Washington in History
Historical Events
Event of Interest
1577-11-15 Sir Francis Drake aboard Pelican travels from Chile to Washington
Francis Drake
Historic Discovery
1778-03-22 Captain James Cook sights Cape Flattery, now in Washington state
James Cook
- 1789-07-04 1st US tariff act signed by President Washington
Event of Interest
1790-03-22 Thomas Jefferson becomes the 1st US Secretary of State under President Washington
Thomas Jefferson
- 1792-05-08 British Captain George Vancouver sights and names Mt Rainier, Washington
- 1811-04-12 1st US colonists on Pacific coast arrive at Cape Disappointment, Washington
Event of Interest
1836-07-01 US President Andrew Jackson announces to Congress bequest by James Smithson of 100,000 gold sovereigns to found institution in Washington.
Andrew Jackson
- 1836-09-01 Narcissa Whitman, one of the first white women to settle west of the Rocky Mountains, arrives at Walla Walla, Washington.
- 1842-11-22 Mount St Helens in Washington erupts
- 1847-11-29 Indians kill Washington state pioneers Marcus & Narcissa Whitman, and 12 others in Walla Walla Ore
- 1851-11-13 The Denny Party lands at Alki Point, the first settlers of what would become Seattle, Washington
- 1853-01-08 1st US bronze equestrian statue (of Andrew Jackson) unveiled, Washington
- 1853-03-02 Territory of Washington organized after separating from Oregon Territory
- 1853-11-28 Olympia forms as capital of Washington Territory
- 1854-01-30 1st election in Washington Territory; 1,682 votes cast
- 1854-11-02 Cobblestone paving of Washington St between Dupont and Kearny starts
- 1856-07-17 The Great Train Wreck of 1856 between Camp Hill and Fort Washington, Pennsylvania kills over 60 people
- 1860-03-09 1st Japanese ambassador arrives in San Francisco en route to Washington
- 1861-03-02 Government Printing Office purchases 1st printing plant, Washington
- 1861-05-20 Cornerstone of University of Washington laid in Seattle
- 1861-07-01 1st public schoolhouse opens at Washington and Mason St, San Francisco
- 1861-11-04 University of Washington founded in Seattle
- 1864-07-13 Early retreats from Washington City back to Shenandoah Valley
Final Deadly Performance of a Twisted Actor
1865-04-14 US President Abraham Lincoln is shot in the head by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater in Washington; he dies a day later
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Abraham Lincoln's Deathbed
1865-04-15 Abraham Lincoln dies nine hours after he is shot by John Wilkes Booth while attending the play "Our American Cousin" at Ford's Theatre in Washington
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Meeting of Interest
1870-06-09 US President Ulysses S. Grant meets with Sioux Chief Red Cloud at The White House in Washington, D.C.
Ulysses S. Grant
- 1870-08-17 1st ascent of Mt Rainier, Washington, by Hazard Stevens and P. B. Van Trump
- 1875-11-04 Passenger Steamship "Pacific" collides with sailing vessel "Orpheus" off Cape Flattery, Washington, 236 die
- 1878-07-09 American inventor Henry Tibbe patents an improved corncob pipe design
- 1880-01-09 The Great Gale of 1880 devastates parts of Oregon and Washington with high wind and heavy snow
- 1889-02-22 US President Cleveland signs bill to admit Dakotas, Montana & Washington state to the union
- 1889-04-30 1st US national holiday, on centennial of Washington's inauguration
- 1889-07-04 Washington state constitutional convention holds 1st meeting
- 1889-10-01 Washington voters adopt state constitution in referendum
- 1889-11-11 Washington admitted as 42nd state of USA
- 1892-05-22 Dr Washington Sheffield invents the toothpaste tube
Event of Interest
1893-01-06 The Washington National Cathedral is chartered by Congress. The charter is signed by President Benjamin Harrison.
