Virginia

At Arlington National Cemetery, one of the most haunting features is the Tomb of the Unknowns, also known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. On the rear of the monument, there's a haunting inscription: Here rests in honored glory, an American soldier known but to God. But the story of how the first official unknown soldier from World War I was selected for burial in the graves alongside the monument is a strange one. For one, he wasn't actually the first unidentified casualty to be entombed at Arlington.

On August 8, 1873, a steamboat ride down the Potomac turned into a nighmare when a fire broke out on the Wawaset. Panic, sinking lifeboats, and harrowing rescues left Washington reeling.

We look back at the life and vision of Elizabeth Campbell, WETA's founder and a pillar in the Washington, D.C. area community. Thank you for everything, Mrs. Campbell. We still feel your impact today.

In the summer of 1861 the Confederate States found themselves annoyed by the U.S.S. Pawnee, a gunboat that patrolled the Potomac and made it difficult for the southerners to receive supplies from northern sympathizers. Fortunately for the Confederates, Col. Richard Thomas Zarvona had a plan...

The 1971 T.C. Williams High School football team rolled to the Virginia state championship and united a divided Alexandria during a contentious school consolidation process. Their championship season inspired the Disney film Remember the Titans. But was the movie accurate?

Luis Araya, immigrated to Arlington from Bolivia as a young boy in 1966, when very few Latinos lived in the county. He's worked for the county government for 40 years and he also happens to be a Director at the Arlington Historical Society. So he brings an interesting perspective on the experience of Latinos in Arlington over time. 

A complicated sense of honor can get you killed. That’s why people like John Randolph of Roanoke update their wills before engaging in potentially suicidal duels, like the one Randolph had with Henry Clay in 1826. And, boy was Randolph’s idea of honor super complicated.

It’s a casual Sunday in April 1934 and you’re looking for something to do. How about a hike in the great outdoors? Lucky for you, there’s a new hiking club in town — the Wanderbirds — and they are preparing for their very first hike!

On June 13, 1902, Mary Custis Lee was arrested on a streetcar in Alexandria after refusing to move from a seat reserved for Black passengers. Was she taking a principled stand against segregation? 

On August 18, 1967, the Doors played a D.C. area double-header: a 7:30pm show at the National Guard Armory in Annapolis, Maryland, and a late night show at the Alexandria Roller Rink Arena in Alexandria, Virginia. It was a homecoming of sorts for front man Jim Morrison but the night would end poorly. 

You can hear the rumble from miles away, a deep roar of engines joined together for a cause. This Memorial Day weekend, thousands of motorcyclists will ride in unison across Memorial Bridge, a moving force of memory and action for POW's and soldiers listed as Missing in Action. Rolling Thunder, as the demonstration is called, has been a Washington Memorial Day tradition since 1988. But do you know the history behind it?

It is generally an accepted practice of militaries around the world to not tell the enemy what you plan to do. It’s also a good idea to avoid passing secrets to enemy spies, especially if you know they are enemy spies. Apparently, however, Union troops stationed in Herndon, Virginia didn’t get the memo. Either that or they were too mesmerized by local belle Laura Ratcliffe to think straight.