1. On February 13, 1801, the District of Columbia was officially designated as the federal capital of the United States. This decision was made by President John Adams and the U.S. Congress after years of debate and negotiation.

2. In 1943, February 13 marked the beginning of a major strike by African American transit workers in Washington, D.C. The strike, which lasted several days, was in response to discriminatory treatment by the Capital Transit Company.

3. On February 13, 1965, the Malcolm X Day Committee organized a massive rally at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to honor the civil rights leader who had been assassinated the previous year.

4. In 2008, February 13 marked the opening of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture. The museum is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the history and achievements of African Americans.

5. February 13, 1982 saw the tragic crash of Air Florida Flight 90 into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. The accident resulted in the deaths of 74 passengers and crew members, as well as four motorists on the bridge. The incident remains one of the deadliest aviation accidents in U.S. history.