List of District of Columbia symbols

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Location of the District of Columbia in the United States Map of USA DC.svg
Location of the District of Columbia in the United States

This is a list of symbols of the District of Columbia.

Contents

Insignia

TypeSymbolAdoptedImageRef.
Flag Flag of the District of Columbia 1938 [1] Flag of the District of Columbia.svg [2]
Seal Seal of the District of Columbia 1871 Seal of the District of Columbia.svg [1]
Coat of arms Coat of arms of the District of Columbia 1871 Coat of arms of the District of Columbia.png
Motto Justitia omnibus
(Latin for "Justice for all")
1871 [1]

Species

TypeSymbolDescriptionAdoptedImageRef.
Bird Wood thrush
(Hylocichla mustelina)
1967 [1] Hylocichla mustelina (cropped).jpg
Crustacean Hay's Spring amphipod
(Stygobromus hayi)
2016 [3]
Dinosaur Capitalsaurus
"Capitalsaurus" is the informal genus name given to a tailbone belonging to a large theropod dinosaur that lived during the Early Cretaceous. It was discovered on January 28, 1898, by construction workers excavating a sewer at the intersection of First and F Streets SE. The only known specimen, it was assigned two different species designations Creosaurus potens and Dryptosaurus potens – and eventually overturned each time. In the 1990s, the paleontologist Peter Kranz asserted that it represented a unique type of dinosaur and assigned it the name "Capitalsaurus". He successfully campaigned through local schools to make "Capitalsaurus" the official dinosaur of Washington, D.C., which became law in 1998. [4] A year later, the district further recognized F Street at the discovery site as Capitalsaurus Court. It designated January 28, 2001, as Capitalsaurus Day. [5] [6]
1998 Capitalsaurus.jpg [7]
Fish American shad
(Alosa sapidissima)
[8] 2016 Dentonshad1904.jpg [3]
Flower 'American Beauty' rose
(Rosa 'American Beauty')
[1]
Fruit Cherry 2006 Cherry Stella444.jpg [9]
Mammal Big brown bat 2020 Flickr - Furryscaly - Smile for the Camera.jpg [10]
Tree Scarlet oak
(Quercus coccinea)
1960 [1] Quercus coccinea Fe1aJPG.jpg

Geology

TypeSymbolDescriptionAdoptedImageRef.
Rock Potomac bluestone Potomac bluestone is a metamorphic rock that has been used extensively in the construction of the District of Columbia. It was used as the foundation of the White House, U.S. Capitol, and Washington Monument. Many old houses in the Northwest quadrant, notably the Old Stone House, are constructed out of the rock.2014 AquiaCreekSandstone.jpg [11]

Culture

TypeSymbolDescriptionAdoptedImageRef.
Beverage Rickey At the place of origin of the cocktail, Jack Evans, a city councillor, and Eleanor Holmes Norton, the House delegate for the district, unveiled a plaque honoring the Rickey. It was proclaimed "Washington, D.C.'s native cocktail". July was also declared as Rickey Month in the district. Various news outlets subsequently described the Rickey as the city's official cocktail. [12] 2011 Gin Rickey.jpg [13]
Dance Hand dancing Hand dancing is a form of swing dance that is derived from the Lindy Hop and the jitterbug. It is characterized by coordinated footwork, spins, and traveling, where the dance partners communicate moves using hand-based connection. Residents of the District of Columbia invented the dance form in the 1950s, but it fell out of favor in the disco era. A Smithsonian Institution exhibit declaring the dance a national art form led to its resurgence in the 1990s. [14] 1999 National Hand Dancing Association July 2011.jpg [15]
March"Our Nation's Capitol" by Anthony A. Mitchell In 1959, Anthony A. Mitchell (pictured), the assistant conductor for the U.S. Navy Band, wrote "Our Nation's Capitol". Robert Enoch McLaughlin, the president of the Board of Commissioners declared it the district's official march in 1961, saying to The Washington Post, "I found it so stirring that for the first time since I left the Naval Academy, I felt like marching." Words were added later by Dixon Redditt. [16] 1961 Anthony A. Mitchell.jpg [17]
Music Go-go Go-go music, a type of funk music with an emphasis on rhythmic patterns and melodic call-and-response sessions, originated within the district's African-American community during the mid-1960s to late-1970s. Chuck Brown (pictured), considered the "godfather of go-go", described it as music with a groovy beat that just "goes and goes", coining the name. Strict curfew laws from the 1980s that targeted youth who attend go-go clubs caused the culture to suffer. [18] Upon recognizing the music as an official symbol, the D.C. Council repealed the curfew laws and required the mayor to develop a preservation plan. [19] 2020 Chuck Brown and his guitar (2005).jpg [19]
Song "Washington" by Jimmie Dodd 1951 The Mickey Mouse Club Mouseketeers Jimmie Dodd 1956.jpg [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington, D.C.</span> Capital city of the United States

