On This Day: Second Opium War: Dissatisfied with imperial commissioner Ye Mingchen's... (1856)

On October 23, 1856: Second Opium War: Dissatisfied with imperial commissioner Ye Mingchen's reparations for the alleged slighting of a British-owned vessel and at Consul Harry Parkes's urging, British Rear-Admiral Michael Seymour launches an assault on the Barrier Forts outside Canton in the first military engagement of the Second Opium War.

This historical event can serve as a powerful sermon illustration about God's creation and human discovery. Consider using it when preaching about discovery.