Boundary Stones

100 Years Ago, a D.C. Physician Launched the First Anthrax Attack on the U.S. from His Basement

Uncover the shocking story of Dr. Anton Dilger, a D.C. physician who secretly waged germ warfare on American soil during World War I. From his home in Chevy Chase, Dr. Dilger cultivated deadly bacteria and passed vials of germs to German operatives who used them to poison horses and mules bound for battlefields in Europe. It was the first instance of modern biological warfare.

100 Years Ago, a D.C. Physician Launched the First Anthrax Attack on the U.S. from His Basement

2m 42s

  • How Smokey Bear Became an Icon and a Real Life Neighbor in Washington DC: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    How Smokey Bear Became an Icon and a Real Life Neighbor in Washington DC

    4m 9s

    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.

  • Washington, D.C.’s First Election Riot: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Washington, D.C.’s First Election Riot

    2m 46s

    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.

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