The Battle of Fort Sumter, which took place from April 12 to April 13, 1861, was the opening engagement of the American Civil War. Confederate forces in South Carolina bombarded the Union-held Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, marking the start of hostilities between the North and South. Key events include:

• After South Carolina seceded in December 1860, Confederate authorities demanded the evacuation of Fort Sumter. Major Robert Anderson, commanding the Union garrison, refused to leave.
• On April 12, 1861, at 4:30 a.m., Confederate artillery batteries around Charleston Harbor opened fire on the fort, initiating a bombardment that lasted about 34 hours.
• The Union forces returned fire but were heavily outgunned. The Confederate shells set fire to wooden buildings inside the fort, including barracks and officer quarters.
• By April 13, with the fort's supplies nearly exhausted and fires threatening the ammunition magazine, Major Anderson agreed to surrender.
• The Union garrison formally surrendered on April 13 at 2:30 p.m., and Confederate troops took control of the fort on April 14.
• There were no combat deaths during the bombardment, but two Union soldiers died in an accidental explosion during the 100-gun salute to the U.S. flag at the surrender ceremony.

The battle galvanized both the North and South, leading President Abraham Lincoln to call for 75,000 volunteers to suppress the rebellion, which in turn prompted more Southern states to secede and join the Confederacy. Fort Sumter's fall is widely recognized as the event that triggered the full-scale American Civil War