Nothing like a fast fight

ISSUE 59– STEVE KOVACS FUN WITH MAPS

DAILY FEATURE: By Steve Kovacs (Introduction by Chuck Gibson)

LOVELAND, OH (August 27, 2020) – In Issue 59 of Steve Kovacs Fun with Maps we learn about the shortest war in history

A War under an Hour. . . 

The shortest war in history was only 38 minutes long and occurred in 1896 on this day.  If only all wars were that short.  It was between the Zanzibar Sultanate and Great Britain.  And, yep, the British won, thanks to their navy.

The Zanzibar archipelago is on the eastern shores of Africa in the Indian Ocean. It is an important producer of spices, has been a trading post for centuries and is quite diverse in its population.  It merged with Tanganyika in 1964 to form Tanzania.  Zanzibar produced many well-known folks, but my favorite is Freddie Mercury of Queen.

How many Queen songs you can think of?

Here is Seutter’s map of Africa from 1753.

Steve Kovacs and his wife Theresa reside in Loveland, Ohio where they raised their two children. He is a passionate collector of antique maps.

Click here to visit his antique map boutique world-on-paper online. Watch for his daily feature Steve Kovacs: Antique Maps & Fun Facts here on Loveland Beacon.