Today in Scandalous-tory
On this day in 1973, President Richard Nixon famously insisted, “I am not a crook!” to a crowd of reporters in Orlando, Florida (check out the footage here!). Chances are you’ve heard that line before, by why did he say it? Who thought he was a “crook” and why? Our tour guides have all the…
Today in First Ladies’ History
Today, DC Insider Tours celebrates two events in history. Well… we celebrate one, and cringe over the other. Martha Washington First, today is Martha Custis Washington’s birthday! She was born June 2, 1731 (O.S.) in New Kent County, Virginia. Her marriage to George Washington (her second husband) led to her eventual status as the…
Happy Anniversary to the World War II Memorial!
Happy Anniversary to the World War II Memorial! It was dedicated 10 years ago on May 29, 2004. If you’re a history nut like we are, that date may seem surprising.. as in surprisingly late! The dedication took place nearly 59 years after the end of World War II. So why the long wait? You’ll…
Back in Action!
Today’s the day! As of 1pm today, following this morning’s ceremony, the Washington Monument has re-opened. And it’s about time. It closed August 23, 2011 after the 5.8-magnitude earthquake that shook up the city left it cracked in several places. Then, two weeks after the earthquake, Hurricane Irene stopped by and filled the Monument’s cracks…
Emanciption Day 2014
Today is Emancipation Day in Washington, DC, and the city has been gung-ho for this holiday for more than a century. Being history – and DC-obsessed as we are – we wanted to find out exactly how Emancipation Day was celebrated on its first anniversary in 1863. So we dug through our Evening Star records…
The Anniversary of a Momentous Occasion
75 years ago today, something truly amazing happened. After being denied entrance to Constitution Hall by the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) because of her skin color, singer Marian Anderson put on the concert of a lifetime. At the urging of Eleanor Roosevelt, Anderson took to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and sang…
A Very Old Problem
It’s no secret that DC has struggled to keep the Anacostia River clean. Major policy changes and clean-up efforts have proved quite successful in recent years, and local residents are finally starting to feel like “D.C.’s forgotten river” has been welcomed back into the fold. So today when we were perusing the February 25, 1863…
What Do You Think Thursday: Magnetism by Hand, Discharged Catfish, and Poor Willie Thompson
This week, on “What Do You Think Thursday”, we present to you one of the greatest untold mysteries of Washington, DC. What do you get when you put together a young boy, Foggy Bottom, hand magnetism, and a bunch of stomach-dwelling catfish? We honestly have no clue, and our heads are starting to hurt from…
WHAT DO YOU THINK THURSDAY: Feminism and Feet?
Get excited, folks! This is the inaugural column of our new weekly installment, “What Do You Think Thursday”! Ever heard of the Evening Star? It was a local DC newspaper in publication for 128 years, and is a crucial historical resource for the DC Insider Tours team. Over the weekend, we were reading through some…
Happy Birthday, Buzz Aldrin!
You probably already know that today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (see yesterday’s post for our MLK Day Insider Tips)! Did you know it’s also Buzz Aldrin’s birthday? Part of the beauty of DC is that you get the opportunity to see first-hand the memorials and legacies of so many different influential people. Like…