Skip to main content
RETURN TO Return to WETA website Donate
Boundary Stones logo

Main navigation

  • Washington, D.C.
  • Maryland
  • Virginia
  • Video
  • About

1960s

DC
A Washington Landmark: Ben’s Chili Bowl

A Washington Landmark: Ben’s Chili Bowl

12/06/2017 in DC by Emily Robinson

According to co-founder Virginia Ali, Ben’s Chili Bowl has never been “your typical restaurant.” Unlike other diners of the 1950s, Virginia’s husband Ben thought “Washington might be hungry for the kind of spicy dishes he had known while growing up in the Caribbean,” and so he created his own recipe for chili con carne—which remains a closely guarded family secret. A unique element of the restaurant at the beginning, was that “Ben’s spicy chili was served only atop hot dogs, half-smokes or hamburgers,” and not by the bowl as the place’s name would suggest. Ben’s invention of the chili half-smoke quickly become D.C.’s staple food item, and for the next 20 years, loyal Washingtonians overcame a slew of significant obstacles to get their fix.

  • Share by Facebook
  • Share by Twitter
  • Share by Email

Read More

DC
Creating a National Culture Center

Creating a National Culture Center

11/28/2017 in DC by Emily Robinson

At 7 p.m. on November 29 , 1962, 5,000 Washingtonians dressed in black ties and furs arrived at the D.C. National Guard Armory for a $100-a-plate dinner, and fundraising show titled An American Pageant of the Arts. President and Mrs. Kennedy started the event by addressing the crowd about the importance of the arts in fostering American culture and a healthy democracy. Afterward, the master of ceremonies, Leonard Bernstein, took over and the 2 hour and 43-minute show, featuring some of the greatest performers in music, literature, and comedy, began. The variety show kicked off a $30 million fundraising initiative to raise money for the construction of a National Cultural Center on the bank of the Potomac.

  • Share by Facebook
  • Share by Twitter
  • Share by Email

Read More

DC
That Time Bob Hope Almost Bought the Washington Senators

That Time Bob Hope Almost Bought the Washington Senators

11/17/2017 in DC by Mark Jones

Bob Hope was no stranger to Washington. The comic was well-traveled and visited the nation’s capital numerous times for performances and events particularly through his work with the U.S.O. Hope and his wife Delores also periodically came to town to visit their son, Tony, who was a student at Georgetown University in the early 1960s and, later, a Washington attorney and lobbyist. In 1968, however, Hope was angling for a more permanent connection to the District when the Washington Senators baseball club went up for sale.

  • Share by Facebook
  • Share by Twitter
  • Share by Email

Read More

Virginia
Whatever Happened to the Flower Girl?

Whatever Happened to the Flower Girl?

08/30/2017 in Virginia by Richard Brownell

The Vietnam War left a number of indelible images burned in our collective psyche, but few encapsulated the anti-war movement here at home more than Marc Riboud's 1967 photograph of a flower girl standing before a row of bayonet-wielding soldiers in front of the Pentagon. Amazingly, despite the attention the photo garnered, the young woman, Jan Rose Kasmir, didn't know it existed for almost 20 years.

  • Share by Facebook
  • Share by Twitter
  • Share by Email

Read More

DC
The Great White Hope at 50: Making All D.C. a Stage

The Great White Hope at 50: Making All D.C. a Stage

06/15/2017 in DC by Jacob Kaplan

It’s Washington in 1967, and the District’s old reputation as a sleepy, southern city is being squashed by the feet of Vietnam War protesters and the voices of Washingtonians calling for racial equality. That same year, local theatre Arena Stage announced that, on December 12, it would be putting on the world premiere of Howard Sackler’s play, The Great White Hope. At the time of its production, the play was completely unknown. No one would have imagined that 50 years later, the production of the now-Tony-winning show would go down in history as one of the most influential moments in shaping the political and cultural landscape of Washington in the 1960s. 
 

  • Share by Facebook
  • Share by Twitter
  • Share by Email

Read More

DC
When Carl Bernstein Reviewed 'Sgt. Pepper'

When Carl Bernstein Reviewed 'Sgt. Pepper'

06/05/2017 in DC by Nick Scalera

It's been over 50 years since the release of the Beatles' groundbreaking Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, lauded as the first "concept" album and perennially on critics' lists of the best of all time. There has also been a good deal of recent reflection on the Watergate scandal and the role of Washington Post journalists Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, who broke the story that brought down an American president in 1974. But did you know there is a local connection between these seemingly disparate yet historically-significant events?