Benjamin Harrison
- 1894-03-24 37 miners killed at Franklin, Washington
- 1897-04-24 1st reporter, William Price (Washington Star), assigned to White House
- 1898-05-21 US Assay Office in Seattle, Washington, authorized
- 1899-02-24 Western Washington University is established
Event of Interest
1902-07-08 Baltimore manager John McGraw is accused by AL President Ban Johnson of trying to wreck the Orioles & Washington Senators; negotiates his release from the Orioles, having already signed with NY Giants
Ban Johnson
- 1906-08-03 Washington Nationals' Tom Hughes becomes first MLB pitcher to win a 1-0 extra innings game off his own home run in 10th v St. Louis Browns
Hall of Fame
1907-08-02 Legendary pitcher Walter Johnson at 19 begins his 21 year Baseball Hall of Fame playing career with Washington with 3-2 loss v Detroit
Walter Johnson
- 1907-08-28 United Parcel Service is founded by James E. Casey in Seattle, Washington.
- 1907-09-29 Construction begins on Washington National Cathedral
- 1910-03-02 2 trains crash in snow storm in Wellington Washington, 118 die
- 1910-06-19 Father's Day celebrated for 1st time (Spokane, Washington)
Event of Interest
1910-07-19 Cy Young wins the 500th game of his Baseball HOF career as the Cleveland Naps beat Washington Senators, 5 - 2, in 11 innings; only pitcher in MLB history to reach milestone
Cy Young
- 1910-11-08 1st Washington State election in which women could vote
- 1912-10-05 NY Highlanders last game at Hilltop stadium; beat Washington, 8-6; Brooklyn Dodgers last game at Washington Park; lose 1-0 v NY Giants
Woman Suffrage Procession
1913-03-03 Woman suffrage procession through Washington, D.C. organized by Alice Paul and Lucy Burns and led by Inez Milholland. Ida B. Wells marched with her Illinois delegation despite blacks being told to march in a separate section.
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- 1915-08-05 The Latin-American Conference Convenes in Washington, with representatives from leading South American nations joining the US to discuss conditions in Mexico
- 1915-12-01 The US requests that Germany withdraw its military and naval attaches from the Embassy in Washington
- 1916-01-01 2nd Rose Bowl, Tournament Park, Pasadena, California: Washington State beats Brown, 14-0; MVP: Carl Dietz, Washington State
- 1916-02-16 The German ambassador in Washington announces that Germany will pay an indemnity for American lives lost on the Lusitania
Event of Interest
1916-07-15 Boeing Company (Pacific Aero) formed by William Boeing in Seattle, Washington
William Boeing
- 1916-10-14 Sophomore tackle and guard Paul Robeson is excluded from the Rutgers football team when Washington and Lee University refused to play against a black person.
- 1916-11-05 The Everett Massacre takes place in Everett, Washington as political differences lead to a shoot-out between IWW organizers and local police.
Event of Interest
1917-01-10 Suffragettes the "Silent Sentinels" first protest outside The White House, in Washington led by Alice Paul and the National Woman's Party
Alice Paul
- 1917-10-20 US suffragette Alice Paul begins a 7 month jail sentence for protesting women's rights in Washington
- 1918-07-04 Altar dedicated at full-scale replica of Stonehenge at Maryhill, Washington
- 1921-01-29 Hurricane hits Washington & Oregon
- 1921-11-12 Washington Conference for Limitation of Armaments
- 1922-02-06 US, UK, France, Italy & Japan sign Washington naval arms limitation
- 1922-03-09 KJR-AM in Seattle Washington begins radio transmissions
Event of Interest
1925-05-01 Future Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Jimmie Foxx makes his MLB debut at 17 for Philadelphia A's; pinch-hits a single in 9-4 loss v Washington
Jimmie Foxx
- 1925-09-23 Washington shortstop Roger Peckinpaugh is named AL MVP
- 1930-03-15 1st seaplane glider flown at Port Washington, NY
Coup d'état
1930-10-24 A bloodless coup d'état in Brazil ousts Washington Luís Pereira de Sousa, the last President of the First Republic. Getúlio Vargas then installed as "provisional president."
