10 World Famous Landmarks That Were Almost Destroyed

1. The White House Has Been Burned To The Ground And Damaged By Tornadoes... As Well As The British Army

Few buildings - if any - have had to be reconstructed as many times as the White House in Washington DC. Completed in its original form in 1800, the then-wooden structure has been burned to the ground and damaged by tornadoes. It was the British Army - during the War of 1812 - who infiltrated the White House, sat down and ate the dinner that had already been prepared on the table for the US government, before burning the building to the ground in 1814. Despite the British having taken complete control of the American capital and the presidential residence, three freak tornadoes struck Washington DC - forcing the invading soldiers to rush back to their ships. In fact, a greater number of British soldiers died as a result of the tornadoes than they did from American gunfire. The White House was partially rebuilt by 1824, yet it was left to fall in disrepair over the next 150 years. It was not until President Harry Truman took office that a complete renovation to prevent the building collapsing was ordered - finally creating the outer facade of White House as it can be seen today.