The Brits and French, still reeling from the nationalization of the Suez Canal by Egypt's Gamal Abdel Nasser, launched a joint military operation to reclaim the strategic waterway. After a week of aerial bombing, paratroopers descended upon the Egyptian town of Port Said, marking the beginning of a brief but intense conflict. The world held its breath as the United States and the Soviet Union navigated a delicate Cold War dance, ultimately leading to a ceasefire and withdrawal of foreign forces.