Timeline Thursday 25 August 1814

Events on Thursday 25 August 1814 1

• 1814 British forces burn Washington, D.C. The White House and Capitol are set ablaze During the War of 1812, British troops captured Washington and set fire to the White House, the Capitol, and other public buildings in retaliation for earlier American raids in Canada. President James Madison and his government fled the city before the attack. It remains the only time a foreign power has captured the United States capital.