List of District of Columbia symbols

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

Location of the District of Columbia in the United States

Insignia

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]		[2]
Seal	Seal of the District of Columbia	1871		[1]
Coat of arms	Coat of arms of the District of Columbia	1871
Motto	Justitia omnibus (Latin for "Justice for all")	1871	—	[1]

Species

Type	Symbol	Description	Adopted	Image	Ref.
Bird	Wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)		1967[1]
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 28 January 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 28 January 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		[9]
Mammal	Big brown bat		2020		[10]
Tree	Scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea)		1960[1]

Geology

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

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

• Outline of the District of Columbia