About America's 250th
As America celebrates its 250th birthday, here’s how to enjoy—and endure—the festivities in the Washington area.
The Drinking Straw
1888
Fed up with natural straws ruining his mint julep (and really, who among us?), paper-cigarette-holder manufacturer Marvin Stone wrapped strips of paper around a pencil, glued the strips, and voilà!
The Modern Blood Bank
1942
DC native Charles Drew, a surgeon and pioneer in blood-plasma research, wrote a patent for a method of preserving blood that helped establish modern blood-banking.
Camo as a Pattern
1917
During World War I, a group of painters, sculptors, and other artists joined the Army as “camoufleurs” and gathered at American University to design camouflage patterns for combat.
The Rickey Cocktail
1883
A refreshing mix of bourbon, lime, ice, and seltzer water, DC’s official cocktail—FYI, July is “Rickey Month”—was born at a Penn Quarter saloon owned by lobbyist and Confederate veteran Joseph Rickey.
Whole-Body CT Scans
1973
Using a $250,000 grant, Georgetown physiologist Robert S. Ledley designed the first computerized machine capable of scanning and producing images of the entire body.
Morse Code
1838
Samuel Morse may have been a failed painter, but he made good by developing the telegraph, sending its first message from the US Capitol with a code he invented.
The Football Huddle
1894
Gallaudet University quarterback Paul Hubbard invented football huddles when he asked his team to stand in a circle while using American Sign Language to avoid revealing plays to the opposing team.
Cold-Plasma Cancer Treatment
2018
Working with George Washington University researchers, surgical oncologist Jerome Canady developed a system that uses cold plasma to destroy cancer cells after tumor removal—without harming healthy cells.
The Sanitary Belt
1957
Washingtonian Mary Kenner invented the sanitary belt—a prototype of the maxi pad—but companies refused to sponsor her patent fees because she was Black.
Illustration by Miguel Porlan.
This article appears in the June 2026 issue of Washingtonian.
