On May 7, 1915, the passenger ship, the Lusitania, was hit by a torpedo from a German U-boat. The torpedo blast was followed by a larger explosion from the ship’s boilers or from munitions the ship was transporting to Europe. The ship sank within 20 minutes, causing the deaths of 1201 passengers. Some around President Wilson felt the U.S. should strike back, but the United States did not formally enter World War I until April of 1917.
