Articles

Years after the 1931 federal conviction for tax evasion that put Al "Scarface" Capone in prison and ended his career as Chicago's most feared mobster, he was known to complain bitterly about the man whose vendetta, in Capone's view, had put him behind bars. "That bastard Hoover," Capone would rant. But he suprisingly, he wasn't talking about FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, who, despite his heavily-hyped reputation as a gangster nemesis, had little to do with Capone's demise. Instead, Capone saw his true mortal enemy as President Herbert Hoover. And unlike most of the people who harbor grudges against Presidents, Capone actually was right. 

In the 1950s, Washington seems to have been a popular destination for UFOs. Two popular science fiction movies, 1951's The Day the Earth Stood Still and 1956's Earth Vs the Flying Saucers, depicted alien spacecraft arriving in the nation's capital, to the consternation of both residents and the government. But those close encounters may have seemed a bit more plausible, given that the Washington area also was the scene of one of the most celebrated real-life UFO incidents ever — one that still intrigues those who ponder the possiblity of extraterrestrial visits to Earth.

When John Tayloe III was looking to build a winter home, his personal friend George Washington suggested the District. Tayloe commissioned William Thornton, who designed the Capitol building and Thornton designed an impressive home, which fit neatly into the triangle lot it was situated on at 18th St. and New York Ave, NW. The layout of the building is quite imaginative, but today the house is not just known for its architecture. It's also known for the spirits that are said to linger on in the residence.

Before D.C. United became a mainstay in the District's sports scene, the Washington Diplomats tried—and failed—to make soccer stick in the capital. With flashy signings, fleeting glory, and a fan base that never quite caught fire, the Dips’ story is a cautionary tale of ambition, mismanagement, and the long road to soccer success in D.C.

Precision, discipline, and reverence—every 21 steps taken by the Tomb Guards at Arlington National Cemetery is a tribute to sacrifice. Discover the history and powerful symbolism behind their silent vigil, the elite training it takes to earn the badge, and why this sacred duty is one of the military’s highest honors.

The 1964 Freedom Summer movement in Mississippi does not generally conjure up images of the nation’s capital. But a few of the organizers had strong ties to the District and helped advance a bold crusade to register Black voters in Mississippi, risking violence and arrest to challenge Jim Crow.

This year's FIFA World Cup has produced some exciting matches. But one of the most thrilling goals in World Cup history actually was scored at Washington's RFK Stadium back in 1994, when the U.S. hosted the global tournament for the first time ever. 

In June 1960, a biracial contingent of college students from the Non‑Violent Action Group staged sit‑ins at Arlington lunch counters—facing taunts, arrests, and even a counter‑demonstration by American Nazi Party leader George Lincoln Rockwell. Their persistence forced local stores to integrate within days and marked a major victory in the local civil rights movement.

After a decade-long fight, Frederick Douglass became the first figure to represent the District of Columbia inside the U.S. Capitol—an emblematic victory that forced Congress to confront D.C.’s long struggle for recognition and equal representation.

The sudden death of Maryland star Len Bias on June 19, 1986, just two days after the 1986 NBA draft, shocked a campus and the nation, sparking grief, reforms at the university, and a harsh national drug policy debate that still resonates today.

On a sweltering August night in 1957, Washington’s National Theatre hosted a glittering crowd of senators, ambassadors, and VIPs for the pre-Broadway premiere of West Side Story. It was enough to make any composer nervous, but behind the velvet curtain, composer Leonard Bernstein was strangely calm.

Before Brazil’s bossa nova swept the globe, its breakout moment happened in a DC church basement. Discover how a chance meeting, a cultural exchange tour, and a three-hour recording session turned Jazz Samba into a Grammy-winning sensation—and made Washington, not Rio, the unlikely launchpad of a musical revolution.