On this day in 1936, President Franklin Roosevelt laid the cornerstone for the Jefferson Memorial. The memorial is located in West Potomac Park, on the shore of the Potomac River’s Tidal Basin. That site was chosen partly because it had a direct view of the White House. It was constructed between 1939 and 1943. There was some opposition and controversy surrounding it initially, leading to an incident dubbed “The Cherry Tree Rebellion”. The Jefferson Memorial was officially opened and dedicated on April 13, 1943, the 200th anniversary of Jefferson’s birthday. Learn more about the monument in the audio below!