Getulio Vargas
- 1932-07-09 Washington Redskins (then Boston Braves) formed
- 1934-04-12 Second highest ever wind speed of 372 km/h (231 mph) recorded on Mt Washington
Baseball Record
1934-07-05 Lou Gehrig hits record 17th career grand slam in Yankees 8-3 win v Washington, passes Babe Ruth's total
Lou Gehrig
Babe Ruth
Event of Interest
1934-10-26 While Washington Senators player-manager Joe Cronin honeymoons with Mildred Robertson, owner Clark Griffith's niece and adopted daughter, he is sold to Red Sox
Joe Cronin
- 1935-01-21 12.0" (30.5 cm) of rain falls, Quinault RS, Washington (state record)
- 1936-12-15 KVL-AM in Seattle Washington changes call letters to KEEN (now KING)
- 1937-03-25 Washington Daily News is 1st US newspaper with perfumed advertising page
- 1937-07-07 5th MLB All Star Game, Griffin Stadium, Washington: AL wins 8-3, Lou Gehrig drives in 4 runs with HR & double
Event of Interest
1937-10-02 FDR visits Grand Coulee Dam construction site in Washington State
Franklin D. Roosevelt
- 1937-12-12 National Football League Championship, Wrigley Field, Chicago: Washington Redskins beat Chicago Bears, 28-21
- 1938-12-29 Construction on Lake Washington Floating Bridge, Seattle, begins
- 1939-10-11 Bucky Harris signs to manage Washington again
- 1940-07-02 Lake Washington (Seattle) Floating bridge dedicated
- 1941-03-22 Grand Coulee Dam in Washington goes into operation
- 1941-03-29 3rd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Wisconsin beats Washington State, 39-34; Badgers' forward John Kotz is named tournament Most Outstanding Player
- 1941-07-16 100°F (38°C) highest temperature ever recorded in Seattle, Washington
- 1943-08-21 Gromyko named USSR-ambassador in Washington
Event of Interest
1943-10-31 Washington Redskin Sammy Baugh passes for 6 touchdowns vs Bkln (48-10)
Sammy Baugh
- 1943-12-26 National Football League Championship, Wrigley Field, Chicago: Chicago Bears beat Washington Redskins, 41-21; Bears 6th title
- 1944-05-06 KJR-AM in Seattle Washington swaps calls with KOMO
- 1945-02-07 London, Washington and Moscow discuss final phase of World War II
- 1945-07-04 Field Marshal Henry Maitland Wilson gives Britain's agreement to use the atomic bomb against Japan at the Combined Policy Committee in Washington D. C.
- 1945-08-04 Red Sox outfielder Tom McBride drives in MLB record tying 6 runs in an inning (4th) during 15-4 win v Washington
- 1945-11-26 During snow storm, school bus crashes, kills 15 (Washington)
- 1945-12-16 National Football League Championship, Cleveland Stadium: Cleveland Rams beat Washington Redskins, 15-14; last game before Rams move west to Los Angeles
- 1947-06-16 1st network news-Dumont's "News from Washington"
- 1947-09-01 With a victory by Armed in the Washington Park Handicap, Calumet Farm becomes the first stable to surpass $1 million in annual earnings; leads all owners with total earnings of $1,402,436
- 1947-11-23 Washington Redskins quarterback Sammy Baugh passes for 6 touchdowns vs. Chicago Cardinals (45-21)
Event of Interest
1948-08-03 Negro League veteran pitcher Satchel Paige, age 42, debuts in Cleveland after controversial signing, goes 7 innings in 5-3 win v Washington
Satchel Paige
Famous Birthdays
Birthdays 1 - 100 of 347
- 1759-05-20 William Thornton, British-American architect (Capitol Building in Washington, D.C), born in Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands (d. 1828)
- 1813-08-18 Benjamin Alvord, American scientist and Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Vancouver, Washington (d. 1884)
- 1825-08-09 Elisha P. Ferry, American politician (Governor of Washington, 1872-80, 1889-93), born in Monroe County, Michigan Territory (d. 1895)
- 1835-05-26 Edward Porter Alexander, Brigadier General (Confederate Army) and military engineer, born in Washington, Georgia (d. 1910)
- 1839-03-09 Felix Huston Robertson, Brigadier General (Confederate Army), born in Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas (d. 1928)
