Tag Archives: National Zoo

More Can’t Miss D.C. Attractions

Happy Veteran’s Day! To all the men and women who defend our freedoms on a daily basis know how much you are appreciated. And to all of the family members of our service men and women, my sincere thanks for the sacrifice you make each time your loved one is sent far away from home to protect our country. In honor of Veteran’s Day I am devoting a series of blogs to Washington, D.C.’s most popular attractions. We’ve already discussed the some of the foremost symbols of American democracy, now we’re moving on to some other can’t miss attractions. The … Continue reading →

Panda Politics: The Tale of Hsing-Hsing and Ling-Ling

The year was 1972, the president Nixon. He’d made a historic trip to the People’s Republic of China, as he was the first U.S. President to do so. The mission: to stabilize diplomatic relations between the two countries. The result: success. The two countries were able to amicably communicate once more. As a gesture of thanks and goodwill, Mao Zedong, the Chairman of the People’s Republic at the time, gifted two giant pandas to Nixon: Hsing-Hsing (a one-and-a-half-year-old male) and Ling-Ling (a two-and-a-half-year-old female). They arrived at their new home, the National Zoo, on this date in 1972. Hsing-Hsing and … Continue reading →