


Paul Simon was born in Newark, New Jersey. he is 84 today.
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On September 18, 1793, President George Washington laid the cornerstone to the United States Capitol building, the home of
the legislative branch of American government.
The formal Masonic ceremony was preceded by a parade and
followed by celebration and feasting when a 500 pound ox
was barbequed.
The building would take nearly a century to complete, as
architects came and went, the British set fire to it (above)
and it was called into use during the Civil War.
Today, the Capitol building, with its famous cast-iron
dome and important collection of American art, is
part of the Capitol Complex, which includes six
Congressional office buildings and three Library
of Congress buildings, all developed in the 19th
and 20th centuries.
Painting depicting the laying of the cornerstone by President George Washington.
The cornerstone was laid for a presidential residence in the
newly designated capital city of Washington, D.C. In 1800,
President John Adams became the first president to reside
in the executive mansion, which soon became known as the
“White House” because its white-gray Virginia freestone
contrasted strikingly with the red brick of nearby buildings.
The initial construction took place over a period of eight
years, at a reported cost of $232,371.83.

John Adams
(October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826)
The White House in 1800.
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On September 18, 1793, George Washington laid the cornerstone
to the United States Capitol building, the home of the legislative
branch of American government. The building would take nearly
a century to complete, as architects came and went, the British
set fire to it and it was called into use during the Civil War.
Today, the Capitol building, with its famous cast-iron dome
and important collection of American art, is part of the Capitol
Complex, which includes six Congressional office buildings
and three Library of Congress buildings, all developed in the
19th and 20th centuries.



The cornerstone was laid for a presidential residence in the
newly designated capital city of Washington, D.C. In 1800,
President John Adams became the first president to reside
in the executive mansion, which soon became known as the
“White House” because its white-gray Virginia freestone
contrasted strikingly with the red brick of nearby buildings.
John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826)