1. In 1781, the French General Comte de Rochambeau marched with his army into Washington, D.C., having just defeated the British army at Yorktown. This was a significant moment in the Revolutionary War, and led to the eventual surrender of the British.

2. On September 4, 1814, during the War of 1812, British troops burned down several government buildings, including the U.S. Capitol and the White House. This event is known as the Burning of Washington.

3. In 1886, the Washington Monument was completed after over 40 years of construction. The monument stands at 555 feet tall, making it one of the tallest structures in the city.

4. On September 4, 1922, the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated in a ceremony attended by President Warren G. Harding and former President William Howard Taft. The memorial honors the legacy of President Abraham Lincoln.

5. In 1957, nine African American students were prevented from entering Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas by the National Guard, following a court order to desegregate the school. On September 4, President Eisenhower intervened and ordered federal troops to escort the students into the school, marking a significant moment in the civil rights movement.