British and German officers meeting in No Man's Land, 1914 (Photo credit: Imperial War Museum collection)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The National World War I Museum in Kansas City has commemorated the 99th anniversary of the World War I Christmas Truce of 1914. During World War I, soldiers from the warring sides set down their arms for a short time to play soccer, swap gifts and sing. It's said the Germans won by a single goal before all sides returned to warfare. The Kansas City Star reports that on Thursday, 99 years later in Kansas City, Sporting Kansas City and the museum put on a three-on-three soccer tournament — 24 teams in two divisions facing off in 43 games to commemorate the Christmas Truce of 1914. The gathering was among the early events in a year of activity as the museum gears up for the centennial of the war.