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly called Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with Maryland to its north and east. Washington, D.C., was named for George Washington, a Founding Father and the first president of the United States. The district is named for Columbia, the female personification of the nation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">District of Columbia statehood movement</span> Movement to make the United States capital a state

The District of Columbia statehood movement is a political movement that advocates making the District of Columbia a U.S. state, to provide the residents of the District of Columbia with voting representation in the Congress and complete control over local affairs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Council of the District of Columbia</span> Legislative branch of the D.C. government

The Council of the District of Columbia is the legislative branch of the government of the District of Columbia. As permitted in the United States Constitution, the district is not part of any U.S. state and is overseen directly by the federal government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">District of Columbia Home Rule Act</span> 1973 United States law devolving powers to a D.C. local government

The District of Columbia Home Rule Act is a United States federal law passed on December 24, 1973, which devolved certain congressional powers of the District of Columbia to local government, furthering District of Columbia home rule. In particular, it includes the District Charter, which provides for an elected mayor and the Council of the District of Columbia. The council is composed of a chair elected at large and twelve members, four of whom are elected at large, and one from each of the District's eight wards. Council members are elected to four-year terms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">District of Columbia home rule</span> Autonomous rule in the United States capital

District of Columbia home rule is the District of Columbia residents' ability to govern their local affairs. As the federal capital, the Constitution grants the United States Congress exclusive jurisdiction over the District in "all cases whatsoever".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">District of Columbia retrocession</span> Return of some land of the District of Columbia to Virginia

District of Columbia retrocession is the act of returning some or all of the land that had been ceded to the federal government of the United States for the purpose of creating its federal district for the new national capital, which was moved from Philadelphia to what was then called the City of Washington in 1800. The land was originally ceded to the federal government by Virginia and Maryland in 1790. After moving through various stages of federal and state approval, the Virginia portion was returned in March 1847.

The District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) is the local public school system for Washington, D.C. It is distinct from the District of Columbia Public Charter Schools (DCPCS), which governs public charter schools in the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Mendelson</span> American politician from Washington, D.C

Philip Heath Mendelson is an American politician from Washington, D.C. He is currently Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia, elected by the Council on June 13, 2012, following the resignation of Kwame R. Brown. He was elected to serve the remainder of Brown's term in a citywide special election on November 6, 2012, and re-elected to a full term in 2014 and 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rickey (cocktail)</span> Highball drink made from gin or bourbon

The Rickey is a highball made from gin or bourbon, lime juice, and carbonated water. Little or no sugar is added to the rickey. It was created with bourbon in 1883 by bartender Jared Bangura in Danvers, Massachusetts, at Rand Circle, purportedly in collaboration with Democratic lobbyist Colonel Joe Rickey. Its popularity increased when made with gin a decade later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National World War I Memorial (Washington, D.C.)</span> U.S. national memorial in Washington, D.C.

The National World War I Memorial is a national memorial commemorating the service rendered by members of the United States Armed Forces in World War I. The 2015 National Defense Authorization Act authorized the World War I Centennial Commission to build the memorial in Pershing Park, located at 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. The park, which has existed since 1981, also contains the John J. Pershing General of the Armies commemorative work. In January 2016, the design commission selected the submission "The Weight of Sacrifice", by a team consisting of Joseph Weishaar, Sabin Howard, Phoebe Lickwar, and GWWO Architects, as the winning design, which is expected to be completed by 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Evans (Washington, D.C., politician)</span> Washington, D.C. politician

John K. Evans III is an American lawyer and politician who served on the Council of the District of Columbia from 1991 to 2020 before resigning due to numerous ethics violations. Evans served as the chairman of the board of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) until its ethics committee found he violated conflict of interest rules. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented Ward 2 of Washington, D.C. from May 1991 to January 2020, making him the D.C. Council's longest-serving lawmaker. He ran for Mayor in 1998 and 2014, but lost in the Democratic primary both times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">District of Columbia Organic Act of 1871</span> Act of Congress

The District of Columbia Organic Act of 1871 is an Act of Congress that repealed the individual charters of the cities of Washington and Georgetown and established a new territorial government for the whole District of Columbia. Though Congress repealed the territorial government in 1874, the legislation was the first to create a single municipal government for the federal district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muriel Bowser</span> Mayor of the District of Columbia since 2015

