1956 — The Invasion of Port Said

On November 5, 1956, British and French paratroops landed around Port Said, at the Mediterranean end of the Suez Canal, followed the next day by amphibious troops. The assault came in the Suez Crisis, after Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal Company on July 26, 1956. Britain and France, in league with Israel, which had invaded Sinai on October 29, moved to retake the canal by force.

The landings seized ground at the canal's northern entrance, but they could not hold the world's consent. Under intense international pressure, Britain and France accepted a ceasefire, and the canal remained in Egyptian hands — a political victory for Nasser.