1. In 1861, President-elect Abraham Lincoln arrived in Washington, D.C. for his inauguration, amid high tensions and fears of assassination plots.

2. On February 23, 1867, Congress passed the Reconstruction Acts, which aimed to rebuild and integrate the Southern states and ensure equal rights for African Americans.

3. In 1921, the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C. on February 23, with a ceremony attended by President Warren G. Harding and other dignitaries.

4. On February 23, 1945, African American soldiers from the 369th Infantry Regiment, known as the "Harlem Hellfighters," fought in their final battle of World War II in the Vosges Mountains of France.

5. In 1981, on February 23, the District of Columbia officially recognized the birthday of civil rights leader and activist, Malcolm X, as a holiday. The day is celebrated annually as Malcolm X Day.