DC Firsts: Monumental Moments in Washington, DC History

Library of Congress

First Plan for DC Presented to George Washington by Pierre L’Enfant: June 22, 1791

George Washington gave French American artist and military engineer Pierre L’Enfant total creative control in crafting a master plan for the nation’s capital city. L’Enfant was inspired by Paris and Versailles in his vision for DC, which included open public spaces, low skylines and broad streets.

A hand-drawn map that documents L’Enfant’s plan is preserved at the Library of Congress.

 

First Cornerstones: White House (Oct. 13, 1792) and The U.S. Capitol Building (Sept. 18, 1793)

Two of DC’s most famous sites laid their first cornerstones a little under a year apart. Pierre L’Enfant chose the site for what he called “the President’s house” and James Hoban, an Irish immigrant, had his plan for the residence selected by Congress. John Adams and his wife, Abigail, moved into the unfinished structure on Nov. 1, 1800. The Capitol Building’s inaugural cornerstone inspired quite the Masonic ceremony, with George Washington arriving with entourage and volunteer artillery in tow on the banks of the Potomac River.

You can read more about that day in a detailed account on the U.S. Capitol’s website.

First Congressional Meeting: Nov. 17, 1800

Would you believe that the first time Congress met in the District, there were complications and difficulties!? Travel was brutal along the East Coast due to a late-fall storm (again, not surprising) and only the Senate wing of the U.S. Capitol Building had been built (although the third floor hadn’t been finished yet).

First Presidential Inauguration: March 4, 1801

Okay, it wasn’t the very first presidential inauguration. New York City hosted the inaugural occasion (see what we did there?), while Philadelphia was the site of the second and third installments. Note that the event – which marked Thomas Jefferson’s induction to the highest office in the land – took place in early March. TJ delivered his 1,721-word speech in 55-degree weather. The Bernie Sanders Mittens Meme did not apply.

Image from the collection of John DeFerrari

First Streetcar in Operation: July 29, 1862

Built in just six months during the Civil War, DC’s first streetcar line featured horse-drawn vehicles along Pennsylvania Avenue. The first car was very crowded (we’ve all been on a Metro car at 5 p.m.) and screeched to a halt with its 40-passenger load where Pennsylvania Avenue curves onto 15th Street. An extra horse was added to finish the trip because, come on folks, people have places to be in this town.

First Planting of the Cherry Blossom Trees: March 27, 1912

The first two cherry trees of Japan’s 1912 gift (which totaled more than 3,000 trees) were planted by First Lady Helen Herron Taft and Viscountess Chinda (wife of the Japanese ambassador at the time) near the north bank of DC’s Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park.

Learn more about Washington, DC's famous cherry blossoms and where to see them today.

Library of Congress

First World Series Title: Oct. 10, 1924

Dramatically capped by a 12-inning victory in Game 7 of the World Series against the New York Giants, the Washington Senators brought DC its first professional sports championship in the halcyon days of 1924. The team was led by dominant pitcher Walter Johnson and featured a roster with names like Pinky Hargrave, Bucky Harris, Showboat Fisher, Goose Goslin (their best hitter) and Ossie Bluege. It took until 2019 for the District to get another World Series title thanks to an incredible run by Juan Soto, Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and the Nationals.

See the Washington Nationals play at Nats Park. 

First Major League Baseball Night Game: May 28, 1941

Once known as Boundary Field (or National Park, or American League Park, they were pretty loose with names back then), what became Griffith Stadium burned to the ground on March 17, 1911 thanks to a fire started by a plumber’s blowtorch (tough day for that guy). By July 24, 1911, Griffith Stadium was reborn. By May 28, 1941, the hometown Major League Baseball team, the Senators (also known as the Nationals; again, they were loose with names back then) were able to host the stadium’s first night game against Joe DiMaggio and the New York Yankees in front of 25,000 fans. They lost 6-5. DiMaggio hit a triple.

First Official Landing at Washington National Airport: June 16, 1941

Now commonly known as Reagan Airport or DCA, Washington National Airport opened to the public with a ceremony attended by President Theodore Roosevelt. Airlines had drawn straws to determine who could land at the new airport first; American Airlines emerged the victor, with the plane piloted by Bennett H. Griffin (he later became the airport’s manager).

Getty Images

First March on Washington: Aug. 28, 1963

Organized by Bayard Rustin and A. Philip Randolph, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (its official title) advocated for the civil and economic rights of Black Americans. The occasion, which featured Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, included an estimated 250,000 participants, making it one of the largest political rallies for human rights in the history of the U.S.

Read more about DC's history of ground-breaking marches and demonstrations. 

