1. On August 12, 1812, British troops entered Washington, D.C. and burned down several government buildings, including the White House and the Capitol Building, during the War of 1812.

2. The Washington Monument, located on the National Mall, was completed on August 12, 1884, after nearly 40 years of construction.

3. On August 12, 1960, Washington, D.C. hosted the Democratic National Convention, where John F. Kennedy was officially nominated as the Democratic Party's candidate for President of the United States.

4. August 12, 1978, marked the opening of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, which features a vast collection of artifacts and exhibits related to aviation and space exploration.

5. In more recent history, on August 12, 2017, a white supremacist rally took place in Charlottesville, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C. The rally resulted in violence and the death of a counter-protester, sparking national debate about race relations and the rise of hate groups in the United States.