- 1846-06-11 William Louis Marshall, American general and engineer, born in Washington, Kentucky (d. 1920)
- 1850-10-04 John McGraw, 2nd Governor of Washington (1893-97), born in Penobscot County, Maine (d. 1910)
- 1860-01-26 Harry Micajah Daugherty, American politician, lawyer and political manager accused of corruption, born in Washington Court House, Ohio (d. 1941)
Gertrude Bell
1868-07-14 Gertrude Bell, British archaeologist (Desert & The Sown), born in Washington Hall, County Durham, England (d. 1926)
Gertrude Bell
- 1869-10-26 Washington Luís, President of Brazil (1926-30), born in Macaé, Rio de Janeiro (d. 1957)
- 1878-01-16 Harry Carey [Henry DeWitt Carey II], American actor (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Red River), born in The Bronx, New York (d. 1947)
- 1883-08-23 Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright IV, American army officer, born in Fort Walla Walla, Washington (d. 1953)
- 1885-04-13 Vean Gregg, American baseball player, born in Chehalis, Washington (d. 1964)
- 1887-11-16 Philip H. Frohman, American architect (Washington National Cathedral), born in NYC, New York (d. 1972)
- 1888-07-10 Graham McNamee, American early sportscaster (1st Rose Bowl), born in Washington D. C. (d. 1942)
- 1890-01-28 Robert Stroud, American convict, "Birdman of Alcatraz", born in Seattle Washington (d. 1963)
- 1890-02-18 Edward Arnold, American actor (Mr Smith Goes to Washington), born in NYC, New York
- 1891-05-15 Chief Nipo T Strongheart, US Native American actor (Pony Soldier), born in Yakima, Washington
- 1892-06-05 Alexander Loudon, Dutch diplomat (Ambassador to Washington)
- 1892-07-24 Alice Ball, African American chemist (developed treatment for leprosy), born in Seattle Washington (d. 1916)
- 1893-08-06 Guthrie McClintic, Broadway producer/dir (Winterset), born in Seattle, Washington
- 1894-11-14 Seena Owen, American silent screen actress (Queen Kelly), born in Spokane, Washington (d. 1966)
- 1895-11-29 Yakima Canutt [Enos Edward], American rodeo cowboy, actor and director (Texas Terror), born in Colfax, Washington (d. 1986)
- 1896-07-28 Barbara La Marr, American actress (The White Moth), born in Yakima, Washington (d. 1926)
- 1896-10-22 Charles Glen King, American biochemist and pioneer of nutrition research who isolated vitamin C, born in Entiat, Washington (d. 1988)
- 1897-08-15 Marion Eugene Bauer, American composer, born in Walla Walla, Washington (d. 1955)
Duke Ellington
1899-04-29 Edward "Duke" Ellington, American bandleader, composer and pianist ("Take the A Train"; "It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)"), born in Washington, D.C. (d. 1974)
Duke Ellington
- 1899-06-11 George Frederick McKay, American composer, born in Harrington, Washington (d. 1970)
- 1899-12-04 Charlie Spencer, English soccer defender and manager (2 caps; Newcastle United; mgr Grimsby Town 1937-51), born in Washington, England (d. 1953)
- 1900-06-27 Otto Passman, American politician, U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana (1947-77), born in Franklinton, Washington Parish Louisiana (d. 1988)
- 1901-08-15 Byron Arnold, American composer, born in Vancouver, Washington (d. 1971)
- 1902-05-03 Seton I. Miller, Hollywood screenwriter (Pete's Dragon, Istanbul), born in Chehalis, Washington (d. 1974)
- 1902-05-21 Earl Averill, American baseball player (Cleveland Indians), born in Snohomish, Washington (d. 1983)
- 1902-08-22 Thomas Pelly, American politician, born in Seattle, Washington (d. 1973)
- 1902-10-15 William Edmundson, American vocalist (Southernaires), born in Spokane, Washington
- 1902-12-01 Red Badgro, American Pro Football Hall of Fame end and coach (NY Giants) and baseball outfielder (NY Yankees), born in Orillia, Washington (d. 1998)
Bing Crosby
1903-05-03 (Harry Lillis) "Bing" Crosby, American Grammy and Academy Award-winning singer ("White Christmas"; with David Bowie - "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy" ), and actor (Going My Way; High Society; Road To...(with Bob Hope)), born in Tacoma, Washington (d. 1977)
