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A view of Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. leading to the United States Capital Building. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.
On April 13, 1943, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt dedicated the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. Jefferson was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, the third president of the United States, the second vice president, and the first Secretary of State. The memorial, designed by architect John Russell Pope, was influenced by Jefferson’s love of classical architecture and highlights two of his most famous buildings, Monticello and the University of Virginia Rotunda. The Jefferson Memorial stands in a straight line with the White House.
For over 50 years, the traditional lighting of this stone lantern has signaled the beginning of the annual Cherry Blossom festival. The granite lantern was presented to Washington, D.C., on March 30, 1954, as a symbol of the enduring cultural partnership between Japan and the US. It was one of two lanterns carved in 1651 that stood for over 300 years on the grounds of Toeizan Kan’eiji Temple in Tokyo. The matching lantern still stands on the temple’s grounds today. Weighing two tons (1814 kg) and standing 2.59 m (8.5 ft) tall, the lantern is the oldest free-standing, man-made stone structure located outdoors in D.C.Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.
Tidal Basin weeping cherry blossoms in sunlight. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.
A view of Arlington House and some of the grave markers at Arlington National Cemetery.
Secretary of War Edwin Stanton designated Arlington National Cemetery a national cemetery on 15 June 1864. Over 400,000 service members (and their eligible dependents) from all of America’s major wars, from the Revolutionary War to present day conflicts, are interred in Arlington’s 639 acres (259 ha; almost exactly 1 sq mi). On 30 May 1868, the first official “Decoration Day,” later renamed Memorial Day, was observed at Arlington National Cemetery.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery in Virginia.
The Marine Corps War Memorial in Washington, DC.
The Navy-Merchant Marine Memorial, located on Columbia Island in Washington, DC honors sailors of the US Navy, Coast Guard, and US Merchant Marine and features large waves and sea gulls. Image courtesy of the US National Park Service.
The Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., dedicated in 1922, is modeled after the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. Architect Henry Bacon believed a memorial dedicated to a man who defended democracy should echo the birthplace of democracy. The iconic memorial constructed with Colorado Yule marble is 30 m tall (99 ft), 57.m long (190 ft), and 36.5 m wide (120 ft) surrounded by 36 fluted Doric columns, one for each of the 36 states in the Union at the time of Lincoln's death. The 5.8 m high (19 ft) statue of Lincoln sitting in quiet contemplation, designed by sculptor Daniel Chester French, is located between the north and south chambers of the memorial. The Lincoln Memorial is the most popular monument on the National Mall and it is the only monument pictured on US currency (on the penny and the five-dollar bill). Photo courtesy of the National Park Service/Carol Highsmith.
The lawn and southern facade of the White House in Washington, D.C.
Fourth of July fireworks in Washington, DC; view of the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the US Capitol which is the anniversary of the Continental Congress’ vote to adopt the final draft of the Declaration of Independence proclaiming America free and independent from Great Britain. The country had secured its independence with victory in the American Revolutionary War in (1775-1783). The vote for independence took place on 2 July and after some additional debates, the final vote was on 4 July. The delegates finally signed the Declaration on 2 August 1776. Delegate and founding father John Adams predicted the occasion would be ”celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival...solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”
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