The Shortest War Ever Fought

War is never a good thing. It inevitably leads to the loss of life, the destruction of infrastructure, and while the argument can be made that it’s good for an economy, it’s never worth the cost. Wars sometimes last for years, and occasionally for decades, even generations, but once in a while wars are surprisingly short. In fact, The British once won a war in 38 minutes. The conflict took place in Zanzibar, and it certainly makes for an interesting story.

Khalid bin Barghash became the Sultan of Zanzibar in 1896 after the death of his predecessor, Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini, and the British were none too happy. British authorities demanded another Sultan be installed, and faced with an ultimatum from the British regiment, Khalid bin Barghash chose to barricade himself in the royal palace rather than leave with his forces. Although British forces were outnumbered nearly 3 to 1, they did have the support of two gunboats and three cruisers. The Anglo-Zanzibar War took place in Stone Town, Zanzibar City, and was over in a mere 38 minutes, making it the shortest war in history. The final casualty count was approximately 500 on the Zanzibar side, whereas only one British soldier sustained an injury. Khalid bin Barghash managed to escape the conflict and sought asylum in German East Africa.

Looking for a deep dive into the world of history? Visit our online library at www.longagos.com for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more. Accessible anytime, anywhere, from your favorite devices.

The Shortest War Ever Fought

War is never a good thing. It inevitably leads to the loss of life, the destruction of infrastructure, and while the argument can be made that it’s good for an economy, it’s never worth the cost. Wars sometimes last for years, and occasionally for decades, even generations, but once in a while wars are surprisingly short. In fact, The British once won a war in 38 minutes. The conflict took place in Zanzibar, and it certainly makes for an interesting story.

Khalid bin Barghash became the Sultan of Zanzibar in 1896 after the death of his predecessor, Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini, and the British were none too happy. British authorities demanded another Sultan be installed, and faced with an ultimatum from the British regiment, Khalid bin Barghash chose to barricade himself in the royal palace rather than leave with his forces. Although British forces were outnumbered nearly 3 to 1, they did have the support of two gunboats and three cruisers. The Anglo-Zanzibar War took place in Stone Town, Zanzibar City, and was over in a mere 38 minutes, making it the shortest war in history. The final casualty count was approximately 500 on the Zanzibar side, whereas only one British soldier sustained an injury. Khalid bin Barghash managed to escape the conflict and sought asylum in German East Africa.

Looking for a deep dive into the world of history? Visit our online library at www.longagos.com for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more. Accessible anytime, anywhere, from your favorite devices.

Outrageous History: Destroying Da Vinci

Easily considered one of the most important and influential artists of all time, Leonardo Da Vinci has fascinated historians and artists alike with his art, inventions, and writing, and has museums throughout Italy and Europe dedicated entirely to his work. It comes as no surprise, then, that the discovery of a previously unknown Da Vinci sketch brought about much excitement in the 1990s. Found among drawings of 17th-century printmaker Stefano della Bella, the sketch presented a new opportunity to study the great master and was considered, of course, to be priceless.

The sketch depicted Orpheus as he was attacked by the furies, it was done for the the production of Orpheus by playwright Poliziano, a contemporary of Da Vinci. Unfortunately, we’ll never get to see it. Although special measures are usually taken to preserve such pieces, the team in charge of restoring the newly discovered sketch acted a bit too hastily in their excitement. In an attempt to clean the sketch the team of restorers treated it with a solution of alcohol and water, which unfortunately dissolved the ink. A better approach, as scholars noted, would have been to test the ink for solubility before treating the entire sketch, but alas. The sketch is currently being preserved in the hopes that imaging technology will one day be able to bring it back to life.

Looking for a deep dive into the world of history? Visit our online library at www.longagos.com for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more, accessible anytime from your favorite devices.

Young Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison is often described as America's greatest inventor. The American inventor and businessman had 2,332 patents to his name at the time of his death, and is credited with inventing or developing many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. Many of his inventions, such as the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and the electric light bulb may have undergone modifications since Edison’s time but are still in use today. That said, some of the stories from Edison’s early life are troubling, to say the least.

As a young boy Edison conducted his first experiment of sorts. Fascinated by the sight of a hen incubating her eggs until they hatched, Edison proceeded to take a handful of hen eggs and attempted to hatch them himself much like the hen did.

In another experiment Edison had convinced a young friend to consume a considerable quantity of a chemical compound that would produce a gas within the boy’s body. Edison thought it could make the boy fly, but instead it made him gravely ill.

Things became a little more serious when Edison set up a chemistry laboratory inside an unused boxcar during his brief time as a railway worker. The train in question had lurched forward, and the resulting spill caused a chemical fire that nearly burned down the entire boxcar.

