Washington Monument

Historical eventOctober 91888

Washington Monument

The Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., at the time the world's tallest building, officially opened to the general public.

Everything on October 9Original source

In context

When
Tuesday, October 9 1888138 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
19th century · 1880s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

Russia, Greece and some other countries used the Julian calendar into the early 20th century, so local records may show a date up to 13 days earlier.

At a glance

Dates: From 1848.

Place: National Mall, United States.

Type: obelisk and National Memorial of the United States.

What happened

History Print of the proposed Washington Monument by architect Robert Mills , c.  1845 –1848 The monument was built to honor George Washington , the first president of the United States . [ 1 ] : 151  At Washington's death in 1799, he was the unchallenged public icon of U.S. military and civic patriotism . He was also identified with the Federalist Party , which lost control of the national government in 1800 to the Jeffersonian Republicans ,

The Washington Monument is a 555-foot (169 m) tall obelisk on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, a Founding Father of the United States and the nation's first president. Standing east of the Reflecting Pool and the Lincoln Memorial, the monument is made of bluestone gneiss for the foundation and of granite for the construction. The outside facing consists of three different kinds of white marble, as the building process was repeatedly interrupted.

October 9 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1888Washington Monument
  2. 1992Peekskill meteorite
  3. 1995Amtrak
  4. 20062006 North Korean nuclear test
  5. 2007Dow Jones Industrial Average
  6. 2009Lunar Precursor Robotic Program
  7. 2012Malala Yousafzai
  8. 2016Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army
  9. 2019Syrian civil war
  10. 20192019 Turkish offensive into northeastern Syria
  11. 2024Hurricane Milton

Also in 1888

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  • May 12North BorneoNorth Borneo was established as a British protectorate.
  • March 11Great Blizzard of 1888The Great Blizzard of 1888 struck the northeastern United States, producing snowdrifts in excess of 50 ft (15 m) and confining some peopl…
  • November 9Mary Jane KellyMary Jane Kelly, widely believed to be the fifth and final victim of the notorious unidentified serial killer Jack the Ripper, was murder…
  • October 30LobengulaLobengula, King of Matabeleland, granted the Rudd Concession (pictured) to agents of Cecil Rhodes, leading to the creation of the British…
  • April 11Concertgebouw, AmsterdamThe Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, considered one of the world's finest concert halls, was inaugurated.
  • August 5Bertha BenzBertha Benz made the first long-distance automobile trip, driving 106 km (66 mi) from Mannheim to Pforzheim, Germany, in a Benz Patent-Mo…

Everything we record for 1888 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Washington Monument”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/washington-monument-1888-october-9, accessed October 28, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Washington Monument happen?

October 9 1888 — 138 years ago, on a Tuesday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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