The Washington Monument has a new neighbor for the next 250 years.
United States and United Kingdom officials planted a time capsule that won’t be opened until 2276 at the Washington Monument during a ceremony Tuesday afternoon.
Inspired by a “twin” time capsule sealed in June 2025 under the George Washington statue in Trafalgar Square in London, Tuesday’s installment came after months of planning to commemorate America’s 250th birthday and the two countries’ relationship.
The capsule, designed by British architect Norman Foster, includes a proclamation from Britain’s King Charles III, signed letters from President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, soil from George Washington’s Mount Vernon home, and booklets of winning entries from student writing contests.
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One contest was the 2025 Expressions of Freedom competition by students in grades 3-12 from eight school districts across Virginia.
Connor Sigman, who is 18 and a student at the University of Virginia, was selected for an essay he wrote as a junior at Gar-Field High School in Woodbridge, Virginia, about what freedom meant to him. He said being one of the students selected felt surreal.
“If I had to sum it up in one word, it’s an amazing feeling,” Sigman said. “I’m a big fan of ‘Hamilton’ and musicals, so all I can really think of right now is a quote from it. ‘Legacy, what is a legacy? It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see.’ And I feel that perfectly embodies it.”
U.K. Ambassador to the U.S. Christian Turner said organizers considered holding the ceremony during King Charles’ visit to the U.S. in April, but scheduling conflicts and safety concerns made it unmanageable.
“This was just the obvious point in time, before it gets too cold, and the ground is frozen,” Turner said.
Speakers at the ceremony included former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who told the crowd he asked AI — or what he called “super intelligence,” Trump’s new name for AI — how many generations would pass before the capsule opens. His answer was nine.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum also used Trump’s name for AI while speaking to spectators about what life will be like by America’s 500th birthday.
“Of course, in an age of super intelligence, when we expect breakthroughs to come, perhaps the youngest who are here today might be there 250 years from now,” Burgum said. “Who knows?”
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misstated the high school Connor Sigman attended. It was Gar-Field High School in Woodbridge, Virginia.
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