1. The Lincoln Memorial was dedicated on November 17, 1922. It was dedicated by President Warren G. Harding and included speeches by Robert Todd Lincoln, the son of President Abraham Lincoln, and African American scholar W.E.B. DuBois.

2. On November 17, 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis ended after Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev agreed to remove the Soviet missiles from Cuba. This crisis brought the world closer to nuclear war than any other event in history.

3. The first National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse was lit on November 17, 1923, by President Calvin Coolidge. This tree lighting ceremony has become a tradition and is still held every year.

4. The Washington D.C. Metro system first opened on November 17, 1976. The first line opened with just five stations, but has since expanded to over 90 stations and serves the entire D.C. metropolitan area.

5. On November 17, 1800, the United States Congress moved to Washington D.C. from Philadelphia, marking the official establishment of the U.S. capital. The move was made possible by the newly built Capitol building, which still stands today as a symbol of American democracy.