A Tornado Saved America

To Americans, all tornadoes are curses. Except one. Let me call it the Twister of 1814.

1814 was the year of a war that gave birth to "The Star-Spangled Banner," our national anthem.

"Through the perilous fight..."

On August 24th, 1814, British troops overran the U.S. Capital. In a celebratory mood, they made "fireworks" out of a city-wide blaze, highlighted by the burning of the White House.

The British "fireworks" went on unabated the next day, August 25th. Then came a freakish rainy tornado which put out the fire and let the American defenders snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

Happy New Year to the USA!


Author: renqiulan

 

 

 

 

 

 

所有跟帖： 

• 沙！發！秋蘭新年快樂！2023年最後一天，英文讀書沙龍如約而至。願美壇以書香之氣迎接新年！ -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 19:44:54

• Happy New Year, 盈盈 ! -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 19:52:33

• 先點讚，再來細細看。：）) -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 19:46:03

• Thank you. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 19:53:05

• Hi, renqiulan! Happy New Year to you and your family! -藍靈- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 19:58:23

• Hi, 藍靈 ! Happy New Year ! -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 20:01:23

• The coincidence of historical events can have significant -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 19:59:52

• implications and shape the course of history. -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 20:00:34

• Indeed, 盈盈. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 20:03:24

• Thought a simbolic tornado turned out 2b a ture 1. -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 20:11:12

• Enlighten me. Hi, 移花接木! Happy New Year! -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 20:18:09

• The Twister of 1814 is a powerful and beautiful one! -CBA7- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 20:24:10

• We need more twisters like this one :) -CBA7- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 20:25:07

• You're so nice to tornadoes! Thank you and Happy New Year! -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 20:33:08

• I'm nice to positive tornadoes only :) -CBA7- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 20:37:33

• Happy New Year! Thank you for sharing. -CBA7- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 20:41:56

• My pleasure. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 21:28:02

• Happy New Year, Qiulan! -甜蟲蟲- ♀ (342 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 20:38:27

• Thank you and Happy New Year, 甜蟲蟲! "抓壯丁" = forced enlistment -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 21:09:28

• How about "cannon fodder?" -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 21:15:54

• Have you been to Times Square for a ball drop countdown? -藍靈- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 21:32:34

• Been there. Done that. And you? -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 21:35:46

• One and done. -藍靈- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 21:41:49

• You probably couldn't put up with the crowd. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 21:48:32

• And an unruly crowd at that. -藍靈- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 21:51:16

• I don't blame you. I won't join the madding crowd anymore. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 21:53:21

• "Far from the madding crowd." Isn't it Thomas Hardy's novel? -藍靈- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 22:03:17

• You don't want to be the protagonist. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 22:08:04

• You don't want to be one of the main male characters, either -藍靈- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 22:09:53

• Absolutely not. Hahaha! -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 22:12:21

• Do you like Hardy's poetry? -藍靈- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 22:13:53

• I like his prose better. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 22:15:43

• That's just what I was thinking. -藍靈- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 22:19:12

• happy new year！ -衛寧- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 21:44:00

• Thank you and Happy New Year, 衛寧 ! -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 21:54:18

• "Through the Perilous Fight" comes from the national anthem. -藍靈- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 22:24:50

• Indeed it does. Ironically though, the war doesn't sound -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 22:28:34

• familiar to, dare I say, many college students. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 22:29:39

• What happens to the college kids? -藍靈- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 22:31:37

• Good question. Your thoughts? -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 22:33:58

• Did they "cancel" the history of that war? -藍靈- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 22:35:31

• You bet. And why did they cancel history? -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 22:38:21

• They're actually canceling nothing. They simply can't. -藍靈- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 22:41:19

• So these college kids are kidding themselves. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 22:42:49

• Yes, ridiculously true. -藍靈- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 22:45:00

• On that note let me say goodnight to you. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 22:48:18

• Good night, renqiulan! -藍靈- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 22:49:32

• 秋蘭新年快樂！ -暖冬cool夏- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 22:45:15

• 謝謝，暖冬cool夏 ！新年快樂！ -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 22:51:36

• Y2024 is in town. Greetings! -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 23:01:49

• Good first morning in 2024, 秋蘭！Have a nice day! -CBA7- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/31/2023 postreply 23:37:44

• Factually and idiomatically, I woke up and smelled -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/01/2024 postreply 07:13:56

• the coffee this morning. I've to get things done. Greetings! -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/01/2024 postreply 07:17:07

• Y2024 is in town. Greetings 秋蘭！ -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/01/2024 postreply 08:22:56

• 謝謝盈盈！Hopefully Y2024 will be kinder, better. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/01/2024 postreply 11:12:12

• 新年快樂平安！ -古樹羽音- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/01/2024 postreply 01:19:16

• 謝謝古樹羽音。新年快樂！ -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/01/2024 postreply 07:56:46

• Happy New Year, big guy from the freedom trail. -AP33912- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/01/2024 postreply 05:31:04

• Happy New Year, AP33912 ! -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/01/2024 postreply 07:18:30

• 謝謝分享，學習了 ：） -xiaosai- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/01/2024 postreply 09:31:14

• 謝謝xiaosai！新年快樂！ -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/01/2024 postreply 11:14:12