Bing Crosby
- 1903-10-12 Josephine Hutchinson, American actress (Story of Louis Pasteur), born in Seattle, Washington (d. 1998)
- 1903-12-23 Fredericka "Fredi" Washington, American actress (Black & Tan), born in Savannah, Georgia (d. 1994)
- 1904-03-07 Virginia Downing, American actress (The Gig, Butterfield 8), born in Washington, District of Columbia (d. 1996)
Charles R. Drew
1904-06-03 Charles R. Drew, American physician and surgeon who pioneered blood plasma research and developed the blood bank concept, born in Washington, D. C. (d. 1950)
Charles R. Drew
- 1904-12-14 Jack Westland, American politician (US House of Representatives 1953-65) and golfer (US Amateur C'ship 1952), born in Everett, Washington (d. 1982)
- 1905-04-18 George H. Hitchings, American scientist (Nobel laureate 1988), born in Hoquiam, Washington (d. 1998)
- 1906-01-19 Lanny Ross, radio singer (Show Boat, The Swift Show), born in Seattle, Washington
- 1906-05-19 Bruce Bennett, American athlete and actor (Before I Hang, Sahara), born in Tacoma, Washington (d. 2007)
- 1907-02-27 Mildred Bailey [Rinker], American jazz singer known as "The Queen of Swing" ("ockin' Chair"; "Please Be Kind"), born in Tekoa, Washington (d. 1951)
- 1907-06-11 Paul Mellon, American philanthropist (Washington National Gallery of Art), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 1999)
- 1907-06-27 John McIntire, American actor (Naked City, Wagon Train, Virginian), born in Spokane, Washington (d. 1991)
James Stewart
1908-05-20 Jimmy Stewart, American actor (Mr Smith Goes to Washington, It's a Wonderful Life), born in Indiana, Pennsylvania (d. 1997)
James Stewart
- 1908-10-08 Paul Van Buskirk Yoder, American composer, born in Tacoma, Washington (d. 1990)
- 1909-08-16 Paul Smith Callaway, American organist, conductor and composer (Great Organ of Washington Cathedral), born in Atlanta, Illinois (d. 1995)
Bayard Rustin
1910-03-17 Bayard Rustin, American civil rights leader (March on Washington organizer, Social Democrats USA), born in West Chester, Pennsylvania (d. 1987)
Bayard Rustin
- 1910-06-17 Red Foley, American country singer (Mr Smith Goes to Washington), born in Blue Lick, Kentucky (d. 1968)
- 1910-07-02 Earl Robinson, American composer, born in Seattle, Washington (d. 1991)
- 1910-07-02 William Douglas Denny, American composer, born in Seattle, Washington (d. 1980)
- 1911-01-08 Gypsy Rose Lee [Rose Hovick], American burlesque actress (Gypsy), born in Seattle, Washington (d. 1970)
- 1911-03-02 William Hansen, American actor (1776, Pinky, Side Street, Homebodies), born in Washington, District of Columbia (d. 1975)
- 1912-06-21 Mary McCarthy, American novelist (Group), born in Seattle, Washington (d. 1989)
- 1912-09-21 Charles "Chuck" Jones, American animator and cartoonist best known for his work with Warner Bros. (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner, Porky Pig), born in Spokane, Washington (d. 2002)
- 1913-04-27 Philip Abelson, American physicist and Nobel Prize Laureate, born in Tacoma, Washington (d. 2004)
- 1913-05-01 Marvin 'Bud' Ward, American golfer (1939, 1941 US Amateur), born in Elma, Washington (d. 1968)
- 1913-08-23 Bob Crosby, American jazz singer and bandleader (Bob-Cats), born in Spokane, Washington (d. 1993)
- 1913-09-19 Frances Farmer, American actress (Son of Fury, Flowing Gold, Among the Living), born in Seattle, Washington (1970)
- 1913-11-24 Howard Duff, American actor (Flamingo Road, Knots Landing), born in Bremerton, Washington (d. 1990)
- 1914-02-11 Matt Dennis, American pop singer, pianist, composer, and arranger ("Everything Happens To Me"; "Angel Eyes"), born in Seattle, Washington (d. 2002)
- 1914-02-15 Kevin McCarthy, American actor (Invasion of Body Snatchers, Death of a Salesman), born in Seattle, Washington (d. 2010)
- 1914-09-03 Dixy Lee Ray, American politician (17th Governor of Washington) and chairman of the United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), born in Tacoma, Washington (d. 1994)
