d.c. trivia

while in d.c. i saw some peculiar and interesting things i had no idea about so i did a bit of research and here are the interesting results.

why do people put change by headstones?

3 of my favorite reasons- 

1. to express love and remembrance for whomever has passed (use to act as a form of flowers)

2. for luck

3. so the passing can pay the toll to get into the underworld

details of the pentagon memorial? 

the dates are the years in which the victims were born

each victim has a bench

if multiple family members passed their family names are on a plaque at the end of the bench pool

plane victims have their names pointing in the direction the plane came from

pentagon victims have their name pointing so you can see their name and the pentagon

how many people are buried at arlington? how big is it?

more than 400,000 veterans and their families rest here

it's 624 acres- with plans to expand

how about the guards at the tomb of the unknown soldier?

 guarding 24/7 365 since 1937 (unbelievably impressive)

21 steps

21 second pause

21=symbolic of a 21 gun salute

now what's the goods on the washington monument?

555 feet tall- until the eiffel tower it was the tallest in the world

in early days men could use the elevator, women/children had to walk the 897 stairs (it was unsafe)

no building in washington can be taller (cuz washington is THE president, let's be honest)

it took from 1848-1884 to complete it

these are some of the great things i learned after visiting d.c. if you haven't been- you should go. there's no place like it. (if you want to feel real patriotic watch mr. smith goes to washington beforehand)

i heart d.c.