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Great War Begins
A war fought from 1914 to 1918 between the allies, notably Britain,France, Russia, and Italy (which entered in 1915), and the Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire -
Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
A teenage Serbian nationalist gunned down Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, as their motorcade maneuvered through the streets of Sarajevo -
Kaiser declares “open season” on ships
On February 4, 1915, Kaiser Wilhelm announced Germany's intention to sink any ships chose to enter British waters after February 18 -
Lusitania Sunk
The sinking of the Cunard ocean liner RMS Lusitania occurred on Friday, 7 May 1915 during the First World War, as Germany waged submarine warfare against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the British Royal Navy blockaded Germany. -
Battle of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme also known as the Somme Offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British and French empires against the German Empire. -
Wilson Re-elected
Woodrow Wilson became the first Democratic president since Andrew Jackson to be elected to two consecutive terms of office when he defeated Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes in the 1916 Presidential Election. -
Zimmerman Note Intercepted
The Zimmermann Telegram was an internal diplomatic communication issued from the German Foreign Office in January 1917 that proposed a military alliance between Germany and Mexico in the event of the United States' entering World War I against Germany. -
US Declares War on Germany
On April 6, 1917, the United States Congress declared war upon the German Empire; on April 2, President Woodrow Wilson had asked a special joint session of Congress for this declaration. -
Selective Service Act
This authorized the federal government to raise a national army for the American entry into World War 1 through the compulsory enlistment of people. -
Convoy System
The convoy system, which can be defined as a group of merchant vessels sailing together, with or without naval escort, for mutual security and protection, has a much longer history than sometimes suggested. -
Espionage Age passed
It was intended to prohibit interference with military operations or recruitment, to prevent insubordination in the military, and to prevent the support of United States enemies during wartime -
Russia pulls out of war
A group of Communists led by Vladimir Lenin, the Bolsheviks, overthrew the government in November 1917 and created a Communist government -
Fourteen Points Speech
This was a statement of principles for peace that was to be used for peace negotiations in order to end World War I. -
Flu Epidemic
The flu pandemic was an unusually deadly influenza pandemic, the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus. -
Sedition Act Passed
Act of the United States Congress that extended the Espionage Act of 1917 to cover a broader range of offenses. -
Germany signs armistice
This was an armistice during the First World War between the Allies and Germany – also known as the Armistice of Compiègne after the location in which it was signed – and the agreement that ended the fighting on the Western Front.
