1. On July 30, 1866, Congress passed an act granting suffrage to African-American men in the District of Columbia. This marked an important step towards equal voting rights for all citizens and was a precursor to the 15th amendment to the US Constitution.

2. In 1912, the first electric streetcar rode down Connecticut Avenue in Washington, D.C. This was a major innovation in transportation and helped make the city more accessible to residents and visitors alike.

3. On July 30, 1945, President Harry Truman signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act, which provided funding for the construction of the interstate highway system. This transformative project helped connect cities and states across the United States and changed the way Americans travel.

4. In 1965, a riot broke out in the predominantly African-American neighborhood of Columbia Heights in Washington, D.C. The unrest was sparked by tensions between residents and police, and it is remembered as a pivotal moment in the history of civil rights activism in the city.

5. On July 30, 1971, John Hinckley Jr. attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan outside the Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. The shooting sparked a national conversation about gun control and mental health, and it remains one of the most high-profile acts of political violence in American history.