In a metropolitan area full of history and historical markers, two plaques in Arlington, Virginia—just across the river from Washington, DC—are easy to miss. They sit a block apart in the Rosslyn neighborhood, consisting of office buildings, high-rise apartments, and fast-food restaurants. I passed them many times as a bicycle commuter before I stopped to read what they said.
The first plaque commemorates the spot where “Deep Throat” met Bob Woodward, the Washington Post reporter who was investigating the Watergate break-in.
The second plaque pays homage to the relatively unknown group of engineers who worked on ARPANET, laying the foundation of what became that world-altering feature of modern life, the internet.