🧠 The Daily Fact #22

The shortest war in history was fought between Britain and Zanzibar on August 27, 1896. It lasted only 38 minutes. The conflict began when Sultan Khalid bin Barghash refused to step down after the death of the pro-British sultan. In response, the British navy bombarded the sultan’s palace, quickly forcing his surrender. Despite its brevity, the war resulted in about 500 casualties on Zanzibar’s side, while the British reported only one injury. The rapid resolution cemented its place in history as a record-breaking conflict.