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List of District of Columbia symbols

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Location of the District of Columbia in the United States

This is a list of symbols of the District of Columbia.

Insignia

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Further information: List of U.S. state, district, and territorial insignia
Type Symbol Adopted Image Ref.
Flag Flag of the District of Columbia 1938[1] Flag of the District of Columbia [2]
Seal Seal of the District of Columbia 1871 Seal of the District of Columbia [1]
Coat of arms Coat of arms of the District of Columbia 1871
Motto Justitia omnibus
(Latin for "Justice for all") 		1871 — [1]

Species

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Type Symbol Description Adopted Image Ref.
Bird Wood thrush
(Hylocichla mustelina) 		1967[1] Wood thrush
Crustacean Hay's Spring amphipod
(Stygobromus hayi) 		2016 [3]
Dinosaur Capitalsaurus
This description is an excerpt from List of informally named dinosaurs § Capitalsaurus.[edit]
"Capitalsaurus" is the informal genus name given to a tailbone belonging to a large theropod dinosaur that lived during the Early Cretaceous. It was discovered on January 28, 1898, by construction workers excavating a sewer at the intersection of First and F Streets SE. The only known specimen, it was assigned two different species designations – Creosaurus potens and Dryptosaurus potens – and eventually overturned each time. In the 1990s, the paleontologist Peter Kranz asserted that it represented a unique type of dinosaur and assigned it the name "Capitalsaurus". He successfully campaigned through local schools to make "Capitalsaurus" the official dinosaur of Washington, D.C., which became law in 1998.[4] A year later, the district further recognized F Street at the discovery site as Capitalsaurus Court. It designated January 28, 2001, as Capitalsaurus Day.[5][6]
 1998 [7]
Fish American shad
(Alosa sapidissima) 		[8] 2016 [3]
Flower 'American Beauty' rose
(Rosa 'American Beauty') 		[1]
Fruit Cherry 2006 Stella Cherry [9]
Mammal Big brown bat 2020 Big Brown Bat [10]
Tree Scarlet oak
(Quercus coccinea) 		1960[1] Scarlet oak

Geology

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Type Symbol Description Adopted Image Ref.
Rock Potomac bluestone Potomac bluestone is a metamorphic rock that has been used extensively in the construction of the District of Columbia. It was used as the foundation of the White House, U.S. Capitol, and Washington Monument. Many old houses in the Northwest quadrant, notably the Old Stone House, are constructed out of the rock. 2014 [11]

Culture

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Type Symbol Description Adopted Image Ref.
Beverage Rickey At the place of origin of the cocktail, Jack Evans, a city councillor, and Eleanor Holmes Norton, the House delegate for the district, unveiled a plaque honoring the Rickey. It was proclaimed "Washington, D.C.'s native cocktail". July was also declared as Rickey Month in the district. Various news outlets subsequently described the Rickey as the city's official cocktail.[12] 2011 [13]
Dance Hand dancing Hand dancing is a form of swing dance that is derived from the Lindy Hop and the jitterbug. It is characterized by coordinated footwork, spins, and traveling, where the dance partners communicate moves using hand-based connection. Residents of the District of Columbia invented the dance form in the 1950s, but it fell out of favor in the disco era. A Smithsonian Institution exhibit declaring the dance a national art form led to its resurgence in the 1990s.[14] 1999 [15]
March "Our Nation's Capitol" by Anthony A. Mitchell In 1959, Anthony A. Mitchell (pictured), the assistant conductor for the U.S. Navy Band, wrote "Our Nation's Capitol". Robert Enoch McLaughlin, the president of the Board of Commissioners declared it the district's official march in 1961, saying to The Washington Post, "I found it so stirring that for the first time since I left the Naval Academy, I felt like marching." Words were added later by Dixon Redditt.[16] 1961 [17]
Music Go-go Go-go music, a type of funk music with an emphasis on rhythmic patterns and melodic call-and-response sessions, originated within the district's African-American community during the mid-1960s to late-1970s. Chuck Brown (pictured), considered the "godfather of go-go", described it as music with a groovy beat that just "goes and goes", coining the name. Strict curfew laws from the 1980s that targeted youth who attend go-go clubs caused the culture to suffer.[18] Upon recognizing the music as an official symbol, the D.C. Council repealed the curfew laws and required the mayor to develop a preservation plan.[19] 2020 [19]
Song "Washington" by Jimmie Dodd 1951 [20]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f District of Columbia. "DC Symbols". Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  2. ^ Code of the District of Columbia § 1–151.
  3. ^ a b Fisheries and Wildlife Omnibus Amendment Act of 2016 (D.C. Law 21-282). Council of the District of Columbia. May 19, 2017. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  4. ^ Official Dinosaur Act of 1998 (D.C. Law 12-155). Council of the District of Columbia. September 30, 1998. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  5. ^ Black, Riley (December 28, 2010). "'Capitalsaurus,' a D.C. Dinosaur". Smithsonian. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  6. ^ Designation of Capitalsaurus Court and Technical Correction Amendment Act of 1999 (D.C. Law 13-41). Council of the District of Columbia. October 20, 1999. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  7. ^ Official Dinosaur Act of 1998 (D.C. Law 12-155). Council of the District of Columbia. September 30, 1998. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  8. ^ "Fishing in the district". DOEE. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  9. ^ Official Fruit of the District of Columbia Act of 2006 (D.C. Law 16-171). Council of the District of Columbia. September 29, 2006. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  10. ^ Big Brown Bat Official State Mammal Designation Act of 2020 (D.C. Law 23-160). Council of the District of Columbia. December 23, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  11. ^ DC Rocks, So We Need One Act of 2014 (D.C. Law 20-220). Council of the District of Columbia. March 11, 2015. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  12. ^ For example:
  13. ^ Rickey Recognition Resolution of 2011 (Resolution ACR19-0097). Council of the District of Columbia. September 2, 2011. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  14. ^ Johnson, Rebecca. "Raising a Hand for D.C. Dance Tradition". The American Observer. 9 (7). American University. Archived from the original on November 6, 2004. Retrieved September 4, 2008.
  15. ^ Hand Dancing Is the Official Dance of the District of Columbia Resolution of 1999 (Resolution ACR13-225). Council of the District of Columbia. December 7, 1999. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  16. ^ Kelly, John (June 6, 2010). "Dreaming of Taking the District by Song". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  17. ^ Schudel, Matt (March 29, 2009). "He Served His Country With Music". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
  18. ^ Lang, Marissa J. (February 19, 2020). "Go-go Is Signed into Law as the Official Music of D.C.". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  19. ^ a b Go-Go Official Music of the District of Columbia Designation Act of 2020 (D.C. Law 23-71). Council of the District of Columbia. April 11, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  20. ^ Kelly, John (May 30, 2010). "In 1950s, Jimmie Dodd's 'Washington' Won Contest to Be District's Official Song". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
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