  • Share by Facebook
  • Share by Twitter
  • Share by Email

Read More

DC
John Layton, the M.P.D., and the 1968 Washington Riots

John Layton, the M.P.D., and the 1968 Washington Riots

04/04/2017 in DC by Richard Brownell

By the time John Layton was named Metropolitan Police Chief in 1964, there was a well-established undercurrent of hostility between the Police Department and Washington's inner city African American community. Layton added resources to the Community Relations Unit and promoted the first African American to the rank of Captain. He created a Public Information Division to better coordinate communications with the public and the media. And, in an effort to recognize the African American community’s complaints about police brutality and harassment, the chief went on record that the Metropolitan police department would not rely on lethal force should they need to put down a riot.

Layton’s actions were put to the test on April 4, 1968. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, TN that day, and when word reached Washington, D.C., angry crowds began gathering in the streets.

  • Share by Facebook
  • Share by Twitter
  • Share by Email

Read More

DC
Remembering the First Smithsonian Folklife Festival

Remembering the First Smithsonian Folklife Festival

11/15/2016 in DC by Lila Spitz

In January 1967, after just a few months on the job as the Smithsonian's Director of Museum Services, Jim Morris had an idea. What if the Smithsonian were to put on an outdoor festival in Washington to exhibit and celebrate folk traditions from around the nation? 

  • Share by Facebook
  • Share by Twitter
  • Share by Email

Read More

DC
Wolf Trap Captures the Hearts of the DMV

Wolf Trap Captures the Hearts of the DMV

10/14/2016 in DC by Benjamin Shaw

Today, Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts is a mainstay of Washington, D.C.’s cultural life. The park’s large outdoor auditorium and beautiful green space play host to a variety of performers. However, 50 years ago, some politicians questioned whether it was a wise decision for the government to accept the land gift from Catherine Filene Shouse and build the performing arts center.

  • Share by Facebook
  • Share by Twitter
  • Share by Email

Read More

DC
The Jeannette Rankin Brigade

The Jeannette Rankin Brigade

08/24/2016 in DC by Lafayette Matthews

In 1916, Jeannette Rankin made history as the first woman elected to Congress. A renowned pacifist, Rankin was the only member of Congress to vote against U.S. involvement in World War II. At age 87, Rankin made one final push for peace by leading an anti-Vietnam march: the Jeannette Rankin Brigade.

  • Share by Facebook
  • Share by Twitter
  • Share by Email

Read More

Pagination

  • First page «
  • Previous page ‹‹
  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Current page 3
  • Page 4
  • Page 5
  • …
  • Next page ››
  • Last page »
Surprise Me!

Not sure where to start reading? Let us pick a story for you!

Categories

  • DC (565)
  • Maryland (106)
  • Virginia (146)

Latest Posts

"DC" Really Stands for Demon Cat... Which Haunts the U.S. Capitol

03/17/2023

"DC" Really Stands for Demon Cat... Which Haunts the U.S. Capitol

From the Mixed-Up Files of the Smithsonian Museum of American History: The Heist of 1981

03/10/2023

From the Mixed-Up Files of the Smithsonian Museum of American History: The Heist of 1981

The "Capitalsaurus": How a Dinosaur That Never Existed Became an Official Mascot of D.C.

03/03/2023

The "Capitalsaurus": How a Dinosaur That Never Existed Became an Official Mascot of D.C.

Most Popular

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

11/25/2022

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

GALA Hispanic Theatre: Celebrating Latin American Culture in the Arts

07/12/2022

GALA Hispanic Theatre: Celebrating Latin American Culture in the Arts

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

11/11/2022

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

Tags

1860s1870s1890s1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990sAlexandriaArlingtonBlack HistoryBygone DCCivil WarGeorgetownMusic HistorySports HistoryWhite HouseWomen's HistoryWorld War IWorld War II
More
Historical D.C. Metro Map
Tweets by BoundaryStones
WETA

Footer menu

  • Support WETA
  • About WETA
  • Press Room
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletter
  • RSS
  • Accessibility

Contact Us

  • 3939 Campbell Avenue
    Arlington, VA 22206 | Map
  • 703-998-2600
  • boundarystones@weta.org

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

About Boundary Stones

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.

DONATE

Copyright © 2023 WETA. All Rights Reserved.

Bottom Footer

  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Guidelines