A 1967 war stopped for two days so that both sides could watch Pele play soccer

One of the bloodiest wars in modern history, the Nigerian civil war ran from July 6, 1967 until January of 1970. It only stopped for two days over its three year span, and that was so that Nigerians could watch the biggest soccer star of all time, Pele, play two exhibition matches against some local teams. Both sides of the conflict, the Nigerian government and the breakaway Republic of Biafra, agreed to a ceasefire so that it was safe for Pele to enter the country.