- 1915-12-14 Clay Warnick, American choral director (Your Show Of Shows), born in Tacoma, Washington (d. 1995)
- 1916-10-10 Scott Huston, American composer, born in Tacoma, Washington (d. 1991)
- 1917-12-30 Nancy Coleman, actress (Edge of Darkness), born in Everett, Washington
- 1918-01-25 Ernie Harwell, American baseball sportscaster, born in Washington, Georgia (d. 2010)
- 1918-04-23 Gordon Hirabayshi, American civil rights activist and WWII internment opponent (Hirabayshi v. United States), born in Seattle, Washington (d. 2012)
- 1918-05-23 Robert "Bumps" Blackwell, American band leader, songwriter, and record producer (Little Richard; Sam Cooke), born in Seattle, Washington (d. 1985)
- 1918-07-26 Marjorie Lord [Wollenberg], American actress (Make Room for Daddy, Sherlock Holmes in Washington), born in San Francisco, California (d. 2015)
- 1918-09-20 Margaret "Peg" Phillips, American actress (Northern Exposure, ER, Suddenly Susan), born in Everett, Washington (d. 2002)
- 1919-01-01 Horace "Bones" McKinney, American basketball forward, coach and broadcaster (Washington Capitols, Wake Forest), born in Lowland, North Carolina (d. 1997)
- 1919-02-04 Janet Waldo, American radio and actress (Judy Jetson, Shazzan, Penelope Pitstop), born in Yakima, Washington (d. 2016)
- 1919-02-11 Gretchen Fraser, slalom skier (Olympic gold 1948), born in Tacoma, Washington
- 1919-04-16 Merce Cunningham, American choreographer (Acrobat in Every Soul is a Circus), born in Centralia, Washington (d. 2009)
- 1919-09-01 Roy John Britten, Washington, molecular biologist (repeated DNA sequences in eukaryotic genomes), (d. 2012)
- 1920-03-24 Gene Nelson [Leander Berg], American screenwriter, director and actor (Tea For 2, Oklahoma), born in Seattle, Washington (d. 1996)
- 1920-05-29 Clifton James, American actor (Live and Let Die, Silver Streak), born in Spokane, Washington (d. 2017)
- 1920-08-02 Theo Marcuse, American character actor (Mara of Wilderness), born in Seattle, Washington (d. 1967)
- 1920-08-06 Ella Raines, American actress (Uncle Harry, Runaround, Impact, Brute Force), born in Snoqualmie Falls, Washington (d. 1988)
- 1920-08-21 Gerry Staley, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 1952-53, 60; St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox), born in Brush Prairie, Washington (d. 2008)
- 1920-10-08 Frank [Patrick] Herbert, American sci-fi author (Dune), born in Tacoma, Washington (d. 1986)
- 1921-01-31 Carol Channing, American actress (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes; Hello Dolly), singer and comedian, born in Seattle, Washington (d. 2019)
Joseph A. Walker
1921-02-20 Joseph A. Walker, American experimental physicist, WWII and NASA test pilot (1st spaceplane flights to edge of outerspace), born in Washington, Pennsylvania (d. 1966)
Joseph A. Walker
- 1921-03-21 Joe Sutter, American engineer and head of the Boeing 747 program, born in Seattle, Washington (d. 2016)
- 1921-04-29 Tommy Noonan, American actor, screenwriter and producer (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Promises Promises), born in Bellingham, Washington (d. 1968)
- 1921-05-21 Leona Wood, painter and dancer, born in Seattle, Washington
- 1921-07-03 Susan Peters [Suzanne Carnahan], American actress (Random Harvest, Young Ideas), born in Spokane, Washington (d. 1952)
- 1922-02-24 Steven Hill, American actor (Mission Impossible, Law & Order), born in Seattle, Washington (d. 2016)
- 1922-04-15 Harold Washington, 1st African American mayor of Chicago (D, 1983-87), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1987)
- 1922-04-29 George Allen, American NFL football coach (LA Rams, Washington Redskins), born in Nelson County, Virginia (d. 1990)
- 1922-05-07 Darren McGavin [Richardson], American actor (Murphy Brown, The Night Stalker, A Christmas Story), born in Spokane, Washington (d. 2006)
- 1922-09-16 Janis Paige, American actress (Lanigan's Rabbi, Trapper John MD), born in Tacoma, Washington
