1. In 1960, the John F. Kennedy campaign held a rally at the Washington Coliseum in D.C. on October 26. The event was attended by 14,000 people, and it featured speeches by Kennedy and his running mate, Lyndon B. Johnson.

2. On October 26, 1979, President Jimmy Carter signed legislation establishing the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta, Georgia. The site includes King's childhood home, the church where he was a pastor, and his tomb.

3. In 1994, the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History reopened after a $84 million renovation. The museum, which first opened in 1964, features exhibits that showcase the history of the United States.

4. On this day in 2001, the United States Congress passed the USA PATRIOT Act in response to the September 11 attacks. The controversial law expanded the government's surveillance and investigative powers in order to fight terrorism.

5. In 2010, the D.C. City Council approved a new set of gun laws that allowed residents to carry concealed weapons. The legislation was a response to a Supreme Court decision in 2008 that struck down the city's strict gun ban.