1. In 1814, British forces burned down the White House and other government buildings during the War of 1812. President James Madison and his wife Dolly fled the city and watched the destruction from across the Potomac River.

2. In 1864, the largest engagement of the Civil War in the District of Columbia took place at Fort Stevens. President Abraham Lincoln visited the fort and was nearly hit by Confederate fire.

3. In 1963, thousands of people gathered on the National Mall for a civil rights rally and the famous "I Have a Dream" speech by Martin Luther King Jr.

4. In 1979, Mother Teresa, the Catholic nun known for her work with the poor and sick, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in a ceremony at the US Capitol building.

5. In 2000, the US Navy unveiled the USS District of Columbia, a nuclear-powered submarine named in honor of the nation's capital. The submarine was designed to carry out a variety of missions, including intelligence gathering and special operations.