1790 - Congress declared the city of Washington, in the District of Columbia, the permanent capital of the United States of America on July 16, 1790.
1801 - The District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801 enacted by the U.S. Congress on February 27, in accordance with Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution, placed D.C. under congressional control – terminating voting rights.
1862 - The D.C. Compensated Emancipation Act of 1862 ended slavery in D.C. on April 16, 1862 – eight and 1/2 months before the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln – freeing more than 3,100      

            enslaved individuals.
1871 - The District of Columbia’s non-voting delegate to Congress position was created on March 4, 1871. 
          - Republican Norton Parker Chipman served as the District’s first non-voting delegate, beginning on April 21, 1871.
1875 - The District's non-voting delegate to Congress position was eliminated on March 4, 1875.
1961 - The 23rd Amendment to the Constitution, ratified March 29, 1961, entitles District residents to vote for President and Vice President of the United States.
1964 - D.C. registered voters cast their very first votes for President on November 3, 1964.
1967 - President Lyndon B. Johnson abolished the commissioner system of government, creating a new mayor-council form of government.
1968 - Congress enacted legislation creating an 11-member elected D.C. Board of Education.
1970 - For the second time, Congress granted Washington, D.C. a nonvoting delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives on September 22, 1970.  
1971 - Walter E. Fauntroy served as the District’s second non-voting delegate to Congress from March 23, 1971, until January 3, 1991.

1973 - Congress enacted the District of Columbia Self-Rule and Governmental Reorganization Act on December 24, 1973 – providing for an elected Mayor and Council of the District of Columbia.

1982 - D.C. registered voters approved on November 2nd the creation of the offices of United States Representative and United States Senators to represent the District of Columbia.
1984 - U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) introduced (S.2672), the “New Columbia Admission Act,” in the 98th Congress on May 15, 1984. The bill garners no cosponsors.
1985 - U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) introduced (S.293), the “New Columbia Admission Act,” in the 99th Congress on January 24, 1985. The bill garners no cosponsors.
1987 - U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) introduced (S.863), the “New Columbia Admission Act,” in the 100th Congress on March 26, 1987. The bill garners four cosponsors (two original).

1989 - Del. Walter E. Fauntroy (D-D.C.) introduced H.R.51, the "New Columbia Admission Act," in the 101st Congress on January 3, 1989. The bill garners 61 cosponsors.
1990 - Eleanor Holmes Norton was elected as D.C.'s third non-voting delegate to Congress, Charles J. Moreland as the first U.S. Representative, and Jesse Jackson Sr. and Florence H. Pendleton as the first two U.S. Senators on

            November 6, 1990.
1991 - U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) introduced (S.2023), the “New Columbia Admission Act,” in the 102nd Congress on November 22, 1991. The bill garners 17 cosponsors (16 original).

1993 - Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) introduced (H.R.51), the “New Columbia Admission Act,” in the 103rd Congress on January 5, 1993. The bill garners 81 cosponsors.
          - U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) introduced (S.898), the “New Columbia Admission Act,” in the 103rd Congress on May 5, 1993. The bill garners 17 cosponsors (16 original).

          - H.R.51 failed (153-277) by recorded vote in the House on November 21, 1993.
2005 - The D.C. Council passed the “District of Columbia Emancipation Day Amendment Act of 2004” (D.C. Act 15-682) on January 4, 2005 – making April 16th a recognized legal public holiday in D.C.

          - The first modern-day D.C. Emancipation Day commemoration – now an official public holiday in the District of Columbia – commenced on April 16, 2005.

2006 - U.S. Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.-11th) introduced the “District of Columbia Fair and Equal House Voting Rights Act of 2006” (H.R.5388) in the 109th Congress on May 16, 2006.  The bill garners 43 cosponsors (22 original).

2007 - Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) introduced the “District of Columbia Fair and Equal House Voting Rights Act of 2007” (H.R.328) in the 110th Congress on January 9, 2007.  The bill garners 24 cosponsors (one original).
          - Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) introduced the “District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007” (H.R.1905) in the 110th Congress on April 18, 2007.  The bill garners one cosponsor.
          - H.R. 1905 passed (241-177) by recorded vote in the House on April 19, 2007.
2009 - U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) introduced the “District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2009” (S.160) in the 111th Congress on January 6, 2009.  The bill garners 19 cosponsors (nine original), and passed                     with an amendment by Yea-Nay Vote (61-37) by recorded vote in the Senate on February 26, 2009.
2011 - Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) introduced the “New Columbia Admission Act” (H.R.265) in the 112th Congress on January 12, 2011. The bill garners 28 cosponsors.

2012 - U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) introduced the “New Columbia Admission Act” (S.3696) in the 112th Congress on December 19, 2012. The bill garners three original cosponsors.
2013 - U.S. Senator Thomas Carper (D-Del.) introduced the “New Columbia Admission Act” (S.132) in the 113th Congress on January 24, 2013.  The bill garners 21 cosponsors (3 original).

2014 - “Shadow Politics” debuts April 13th on BBS Radio. This hour-long call-in talk show starts a dialog with listeners about important hot-button issues in local, national and international politics – including D.C. statehood.
          - Testimony on the “Equality for the District of Columbia” – Discussing the Implications of the “New Columbia Admission Act of 2013” (S.132) at a hearing before the U.S. 
             Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs, which includes testimony by U.S. Senator Michael D. Brown, on September 15th.
          - The D.C. Council voted Oct. 28th to create a five-member New Columbia Statehood Commission – comprised of the mayor, D.C. Council chairman and the three-member D.C. Statehood Delegation.
2015 - U.S. Senator Thomas Carper introduced the “New Columbia Admission Act” (S.1688) in the 114th Congress on June 25, 2015.  The bill garners 20 cosponsors (17 original).

2016 - The New Columbia Statehood Commission presides over the District of Columbia's three-day Constitutional Convention on June 13 and June 17-18, 2016.
          - Nearly 79% (244,134) of D.C. registered voters approved Advisory Referendum B on the "State of New Columbia Admission Act" on November 8, 2016.
2017 - Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) introduced the “Washington, D.C. Admission Act” (H.R.1291) in the 115th Congress on March 1, 2017.  The bill currently has 157 cosponsors (116 original).
          - U.S. Senator Thomas Carper (D-Del.) introduced the “Washington, D.C. Admission Act” (S.1278) in the 115th Congress on May 25, 2017.  The bill has 22 cosponsors (18 original) – less one due to resignation.
          - At the XIII General Assembly of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization in Edinburgh, Scotland, June 26-28, a resolution for D.C Statehood and Self-Determination was introduced and unanimously approved.
2020 - In an historic vote, H.R.51, the Washington, DC Admission Act, is approved (232-180) by recorded vote on the floor of the United States House of Representatives on June 26th.
2021 - H.R. 51: MAKING D.C. THE 51st STATE hearing before the Committee on Oversight and Reform is held in the U.S. House of Representatives on March 22, 2021.
          - The Washington, D.C. Admission Act, H.R.51, is approved (216-208) by a recorded vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on April 22, 2021.