In 1800, when President Adams moved the national capital from Philadelphia to DC, he also approved a $5,000 budget for books. The intention was rather pragmatic: give Congress a quiet place to research.
DC History
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In 1921, President Harding presided over a re-burial of an unknown American serviceman who died in WWI. Since then, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has hosted an unidentified serviceman from WWII, Korea and Vietnam.
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Historians debate whether Crispus Attucks was a free man or an escaped slave, but they generally agree upon his role in American history on March 5, 1770.
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In 1976, the United States accepted a special gift from Japanese bonsai master Masaru Yamaki: a 400-year-old bonsai tree. Welcomed as a symbol of peace and friendship, the tree became a permanent addition to the National Arboretum.
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Historians debate whether Crispus Attucks was a free man or an escaped slave, but they generally agree upon his role in American history on March 5, 1770.
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John Adams and Thomas Jefferson met at the 1775 Continental Congress in Philadelphia and became close friends. They survived disagreements on many subjects, but on one they were aligned:
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Thumbing through the history books, you’ll find female scientists, astronauts, activists, politicians, writers and wealthy, influential entertainers (looking at you, Bey!).
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I wish it wasn’t necessary to set the record straight about Black History Month. For years, our history was buried or distorted because black people were brought here as slaves and their contributions were never fully acknowledged – this month creates an awareness of our history.
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Since the Truman Administration, the National Turkey Federation’s chairman has selected turkeys from the “Presidential Flock” for the First Family’s Thanksgiving. (President George H.W. Bush was the first to begin pardoning two birds.)