George Washington, more than 212 years after his death, is still one of the most dreaded people in British history, according to a poll that asked museum-goers to vote for Britain's greatest wartime enemy. more ›

Just like that guy who takes a little more than is socially acceptable at the hotel breakfast buffet (dry cereal or oatmeal, dude -- just pick one and live with it), Virginia isn't satisfied with only celebrating one holiday on the second Monday in October. Today in the Commonwealth is also Yorktown Victory Day, which serves to celebrate the Colonies' victory at Yorktown, Virginia on October 19, 1781 in the last major land battle of the Revolutionary War. more ›

After letting us all enjoy a good summer break, next week the U.S. Senate will start debating legislation that would grant the District a voting seat in the House of Representatives. And in preparing for what is sure to be a spirited battle, big-name voting rights activists have recently stepped up the pressure with two back-to-back op-eds in Washington papers. Yesterday Maryland's former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele and former Oklahoma Republican Rep. J.C. Watts penned... more ›

MONDAY: Gorky Park author Martin Cruz Smith will be at the Penn Quarter Olsson's to read from his latest, Stalin's Ghost. In the book, Moscow subway riders see the ghost of Joseph Stalin on the platform of the Chistye Prudy Metro station. Here in Washington, we settle for George Stephanopoulos. What a country! 7 p.m. Susan L. Shirk will be at Politics and Prose to discuss her book China: Fragile Superpower. Of course in China... more ›

TUESDAY: Former vice president/rock star Al Gore will speak about his new book The Assault on Reason to a sold-out crowd at George Washington University's Lisner Auditorium. Don't expect An Inconvenient Truth, though; this is all about shrinking approval ratings for the president and Congress, not shrinking coastlines. 6 p.m. Political journalist Michael Barone will speak about his book Our First Revolution, which is actually a reference to Britain’s Glorious Revolution of 1688, not the... more ›

When architects, developers, and laborers set about transforming the former Columbia Hospital for Women into the massive Columbia Residences complex at the intersection of 25th Street, L Street, and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, they placed the area within a protective cocoon of chain-link fences. Inside the fences, just across L Street from the back door of Marcel's restaurant, went a little-known monument commemorating a joint international agreement to reduce military forces patrolling the Great Lakes. With... more ›

With Veteran's Day yesterday, at least one area newspaper took the opportunity to remember when veterans have come to the U.S. Capitol in protest. more ›

(By DCist contributor Kanishka Gangopadhyay) Planning is underway for the first of nine memorial tree groves to be planted around the city in commemoration of the victims of 9/11. The memorial groves project is D.C.'s participation in the U.S. Forest Service’s Living Memorials Project. D.C. officials are planning to plant commemorative trees in each of the city's wards, with a central site on Kingman Island in the Anacostia River. The first grove will be at... more ›