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    David Bowie: 1947-2016
     
     
    David Bowie Lands in Washington
    In 1971 a largely unknown David Bowie landed at Dulles Airport and stayed in the Washington, D.C. area on his first visit to America.
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    Weather History
     
     
    1987: The Blizzard of Discontent
    On the morning of January 22, 1987, Washington was hit by a massive snowstorm that, in some ways, might have been the beginning of then-Mayor Marion Barry's ignominious downfall.
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    Did You Know?
     
     
    The Little Italy Under the Parkway
    Before the northern section of the George Washington Memorial Parkway was built in the 1950s, Arlington was home to a village of Italian quarrymen, accessible only by footpath.
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    Mary Church Terrell
     
     
    The End of Segretation in DC Restaurants
    Ending segregation in Washington restaurants hinged on activism and the Supreme Court's interpretation of DC laws which had been literally lost.
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    Music History
     
     
    Two Steinways and Three Roosevelts
    How two custom Steinway pianos became White House symbols for art and entertainment with the help of three Roosevelts
DC
Metro Mythbusting: Georgetown's Nonexistent Metro Stop

Metro Mythbusting: Georgetown's Nonexistent Metro Stop

01/20/2023 in DC by Emma O'Neill-Dietel

If you think you know why Georgetown doesn't have a Metro stop, think again! Though many believe it is the outcome of neighborhood resistance, in reality it has much more to do with geography, geology, expense, and WMATA's original vision for Metro as a commuter rail. The origins of the Georgetown Metro myth are just as interesting as the debunking of the myth.

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Maryland
Hulks like Huge Flower Pots: The Ghost Fleet of Mallows Bay

Hulks like Huge Flower Pots: The Ghost Fleet of Mallows Bay

12/16/2022 in Maryland by Emma Tanner

At the beginning of the First World War, the United States decided to undertake the largest shipbuilding effort in the nation's history. But before these ships could set sail, the war ended. Thus began the curse of the Ghost Fleet, a large group of unwanted ships that would eventually be abandoned in Mallows Bay on the Potomac. For decades many saw them as an eyesore and hazard. But after years of the neglect, the ships would eventually find their purpose -- in a most unexpected way.  

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DC
On a Wing and a Prayer: D.C.’s Destined-to-Fail Airmail Flights

On a Wing and a Prayer: D.C.’s Destined-to-Fail Airmail Flights

12/09/2022 in DC by Emma Tanner

On May 15, 1918, Lt. George Boyle took off from Potomac Park as the inaugural flight in the United States’ first continuous airmail service. However, hours later, Boyle was climbing out of a crash-landed plane in Waldorf, MD, miles away from his intended destination. But Boyle wasn’t entirely to blame for the airmail’s rocky start – or was he?

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DC
Time Travel in the "Virgin Vault": Washington’s Women’s Boarding House

Time Travel in the "Virgin Vault": Washington’s Women’s Boarding House

11/25/2022 in DC by Emma O'Neill-Dietel

In an imposing brick building at 235 2nd Street, NE on Capitol Hill, time stands still. It is home to over 70 young people living, working, and learning in Washington. This is Thompson-Markward Hall, a boarding house that has been a home for young women in Washington since 1833. But its residents haven’t always been elite graduate students or ladder-climbing interns. Women’s work in Washington has changed dramatically since the 1800s, but Thompson-Markward Hall has remained a necessity.

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DC
Hugo Deffner and the Long Road to Accessibility in Washington

Hugo Deffner and the Long Road to Accessibility in Washington

11/18/2022 in DC by Emma O'Neill-Dietel

Activist Hugo Deffner came to Washington in 1957 to accept an award for his work in promoting accessible architecture. However, he discovered a city entirely inaccessible to wheelchair users and other disabled people. Over the following decades, a combination of tireless activism and legislation transformed Washington into one of the most accessible cities in America.

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Virginia
Beyond the Invitation: Chief Plenty Coups and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Beyond the Invitation: Chief Plenty Coups and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

11/11/2022 in Virginia by Emma Tanner

Many international dignitaries were invited to attend the unknown soldier burial on Armistice Day in 1921, honoring those who had died in anonymity during World War I. However, the invitation of one of these guests, Chief Plenty Coups of the Crow tribe, carried a greater significance. His attendance represented the Native American contribution to the Great War as well as the contentious relationship between Native Americans and the United States government at the turn of the twentieth century. 

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DC
"Say your say, do your thing, stand up and be counted": The First National Black Deaf Advocates Conference

"Say your say, do your thing, stand up and be counted": The First National Black Deaf Advocates Conference

11/04/2022 in DC by Emma O'Neill-Dietel

In June 1981, Black Deaf leaders gathered in Washington to sew the seeds of an organization that would have a profound impact on the Black Deaf community. After centuries of exclusion in both Black and Deaf spaces, organizers came together to make a space of their own. With goals to educate, empower, and strengthen the community, this conference led a call for Black inclusion and leadership in Deaf organizations locally and nationally.

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DC
The Flight and Flop of Washington's Rival Civil War Balloonists

The Flight and Flop of Washington's Rival Civil War Balloonists

10/28/2022 in DC by Emma Tanner

Military leadership, including President Lincoln, saw the potential of military balloons, and the public believed they would change the landscape of the Civil War, aiding the Union’s eventual success. Only two years later though, what would be known as the “Balloon Corps” would be dissolved. So, what ended the use of this promising and successful aerial endeavor?

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DC
The First Sushi Spot in Washington, D.C.

The First Sushi Spot in Washington, D.C.

10/21/2022 in DC by Karis Lee

When Japanese immigrant Kojiro Inoue first moved to the Washington area in 1971, D.C. had some Japanese restaurants but couldn’t boast of any that offered sushi. It was for good reason—hardly anyone seemed interested in the idea of eating raw fish. “Sushi wasn’t popular,” explained Inoue to The Washington Post years later. So when Inoue decided to start a small sushi bar within Sakura Place, a Japanese restaurant in Silver Spring, the endeavor wasn’t without its risks. However, Inoue saw potential.

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DC
Game, Set, Match: How Arthur Ashe Made Tennis Accessible in Washington

Game, Set, Match: How Arthur Ashe Made Tennis Accessible in Washington

10/14/2022 in DC by Emma Tanner

In the 1960s, Arthur Ashe paid a visit to inner-city Washington to participate in a “block party” tennis demonstration. The experience left a lasting impact on him. He would return to Washington and, with the help of friends, create a professional tournament in D.C. which would make the sport more accessible to inner-city African Americans.

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Latest Posts

Metro Mythbusting: Georgetown's Nonexistent Metro Stop

01/20/2023

Metro Mythbusting: Georgetown's Nonexistent Metro Stop

Hulks like Huge Flower Pots: The Ghost Fleet of Mallows Bay

12/16/2022

Hulks like Huge Flower Pots: The Ghost Fleet of Mallows Bay

On a Wing and a Prayer: D.C.’s Destined-to-Fail Airmail Flights

12/09/2022

On a Wing and a Prayer: D.C.’s Destined-to-Fail Airmail Flights

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Boundary Stones explores local history in Washington, D.C., suburban Maryland and northern Virginia. This project is a service of WETA and is supported by contributions from readers like you.

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