First Mayor of the District of Columbia Elected: Nov. 5, 1974

After Congress passed the District of Columbia Home Rule Act on Dec. 24, 1973, DC was finally permitted its own mayor and council. Just under 11 months later, Walter E. Washington (yes, the city’s convention center is named after him) was elected as the District’s first mayor in a landslide. Washington had overseen the District as chief executive and “Mayor-Commissioner” from 1967-74.

WMATA

First Day of the Metro: March 27, 1976

Yes, there was a time when the Metro was just not an option at all. Uber didn’t exist either. Can you imagine!? Anyways, Metrorail launched with five stations (all were in DC proper; can you name them?) along 4.6 miles of the Red Line in the spring of ’76, just in time for America’s Bicentennial. All rides were free that day.

First NBA Championship: June 7, 1978

After losses in the NBA Finals in 1971 and 1975, the Washington Bullets (now known as the Wizards) finally brought home a championship with a seven-game victory over the Seattle Sonics. The back-and-forth series concluded with a 105-99 Bullets victory in Seattle with team legend Wes Unseld named NBA Finals MVP.

Photo by Jim Saah

First Concert at 9:30 Club: May 31, 1980

The 9:30 Club was founded by Dody DiSanto and Jon Bowers and hosted its first show on May 31, 1980, featuring Massachusetts jazz-punk band the Lounge Lizards and local new wave group Tiny Desk Unit. Fun fact: NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts creator, Bob Boilen, named the radio program after the Tiny Desk Unit, for which he played synthesizer. The club was originally situated inside the Atlantic Building, which had been built in 1888, and certainly not for the purpose of hosting some of the most vibrant and influential rock music acts of all time. The old 9:30 Club is remembered for its intense and cathartic shows, with the venue packed to the gills with sweaty teens and music lovers. The Club moved to a larger venue on V Street NW in 1996, where you can still see shows today.

NFL Films

First Super Bowl Title: Jan. 30, 1983

Now known as the Commanders, the Washington Redskins won their first Super Bowl at the conclusion of the 1982-83 strike-shortened season. The postseason tournament included an additional game due to the nine-game regular season; the ‘Skins dominated all the way through and lost just one game the entire campaign. Their 27-17 defeat of the Miami Dolphins featured one of the most iconic touchdown runs in NFL history, as running back John Riggins scampered 43 yards on a 4th-and-1 play to give his team the lead for good. The organization had previously won pre-Super Bowl-era NFL championships in 1937 and 1942. Head coach Joe Gibbs led the team to three more Super Bowls and won two of them, including a triumph in Super Bowl XXII led by quarterback Doug Williams, who became the first starting Black quarterback to win the NFL’s biggest game.

First “Official” Go-Go Concert: Oct. 9, 1987

The sound of go-go began proliferating as early as the mid-1970s, with Chuck Brown at the forefront. Bands like Experience Unlimited (commonly known as E.U.), Rare Essence and Trouble Funk formed in the years after, leading to a movement that had swept DC proper by the mid-1980s. The District-born genre’s rise culminated with Go-Go Live at the Capital Centre (located in Landover, Md.), which featured a packed house grooving to sounds from Brown and his band as well E.U. and Rare Essence.

Visit the Go-Go Museum and the National Museum of African American History and Culture for a deeper dive into DC's signature sound.

First D.C. United Home Match: April 20, 1996

Founded on June 15, 1994, D.C. United’s inaugural season in Major League Soccer (MLS) began with two road games before the team played its first match at RFK Stadium against the Los Angeles Galaxy. United lost all three of those games but rebounded as the season progressed, eventually qualifying for the playoffs and raising the MLS Cup after defeating – in an ironic twist – the Galaxy. United went on to win the MLS Cup in 1997, 1999 and 2004 as well, marking the first dynasty in MLS history.

First DC JazzFest: Sept. 28, 2005

riginally known as the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival, DC JazzFest was founded by producer Charles Fishman and his wife, attorney Stephanie Peters. The inaugural occasion was a five-day festival across 18 venues with the main event a free, all-day concert at Sylvan Amphitheatre on the National Mall. A Congressional resolution was issued in support of the Festival and leading jazz artists such as Dave Brubeck, Wayne Shorter, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and the Chico O’Farrill Jazz Orchestra performed.

Photo by Gary Vasquez, USA Today Sports

First Stanley Cup Secured: June 7, 2018

The sight of DC sports legend – and the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer – Alex Ovechkin raising the Stanley Cup for the first time is one that hockey fans will not soon forget. The Russian winger spent more than a decade trying to lead the hometown Capitals to hockey’s promised land. The group finally reached the pinnacle with an epic Stanley Cup playoff journey that included the elimination of the rival Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round and a five-game victory over the expansion Las Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final. Thousands gathered outside Capital One Arena to watch the Caps secure the road victory and then partying properly commenced.

Catch a home game and cheer on the Caps.