An inventive genius without a doubt, but one who had a shaky start nonetheless.

Looking for more from the world of history? Visit our online library at www.longagos.com for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more, accessible anytime from your favorite devices.

Strange Tales Throughout Time

Real life is often stranger than fiction, and a deep dive into history will certainly reveal many such cases. While not all of these examples may have made it into the history books used in schools, these often bizarre occurrences are a part of our history nonetheless. Here are three strange tales from different times.

Your teeth look ghostly white. While stories may swirl regarding George Washington’s dentures and what they may or may not have been made of, a perhaps stranger denture story revolves around the battle of Waterloo. Waterloo dentures, as they would eventually become known, were made from the pulled teeth of soldiers who had fallen in battle.

Mermaids so fair. In 1493, on his second voyage from Spain Christopher Columbus spotted what he believed to be three mermaids nothing that the mermaids were: “not half as beautiful as they are painted.” Given the information we have today, it is believed that Columbus in fact observed three manatees.

Wrong place at the wrong time. Among the many tragedies of the second World War were the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which directly and indirectly took the lives of an estimated 129,000 to 226,000 people. Among the survivors was a man named Tsutomu Yamaguchi, who witnessed the first bomb drop in Hiroshima only to return home to Nagasaki a day before the second bomb was dropped. Astonishingly, Yamaguchi would live to be 93 years old until his passing in January of 2010.

Looking for more history related reads? Visit our online library at www.longagos.com for a wide variety of ebooks, audio books, music, and more!

Best History Podcasts

“Those Who Cannot Remember History Are Doomed To Repeat It” are wise words, and if you want to make sure you heard them, check out this list of brilliant historical podcasts to delve into. There is so much to still be unearthed and said about history, and so much to cover, that creating a comprehensive list would be next to impossible. This list, however, does include some of the best, and makes a fine jumping off point.

The Way I Heard It by Mike Rowe

These short podcasts, usually around ten minutes in length, are fantastically detailed and immersive bitesize chunks of history. With Rowe blending insight and humor to bring attention to the little-known backstories of famous events and figures from throughout history.

Revisionist History by Malcolm Gladwell

Anything with Gladwell involved is sure to be a riveting and insightful listen, and this podcast from the famed author is no exception. Revisionist History tackles the moments, ideas, and people from history that have become misrepresented, overlooked, or sometimes even ignored. Bringing valuable insight and illumination to deserving topics.

History Chicks by Beckett Graham and Susan Vollenweider

This lively and spirited podcast focuses on a wide range of contemporary and past historical female figures, bringing them to life with well-researched insight, a valuable feminist perspective, and a tone that never becomes too dry or academic.

If you’re still thirsting for more facts and knowledge, why not head over to www.longagos.com. Where they have a wide-ranging and comprehensive selection of history related eBooks and audiobooks to suit everyone, no matter what your area of interest.

Why Brushing Up On Our History Can Be Helpful For Us

History is exactly that, history. It’s behind us and it doesn’t exist anymore, except in our memories, which makes it real for some. Still, for others, it’s not something to consider very much. But what if looking back can be a good thing? For many, looking back at their past is a way to figure out what worked, what didn’t work and what might work instead.

1. We all make mistakes, and looking back on them and reassessing our past decisions can help us with the decisions we have to make in the present for our future. Our experiences are what form us, so it’s only natural to pull answers from them to help us out if need be.

2. Looking back can also help us know ourselves more, by noticing how we’ve evolved as human beings. Questions like “Where did we come from?”, “What did we inherit?”, and “How was culture and society then, compared to now?”, can help us understand how we got to where we are now.

3. Looking back on history can also help us understand the changes that were made to create the world we live in today. Like mentioned before, each person is shaped by their own experiences. If we aren’t aware of the history that formed each and every one of us, we can’t fully understand the changes that were made and were necessary for human evolution.

4. One of the most important reasons to look back on history is to learn from it because history does repeat itself. If we look back, reassess, get to know ourselves more, and understand the changes that were necessary, we can avoid huge mistakes.

Reading books on some prominent figures in history can help us understand how life was in the past, how it is now, and how it got from there to here. Take Charlotte Mason, by Margaret A. Coombs, for example. This book is about an English woman at the turn of the 20th century who influenced education and educators everywhere, dedicating her life to creating a liberal curriculum for all, and paving the way for students with her motto: “I am, I can, I ought, I will.” Even to this day, the “Charlotte Mason method” is used in education. Reading this book will open your mind to how things worked at that time and how it differs from and relates to now. At our website www.longagos.com, you can find more interesting books on people of the past and delve deep into a world that paved the way for us. Go back in time...you may be surprised at what you find.