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Archduke Franz Ferdinand was killed in Sarajevo.
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Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia.
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Germany declares a submarine blockade of Great Britain. Any ship approaching England is considered a legitimate target.
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U-boat sinks the Lusitania. 1,198 civilians, including 128 Americans die.
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US President Wilson publicly warns Germany not to continue unrestricted submarine warfare policies
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The Battle of the Somme results in an estimated one million casualties and no breakthrough for the Allies. British introduce the tank, an effective weapon but far to few to make much of a difference.
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President Wilson asks Congress for a declaration of war with Imperial Germany.
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The United States passes the Selective Service Act empowering the Federal Government to draft men for the armed forces.
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Germans on the banks of the Marne near Paris are stopped by American forces at Chateau-Thierry.
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At eleven o'clock on the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, the war ends as Germany and Allies sign an Armistice.
