RMS Lusitania

A British ocean liner noted for its speed, size, and luxurious interior, the Lusitania docks at a pier in this undated photograph. The Cunard Line ship was launched in 1907 and sunk by a German U-boat in 1915, killing nearly 1,200 civilian passengers and crew members, including 128 Americans. The tragedy influenced American popular opinion about the war in Europe, helping to turn the country's largely isolationist stance into support for declaring war on Germany.

This image is part of the George Grantham Bain Collection of photographs at the Library of Congress.