Which 1881 Arizona gunfight lasted about 30 seconds near Tombstone?
Answer
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
Answer
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral was the 1881 Arizona gunfight near Tombstone that lasted about 30 seconds.
On October 26, 1881, lawmen Virgil Earp, Wyatt Earp, Morgan Earp, and Doc Holliday confronted Billy Claiborne, Ike Clanton, Billy Clanton, and Tom and Frank McLaury. The confrontation took place in a vacant lot near the O.K. Corral, rather than inside the corral itself. Three members of the opposing group—Billy Clanton and the McLaury brothers—were killed. Virgil and Morgan Earp and Holliday were wounded; Wyatt Earp was not.
The event became far more famous through dime novels, films, and television than it was at the time. The Earps and Holliday were later acquitted at a preliminary hearing, though tensions continued in Tombstone. The phrase “O.K. Corral” is now commonly used for the entire confrontation, despite the precise location.
Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026