1. In 1871, the District of Columbia's first public high school, the M Street High School, opened its doors. The school was later renamed Dunbar High School and became known for its exceptional academic achievements, producing many prominent African-American leaders.

2. On January 11, 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt designated the Grand Canyon as a national monument. The Grand Canyon is a significant natural wonder in the United States and attracts millions of visitors each year.

3. On this day in 1964, the first African-American member of the U.S. House of Representatives from the District of Columbia, Walter E. Fauntroy, was sworn in. Fauntroy served in Congress for 20 years and was a prominent civil rights leader.

4. In 1979, Marion Barry was inaugurated as the mayor of Washington, D.C. Barry was the city's first African-American mayor and served four terms in office before being caught in a drug scandal in 1990.

5. The District of Columbia's Emancipation Day is celebrated on April 16th every year, but on January 11, 2007, the city government officially recognized January 1st as Emancipation Day. This day honors the end of slavery in Washington, D.C. on January 1, 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation went into effect.