RMS Lusitania

The RMS Lusitania was a British passenger liner built by John Brown & Company of Clydebank, Scotland, and launched in 1906. At the time, she was one of the largest and fastest ships in the world. On May 7, 1915, while traveling from New York to Liverpool, the Lusitania was torpedoed by the German U-boat U-20. She sank in just 18 minutes. Out of the 1,959 passengers and crew on board, 1,198 died, including 123 Americans. The sinking caused outrage around the world. The incident was a major factor in swaying American public opinion against Germany, and the United States formally protested German conduct. This incident was a critical factor in the United States' eventual entry into World War I in 1917. the Lusitania is remembered as a tragic event and a watershed moment of World War I. The wreck herself has also become a famous site for technical diving.