Muriel Elizabeth Bowser is an American politician who has served as the mayor of the District of Columbia since 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously represented the 4th ward as a member of the Council of the District of Columbia from 2007 to 2015. She is the second female mayor of the District of Columbia after Sharon Pratt, and the first woman to be reelected to that position.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of the District of Columbia</span> Municipal government in the United States

The District of Columbia has a mayor–council government that operates under Article One of the United States Constitution and the District of Columbia Home Rule Act. The Home Rule Act devolves certain powers of the United States Congress to the local government, which consists of a mayor and a 13-member council. However, Congress retains the right to review and overturn laws created by the council and intervene in local affairs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in the District of Columbia</span>

In the District of Columbia, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people enjoy the same rights as non-LGBT people. Along with the rest of the country, the District of Columbia recognizes and allows same-sex marriages. The percentage of same-sex households in the District of Columbia in 2008 was at 1.8%, the highest in the nation. This number had grown to 4.2% by early 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mayor of the District of Columbia</span> Head of the executive branch of the D.C. government

The mayor of the District of Columbia is the head of the executive branch of the government of the District of Columbia. The mayor has the duty to enforce district laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the D.C. Council. In addition, the mayor oversees all district services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and the district public school system. The mayor's office oversees an annual district budget of $8.8 billion. The mayor's executive office is located in the John A. Wilson Building in Downtown Washington, D.C. The mayor appoints several officers, including the deputy mayors for Education and Planning & Economic Development, the district administrator, the chancellor of the district's public schools, and the department heads of the district agencies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Attorney General for the District of Columbia</span> Chief legal officer of Washington, D.C.

The attorney general for the District of Columbia is the chief legal officer of the District of Columbia. While attorneys general previously were appointed by the mayor, District of Columbia voters approved a charter amendment in 2010 that made the office an elected position beginning in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Washington, D.C., statehood referendum</span> District of Columbia referendum in support of becoming a U.S. state

A referendum on statehood for the District of Columbia was held on November 8, 2016. It was the first referendum on statehood to be held in the district. The District of Columbia was created following the passage of the Residence Act on July 9, 1790, which approved the creation of a national capital, the City of Washington on the Potomac River.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 District of Columbia. "DC Symbols" . Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  2. Code of the District of Columbia § 1–151.
  3. 1 2 Fisheries and Wildlife Omnibus Amendment Act of 2016 (D.C. Law 21-282). Council of the District of Columbia. May 19, 2017. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  4. Official Dinosaur Act of 1998 (D.C. Law 12-155). Council of the District of Columbia. September 30, 1998. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  5. Black, Riley (December 28, 2010). "'Capitalsaurus,' a D.C. Dinosaur". Smithsonian . Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  6. Designation of Capitalsaurus Court and Technical Correction Amendment Act of 1999 (D.C. Law 13-41). Council of the District of Columbia. October 20, 1999. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  7. Official Dinosaur Act of 1998 (D.C. Law 12-155). Council of the District of Columbia. September 30, 1998. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  8. "Fishing in the district". DOEE. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  9. Official Fruit of the District of Columbia Act of 2006 (D.C. Law 16-171). Council of the District of Columbia. September 29, 2006. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  10. Big Brown Bat Official State Mammal Designation Act of 2020 (D.C. Law 23-160). Council of the District of Columbia. December 23, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  11. DC Rocks, So We Need One Act of 2014 (D.C. Law 20-220). Council of the District of Columbia. March 11, 2015. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  12. For example:
  13. Rickey Recognition Resolution of 2011 (Resolution ACR19-0097). Council of the District of Columbia. September 2, 2011. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  14. Johnson, Rebecca. "Raising a Hand for D.C. Dance Tradition". The American Observer. 9 (7). American University. Archived from the original on November 6, 2004. Retrieved September 4, 2008.
  15. Hand Dancing Is the Official Dance of the District of Columbia Resolution of 1999 (Resolution ACR13-225). Council of the District of Columbia. December 7, 1999. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  16. Kelly, John (June 6, 2010). "Dreaming of Taking the District by Song" . The Washington Post . Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  17. Schudel, Matt (March 29, 2009). "He Served His Country With Music". The Washington Post . Retrieved February 7, 2012.
  18. Lang, Marissa J. (February 19, 2020). "Go-go Is Signed into Law as the Official Music of D.C." . The Washington Post . Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  19. 1 2 Go-Go Official Music of the District of Columbia Designation Act of 2020 (D.C. Law 23-71). Council of the District of Columbia. April 11, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  20. Kelly, John (May 30, 2010). "In 1950s, Jimmie Dodd's 'Washington' Won Contest to Be District's Official Song" . The Washington Post . Retrieved December 31, 2022.