🎵 Cue some upbeat 1950s music to set the tone! 🎷

Egypt's leader, Nasser, surprises the West with a big announcement! Think of this as the plot twist in your favorite movie.

• Date: 26 July 1956

• Place: Egypt (with a huge audience)

• Statement by Nasser: "The Suez Canal is our Canal!"

  🌊 Real-world example: Imagine a busy highway in your city. Now imagine the mayor saying, "We built it, and from now on, we're in charge, and we're using the toll fees to build a mega amusement park!"

• It's a major waterway connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea.

• Used by ships to cut travel time instead of circling around Africa.

  🌊 Real-world example: Imagine a super-fast shortcut you use to get to school that saves you hours! The Canal is that shortcut for ships.

• Egypt: Celebrations! They're thrilled with this daring act of independence.

• Britain & France: Not thrilled. At all. Furious might be the word.

  • British PM, Anthony Eden: Feels like Nasser's holding a grip on them.

  • French: Call Nasser “Hitler on the Nile” (not a compliment). Think back to the 1930s, where nations tried to keep Hitler happy and it... didn't end well.