1. On April 19, 1861, the Baltimore Riot of 1861 occurred, in which a mob attacked Union troops traveling through the city on their way to Washington, D.C. This event is considered one of the first major incidents of the American Civil War.

2. In 1927, the Academy of American Franciscan History was established in Washington, D.C. The organization is dedicated to promoting the study of the history of the Franciscan order in the United States.

3. On April 19, 1950, the National Football League (NFL) held its first draft in Washington, D.C. The draft took place at the Hotel Statler and was broadcast on radio.

4. In 1971, the opening ceremony for the March for Survival was held in Washington, D.C. The march was organized by Native American activists to draw attention to long-standing issues of poverty, discrimination, and lack of sovereignty facing Native communities.

5. On April 19, 1981, the first DC Emancipation Day celebration was held in Washington, D.C. The holiday commemorates the day in 1862 when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Compensated Emancipation Act, which freed thousands of slaves in the District of Columbia.