1. The District of Columbia was established on February 4, 1791, with the signing of the Residence Act by President George Washington. The act designated a 10-mile square area on the Potomac River to serve as the new capital of the United States.

2. On February 4, 1861, delegates from six southern states met at Willard's Hotel in Washington, D.C., to discuss secession from the Union. The meeting resulted in the formation of the Confederate States of America and the beginning of the Civil War.

3. In 1913, on February 4, suffragettes marched down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., demanding the right to vote. The march was organized by the National American Woman Suffrage Association and helped to increase public support for women's suffrage.

4. On February 4, 1974, Washington, D.C. became the first jurisdiction in the United States to decriminalize marijuana. The D.C. City Council passed a law that reduced the penalty for possessing up to one ounce of marijuana to a $25 fine.

5. In 2004, on February 4, the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. was dedicated. The memorial honors the 16 million Americans who served in the armed forces during World War II and the more than 400,000 who died. It is located on the National Mall, between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial.