1. On December 23, 1783, George Washington resigned his commission as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army in the Maryland State House in Annapolis, Maryland. This marked a pivotal moment in American history, as Washington's humble act of handing over his military power to Congress helped establish the precedent of civilian control over the military.

2. In 1854, the Washington Territorial Legislature passed a bill establishing the University of Washington in Seattle. The university would go on to become one of the most prestigious public research institutions in the country, known for its groundbreaking work in fields such as medicine, engineering, and computer science.

3. On December 23, 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt designated the Grand Coulee area in eastern Washington as a national forest reserve. The area, which encompasses the Grand Coulee Dam and a large stretch of the Columbia River, has since become a major source of hydroelectric power in the region.

4. In 1972, two members of the radical leftist group Weather Underground were arrested in Seattle on charges of robbery and possession of explosives. The group, which had ties to other radical organizations such as the Black Panthers and the Symbionese Liberation Army, was known for its use of violent tactics to further its political agenda.

5. December 23, 2011 marked the end of the Iraq War, which had begun in 2003 with the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Over the course of the war, tens of thousands of American soldiers were deployed to the Middle East, and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis were killed or injured. The end of the war was a controversial and emotional moment in American history, with many questioning the purpose and effectiveness of the conflict.