On this day in 1790, Congress dictated that a swamp along the Potomac River would be where the country's new capital would be built, thanks to its positioning near several key rivers. The landscape has changed massively since (though the weather remains unbearably muggy in summer). President George Washington commissioned architect and Revolutionary War veteran Pierre L'Enfant to design the new city. Two key buildings were part of L'Enfant's plan, which were then called the Congress House (now the Capitol) and the President's House (now the White House).
The White House's first cornerstones were placed in 1793. Once it was completed in 1800, John Adams was the first president to live in the building. The plan also included an early version of the National Mall, the stretch of museums and monuments that connects the two buildings and several other public squares.
You can learn more about L'Enfant's plan in this article from the Smithsonian Magazine.
