His Career in D.C.

In 1950, an orphaned bear cub was rescued from a wildfire in New Mexico and brought to Washington to live at the National Zoo. Named "Smokey" after the popular Forest Service character, the cub became a real life advocate for fire prevention and got so much fan mail that the U.S. Postal Service gave him his own private D.C. zipcode.

On a cold night on February 8, 1967, a plane landed at National Airport. The only indication of the plane’s arrival came through a cryptic message, sent by the FBI agents on board: “the Bird” had landed. On the plane was precious cargo — a painting by Leonardo Da Vinci, purchased for a record-breaking sum after a decades-long pursuit by the National Gallery.

Even in Washington, D.C.'s long and complex history of suffrage, the deadly election riot of June 1, 1857, stands out. That was the day anti-immigrant rioters — armed with sledgehammers, pistols, and even a cannon — attempted to win an election through brutal violence at the polls, clashing with police and forcing President James Buchanan to order out the United States Marines.