1. In 1870, the Constitution of the District of Columbia was adopted, establishing a form of government for the nation's capital.

2. On February 8, 1894, the first pulse dial telephones were installed in Washington, D.C. The new technology allowed users to make calls by dialing a number instead of using an operator.

3. In 1965, the National Academy of Sciences was established in D.C. by an act of Congress. The academy is a private, nonprofit organization that provides scientific advice to the government.

4. On this day in 1971, the Watergate burglars were convicted in a D.C. court. The burglary of the Democratic National Committee headquarters led to a scandal that eventually led to President Richard Nixon's resignation.

5. In 2010, a record-breaking snowstorm hit Washington, D.C., dumping over two feet of snow on the city. The storm, dubbed "Snowmageddon," caused widespread power outages and travel disruptions.