This fact of the day is particularly interesting in that it marked one of the first (if not the first) restricted areas of flight.
The institution of the restricted area over the White House was likely a delayed reaction to the so-called "Business Plot," a conspiracy to overthrow FDR in 1933 and '34. In addition, the presence of the FAA was growing under FDR's funding for various civil service programs. These two factors, combined with numerous extraneous factors, led to the restriction of White House airspace.
The change in airspace can be seen in the images below:
In this sectional image, notice there is no restriction over the capital, Washington Monument, and White House in the upper-right hand corner.
The sectional is from 1935 (prior to the February 22nd implication of restrictions).
Sourced from "Abandoned & Little Known Airfields: Virginia"
The following sectional image is from 1940, and does indeed display the restricted area over the capital and associated areas (the White House area may not be visible in this sectional image):
Sourced from "Abandoned & Little Known Airfields: Virginia"
A recent sectional chart of the D.C. area shows the expansion of the restricted area to where it is today:
