1. The bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, had a significant impact on Washington, D.C. President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared war on Japan, and the city went into a state of emergency with increased security measures.

2. John Lennon, member of the Beatles, was shot and killed outside his apartment on December 7, 1980. The murder occurred in New York City, but the event shocked and saddened many in D.C. and around the world.

3. The Washington, D.C. Metro opened its first rail line on December 7, 1976. The initial line ran from Rhode Island Avenue to Farragut North and included five stations.

4. On December 7, 1964, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc. v. United States that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was constitutional. The act prohibited racial discrimination in public accommodations, including hotels and motels.

5. On December 7, 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C. The wall, designed by Maya Lin, bears the names of over 58,000 Americans who died in the Vietnam War. It has since become one of the most visited memorials in the city.