- 1923-03-24 Murray Hamilton, American character actor (Rich Man Poor Man, Anatomy of a Murder), born in Washington, North Carolina (d. 1986)
- 1923-03-25 Lee Hale, American choral director (The Entertainers), born in Tacoma, Washington
- 1923-03-25 Bonnie Guitar [Buckingham], American guitarist, singer and record executive (Dark Moon), born in Seattle, Washington (d. 2019)
Famous Weddings
Wedding of Interest
1949-02-06 Diplomat Henry Kissinger (25) weds Ann Fleisher (23) in Washington Heights, Manhattan
Henry Kissinger
Wedding of Interest
1997-04-06 Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan (71) weds NBC News correspondent Andrea Mitchell (50) at Little Washington in Washington, Virginia
Alan Greenspan
Wedding of Interest
2002-01-12 TV Host Conan O'Brien (38) weds Liza Powel (31) at St. James Cathedral in Seattle, Washington
Conan O'Brien
Wedding of Interest
2009-09-19 "500 Days of Summer" actress Zooey Deschanel (29) weds "Death Cab for Cutie" singer Ben Gibbard (33) in Seattle, Washington
Zooey Deschanel
Famous Deaths
- 1828-03-28 William Thornton, British-American architect (Capitol Building in Washington, D.C), dies at 68
Washington Irving
1859-11-28 Washington Irving, American author (Legend of Sleepy Hollow), dies of a heart attack at 76
Washington Irving
- 1895-10-14 Elisha P. Ferry, American politician (Governor of Washington, 1872-80, 1889-93), dies at 70
- 1898-03-17 Blanche Kelso Bruce, (Sen-Miss, 1875-1881), dies at 57, in Washington
- 1910-06-23 John McGraw, 2nd Governor of Washington (1893-97), dies at 59
Woodrow Wilson
1924-02-03 Woodrow Wilson, 28th US President (1913-21), dies at his home in Washington at 67
Woodrow Wilson
- 1935-10-20 Adolphus Washington Greely, American Arctic explorer and recipient of the Medal of Honor, dies at 91
- 1947-09-21 Harry Carey [Henry DeWitt Carey II], American actor (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Red River), dies at 69
- 1956-04-26 Edward Arnold, American actor (Mr Smith Goes to Washington), dies at 66
- 1963-12-14 Dinah Washington [Ruth Lee Jones], American jazz, blues, pop, and R&B singer ("What a Diff'rence a Day Makes": "September In The Rain"), dies of sleeping pill overdose at 39
- 1968-09-19 Red Foley, American country singer (Mr Smith Goes to Washington), dies at 58
- 1972-10-30 Philip H. Frohman, American architect (Washington National Cathedral), dies at 84
- 1988-08-13 Edward Bennett Williams, American lawyer, team owner (Washington Redskins, Baltimore Orioles), dies of colon cancer at 68
- 1993-09-19 Bruce Ferden, US conductor (NY, Washington, Amsterdam), dies at 44
- 1994-01-02 Dixy Lee Ray, American politician (17th Governor of Washington) & chairman of the United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), dies at 79
- 1997-05-16 Horace "Bones" McKinney, American basketball forward, coach and broadcaster (Washington Capitols, Wake Forest), dies at 78
- 1999-02-01 Paul Mellon, American philanthropist (Washington National Gallery of Art), dies at 91
- 2002-06-17 J. Carter Brown, American art director (Washington National Gallery), dies at 67
- 2004-09-22 Big Boss Man [Ray Washington Traylor Jr.], American professional wrestler, dies at 41
- 2006-07-22 James E. West, mayor of Spokane, Washington (b. 1950)
- 2007-09-05 Jennifer Dunn, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Washington), dies at 66
- 2007-11-27 Sean Taylor, American NFL free safety (Pro Bowl 2006, 07; All Pro 2007; Washington Redskins), dies when shot by an armed intruder at 24
- 2007-12-01 Sally L. Smith, American educator and founder (Lab School of Washington), dies at 78
- 2008-10-26 Delmar Watson, American child actor (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Heidi, Annie Oakley), dies at 82
- 2009-11-24 Abe Pollin, owner of the Washington Wizards (b. 1923)
- 2015-11-28 Marjorie Lord [Wollenberg], American actress (Make Room for Daddy, Sherlock Holmes in Washington), dies of natural causes at 97
- 2017-05-01 Mike Lowry, American politician (Rep-D-WA, 1979-89, Governor of Washington 1993-97), dies at 78