Here are five interesting facts about October 25 in District of Columbia history, as follows:

1. In 1859, the abolitionist John Brown and his group, attempting to seize the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, were captured by U.S. Marines led by Lieutenant Colonel Robert E. Lee. The event was seen as a precursor to the American Civil War, in which Brown was hanged for treason.

2. In 1881, the cornerstone of what is now the National Museum of Natural History was laid on the National Mall. The museum, which contains over 145 million specimens, exhibits and artifacts, opened its doors to the public in 1910.

3. In 1912, Democratic Party candidate Woodrow Wilson gave a campaign speech in the District of Columbia, during which he called for a "New Freedom" that would break the grip of monopolies on the economy and give workers more rights. Wilson went on to win the presidential election that year.

4. In 1971, the White House "Plumbers" were indicted for their role in the burglaries of the Democratic Party campaign headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C. The scandal led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon in 1974 and a wave of reforms to prevent abuses of power by the executive branch.

5. In 2011, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the first major memorial dedicated to an African American on the National Mall, was dedicated in Washington, D.C. The memorial honors King's legacy as a civil rights leader and features a 30-foot-tall sculpture of the activist.