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Lusitania: Quick Facts

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The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

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Did You Know?

  • Room 40 was the name of the secret British anti-submarine espionage organization during WWI.
  • The U-boat that attacked the Lusitania ran into it by chance; the Lusitania had left two hours late that day.
  • Passengers chose to sail on the Lusitania despite the danger, because most people believed that the Germans would not shoot at a civilian vessel.

Photos

The British ocean liner Lusitania, with four large smokestacks, approaches port in this early 20th-century black and white photograph.
Infographic about the sinking of the Lusitania on May 7, 1915, featuring a map of its route from New York to Liverpool, an illustration of the ship, a timeline of key events, casualty statistics, and facts about the German submarine that sank it during World War I.
Lusitania
Front page of the New York Herald with the headline reading The Lusitania is sunk; 1,000 probably are lost, featuring a photo of the ship and images of crew members.
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