https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...al-ever-given/


Has this happened before?
The canal has long been at the center of geopolitical tussling, most notably its dramatic closing in 1956 that saw British, French and Israeli forces enter Egypt in a bid to overthrow President Gamal Abdel Nasser, who sought to nationalize the Suez Canal Company. The event turned into a humiliating defeat after the United States withheld its support for the invading forces.

The canal was later closed for eight years after the Arab-Israeli War, before being reopened in 1975. There have been other smaller blockages more recently: In 2017, a Japanese vessel carrying containers became blocked in the canal after it had a mechanical issue. Tugboats and Egyptian authorities, however, were able to kick-start the ship within a couple of hours.