1. On July 12, 1984, Walter Fauntroy became the first non-voting delegate to Congress from the District of Columbia. Fauntroy, a civil rights leader and pastor, served in this role until 1991.

2. The city of Washington, D.C. was officially incorporated on July 12, 1871. Prior to this, it had been governed by a board of commissioners appointed by Congress.

3. On July 12, 1864, during the American Civil War, Confederate forces under the command of General Jubal Early attacked Fort Stevens in D.C. This was the only time that the city itself came under direct attack during the war.

4. In 2012, the District of Columbia became the sixth jurisdiction in the U.S. to legalize same-sex marriage. The Marriage Equality Act, which took effect on July 12 of that year, granted marriage rights to all same-sex couples in the city.

5. On July 12, 2004, the world's largest convention center, the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, opened in Washington, D.C. The center spans 2.3 million square feet and can accommodate up to 42,000 attendees.