Congress decided that a permanent capital city was required for the new nation of the Unites States.  This decision was taken in the city of Philadelphia.

Congress passes the Residence Act.  This determined that a site of area about 10 square miles, lying on the Potomac river and on the Virginia / Maryland border, should be the site of the new capital city.  The selected area was named District of Columbia (after Christopher Columbus) and the capital city was named Washington (after George Washington).

The federal government moved to Washington.  At that time, the population was around 5,000.

Important Washington buildings were burned by the British during the War of 1812, thus slowing growth of the new city.

That part of the District of Columbia lying on the western bank of the River Potomac was returned to Virginia.

The population of District of Columbia is around 52,000.

Abraham Lincoln passed the Compensated Emancipation Act, thus ending slavery in the District of Columbia.  Around 3,000 slaves were released following the passing of this act.

The population of the District of Columbia is around 132,000, partly as a result of much black migration into the area.  At this time Washington still had dirt track roads and poor sanitation.

Congress passes the Organic Act, thus providing a new government for a federal territory officially called the District of Columbia.  As part of this, Georgetown officially became associated with the city of Washington.

The population of the District of Columbia is around 250,000 people.

The McMillan Plan is executed as a way to renovate and develop the city.  The plans include the development of the National Mall and the building of Union Station.

The era of the Great Depression.  Between 1933 and 1935, the New Deal package of economic reforms is executed.  The main aim of the package is expressed as three R's - relief, reform and recovery.

The population of the District of Columbia is around 800,000 people.

The 23rd amendment to the US Constitution was ratified, thus granting the District of Columbia three votes in the Electoral College (whose members formally elect the President).

Martin Luther King delivers his "I have a dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial

Martin Luther King is assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.  Riots break out in protest in the black-populated areas of the District of Columbia.

Congress passed the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which provided the District of Columbia with an elected mayor and city council.

The appropriately named Walter Washington is the first elected and first black mayor of the District of Columbia.

The Washington Metro railway opens.

Congress creates the District of Columbia Financial Control Board, designed to oversee spending of funds in the District of Columbia.

The terrorist attacks of 2001 result in a plane crashing into the Pentagon.  A plane believed to be destined for Washington DC crashes in Pennsylvania.

Washington DC is put on "orange alert", thus prompting a number of increased security measures in the city.