On This Day: British Troops Set Fire to the White House

During the War of 1812 on August 24, 1814, British troops invaded Washington, D.C. In response to an American attack on York, Ontario in Canada, the British troops occupied the capital and set fire to many federal buildings including the White House. President Madison and members of the government fled the city during the occupation. It marks the only time in U.S. history that Washington, D.C. had been occupied by a foreign military.