1. In 1965, the Voting Rights Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. This landmark legislation prohibited racial discrimination in voting, and was a major victory for the Civil Rights Movement.

2. August 6, 1861 marked the beginning of the Civil War in the District of Columbia. Confederate soldiers cased the city, resulting in a 24-hour skirmish near the Washington Navy Yard.

3. On August 6, 1926, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) was formed. The company's flagship station, WRC, was located in Washington, D.C. and became one of the first radio stations in the country.

4. The DC Metro's Red Line was extended on August 6, 1978, with the addition of five new stations serving the Silver Spring area of Maryland.

5. August 6th is celebrated as National Root Beer Float Day in the United States. The popular drink, made with root beer and vanilla ice cream, is said to have originated in Cripple Creek, Colorado in 1893.