1. The Pig War
In 1859, the United States and the British Empire nearly went to war over a single pig. The conflict erupted on the San Juan Islands, where American farmer Lyman Cutlar shot a British-owned pig rooting in his garden. This seemingly minor incident quickly escalated into an international dispute as both nations deployed troops to the islands. Tensions rose, and for weeks the two sides faced off, each unwilling to back down over the porcine provocation. Fortunately, diplomacy prevailed, and the war ended without a single human casualty, though the pig was not so lucky.
