Through the years: Washington DC's national mall

August 1963: Martin Luther King waves to the crowd during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream speech during the rally Photograph: Time & Life Pictures

October 1996: An Aids quilt stretches from the Washington Monument to the US Capitol on the national mall. Each panel on the quilt commemorated a person who died from the disease Photograph: Rod Edmonds/AP

October 2004: A woman holds a photo during the Mayday for Marriage rally on the national mall. Conservative Christian leaders who supported traditional marriage organised the protest Photograph: Matthew Cavanaugh/Getty

August 1963: A crowd of over 200,000 gathers on the national mall for Martin Luther King’'s I Have a Dream speech. The speech was the defining moment of the civil rights movement Photograph: Paul Schutzer/Time Life Pictures

September 2004: Jorge Medina and other Aztecs dance on the national mall during the dedication of the National Museum of the American Indian Photograph: J Scott Applewhite/AP

November 1969: The Vietnam war moratorium rally passes along Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol building. The demonstration was the largest officially recorded rally on the mall with over 500,000 participants Photograph: AP

September 2003: Britney Spears performs during a concert on the national mall to kick-off the NFL season Photograph: Frank Micelotta/Getty

October 2000: Thousands gather on the national mall to participate in the Million Family March. The event was held to celebrate racial and religious harmony and family unity Photograph: Mario Tama/AFP

April 2006: George Clooney and Chris Rock take part in the Save Darfur rally on the national mall. The organisation of over 170 faith-based, advocacy and humanitarian groups aims to bring awareness to the ongoing crisis in Sudan Photograph: Jonathan Ernest/Reuters

January 2003: Thousands gather on the national mall to protest the build-up to the Iraq war. The rally drew comparisons to the Vietnam war protests Photograph: Rick Bowmer/AP

January 2005: George W Bush gives his inaugural address in Washington DC. Millions are expected in America’'s capital for Barack Obama’'s inauguration Photograph: Don Emmert/Getty