Opportunities abound to stay for free at someone's home or apartment while they, themselves, are on vacation (often pet sitting or plant-watering are the only requirements)
Sleep for free on vacation by watching someone's house (and, often, watering their plants and feeding their cat)
On August 27, 1896, Britain declared war on its protectorate Zanzibar, where a pretender to the Sultanate had just siezed power.
At 9:02am, British ships in the habor began shelling the would-be Sultan's palace.
By 9:40, the shelling had stopped, the palace was on fire, and the pretender's flag had been cut down.
At 38 minutes, the Anglo-Zanzibar War remains the shortest war on record.
Some 500 Zanzibaris were killed.
One British Petty Officer was wounded.
