POPULATION: 672,228 (Federal District) | 5,949,859 (Metro) | TIME ZONE: Eastern | CLIMATE: Humid subtropical (Four distinct seasons, hot and humid summer, warm spring and fall, chilly winter)
With so much extraordinary Washington D.C. history, it’s easy to lose track of the football huddle. But yes, this is where it was invented. And yes, there are other stories about where the huddle originated. But Washingtonians get to claim the earliest story, dating back to the 1890s and Gallaudet College (now Gallaudet University). A school for the deaf and hard of hearing, the Gallaudet team wanted a way to prevent the opposing team from reading their sign language between plays. Paul Hubbard, Gallaudet’s quarterback, began bringing the team together in a tight circle so they could discuss plays in private. There ya go. Huddle.
So what is a District of Columbia and how did it all begin? Well, in school we don’t typically learn of the Pennsylvania Mutiny of 1783. It was a protest by 400 ticked-off Continental Army soldiers demanding pay. Under the law, the new Federal Government had no jurisdiction over the army except in times of war. Armies were controlled by the states. And right then, the state of Pennsylvania refused to protect Congress. So Congress left Philly and headed for Princeton. In 1788, James Madison argued that the Federal Government needed a national capital independent of any state so it could provide for its own upkeep and defense.
NICKNAME(S)
D.C.
Capital City
The American Rome
City of Magnificent Intentions
The Federal City
Hollywood for Ugly People
Nation's Capital
MOTTO
Justitia Omnibus (Justice for all)
RANDOM SONG ABOUT THE CITY
“Washington D.C.” by Jimmy Newman
PRO SPORTS TEAMS
Washington Redskins (NFL)
Washington Nationals (MLB)
Washington Wizards (NBA)
Washington Capitals (NHL)
D.C United (MLS)
Washington D.C. Slayers (ANRL)
Washington Mystics (WNBA)
D.C. Diva (IWFL)
ALSO KNOWN FOR…
The White House
The Nation’s Capital
Monuments galore
Museums galore
Historical sites galore
Tourists galore gawking at monuments, museums and historical sites
More rain than Seattle
The invention of the football huddle
Ben’s Chili Bowl
The Baltimore Ravens (yes, they’re a thing here)
Bao Bao The Panda
George Mason University, Georgetown University and Howard University
One-fifth of the city is parks and green space
North America’s only Leonardo da Vinci painting
Ranked as a state, the smallest population in the country
Cherry Trees
Ethiopian food
Half smokes
Mumbo sauce
Bill Nye, Alexander Graham Bell, Helen Hayes, Louis C.K., Taraji Henson, Ana Gasteyer, Dave Chappelle, Peter Tork, Johnny Gill, Connie Chung, William Hurt, Henry Rollins, Robert E. Lee, Mike Tyson, Walt Whitman, Benjamin Oliver Davis, Billy Eckstine, Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll Morton, John Philip Sousa