DID THE SUN NEVER SET ON THE BRITISH EMPIRE?
The British Empire was at its largest in 1920, after Britain acquired Germany’s East and West African colonies and Samoa through the Treaty of Versailles, following the end of World War One.
At this point, it was true that the sun never set on the British Empire – during a 24-hour day there was never a moment where there wasn’t daylight somewhere in Britain’s territories. These covered a quarter of the Earth’s surface, but included countries that were under protection agreements, rather than being formally under British sovereignty.
The Empire began shrinking almost as soon as it reached its greatest extent as, just two years later in 1922, Ireland and Egypt gained independence. The exertions of World War Two led to its dissolution. By 1967, 20 former colonies were independent nations.
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