| Sunday, September 28, 2008 |
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| The White House, Washington, DC |
SpotlightWhen it was time to choose a capital city for the original Thirteen Colonies of the United States, President George Washington proposed building a capital on a plot of land that lay on the Potomac River, between Maryland and Virginia. The District of Columbia became the seat of the US federal government, run by a council appointed by US Congress. Though they have always paid federal taxes and served in the military, residents of Washington, DC, only became eligible to vote in national elections with the passage of the 23rd Amendment to the Constitution in 1961. On this date in 1967, Walter Washington was appointed as the District of Columbia's first mayor. He went on to become Washington's first elected mayor in 1974.
Question of the DayWhat was the US capital before Washington, DC?
The first capital city of the United States was New York City. This is where Congress met and where George Washington took the oath of office as our first president. In 1791, the capital was moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for ten years and then to its present site of Washington, DC.
Word of the daydraconian
adj.
Exceedingly harsh; very severe: a draconian legal code; draconian budget cuts.
[After DRACO.]
What do you have to do to be an eponym? This week we'll look at some words that are based on the names of people who have left their mark; in some cases, the words are better-known than the people.
Today's History
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| William the Conqueror |
- Norman conquest of England: began, as William the Conqueror of Normandy landed at Pevensey (1066)
- Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo: landed at San Diego Bay becoming the first European to visit California (1542)
- RU 486: abortion pill was approved for US use by the Food and Drug Administration (2000)
Today's Birthdays
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| Naomi Watts |
- Georges Clemenceau (1841-1929): premier of France's Third Republic
- Al Capp (1909-1979): cartoonist who created Li'l Abner
- Steve Largent (54): NFL hall-of-famer; other athletes born on this date include Avery Brundage (1887-1975), Alice Marble (1913-1990), Tom Harmon (1919-1990), Grant Fuhr (46) and Se Ri Pak (31)
- Naomi Watts (40): actor, The Ring, Eastern Promises; also, actors and TV personalities Ed Sullivan (1901-1974), William Windom (85), Marcello Mastroianni (1924-1996), Brigitte Bardot (74), Sylvia Kristel (56), Janeane Garofalo (44), Mira Sorvino and Moon Zappa (both 41), Gwyneth Paltrow (36), Bam Margera (29) and Hilary Duff (21)
