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Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
He was supposed to inspect the imperial armed forces in Bosnia and Hezegovina. He is the nephew of Emperor Franz Joseph and heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He is shot to death along with his wife by an ultra-nationalist group called the Black Hand. This day was also his wedding anniversary. -
Great War begins
The assassination of archduke- Franz Ferdinand, heir to Austria-Hungary triggered the European Alliance System and World War I began. -
Kaiser declares “open season” on ships
proclaimed that the North Sea was a war zone. -
Lusitania sank
A German U-boat torpedoed and sank the RMS Lusitania, a British ocean liner en route from New York to Liverpool, England. This played in a significant role of turning public opinion against GErmany, both in the US and abroad. -
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Battle of the Somme
(AKA the Somme Offensive) One of the largest battles of WWI, also one of the bloodiest military battles in history. This was the first great offensive of WWI for the British and it produced a more critical British Attitude toward the war. -
Wilson re-elected
the first democratic president since Andrew Jackson to be elected for two consecutive terms of office. He was up against Supreme Court Justice Charles Hughes during the second election. -
Zimmerman note intercepted
Zimmermann instructed the ambassador, to offer significant financial aid to Mexico if it agreed to enter any future U.S-German conflict as a German ally. If victorious in the conflict, Germany also promised to restore to Mexico the lost territories of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona is published on the front pages of newspapers across America. -
US declares war on Germany
President Wilson asked for a declaration of war against Germany in order to "make the world safe for democracy". -
Selective Service Act
This act would allow the United States federal government to have the power to draft soldiers. -
Convoy system
"Britain introduced its convoy system. Under the new arrangements, a convoy of 10 to 50 merchant ships—along with, possibly, a troopship carrying arms and soldiers—might be escorted by a cruiser, six destroyers, 11 armed trawlers and a pair of torpedo boats with aerial reconnaissance equipment that could detect the movement of underwater submarines." http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/british-naval-convoy-system-introduced -
Espionage Age passed
2 months after the start of the war, it was passed that any person to convey information purposely to interfere with the U.S. armed forces orisecution of the war effort or to promote the success of the country's enemies will be considered an act of crime and will be fined $10,000 and a prison sentence of 20 years. -
Flu Epidemic
The Spanish Flu Pandemic is the deadliest in history. It infected about 1/3 of the planet's population. Citizens were ordered to wear masks. Schools, theaters, and businesses were open and closed on staggered shifts, bodies were piling. This flu is in the respiratory system and is highly contagious. -
Fourteen Points speech
A statement of principles for peace that was to be used for peace negotiations in order to end World War I. -
Russia pulls out of the war
Russia signed a treaty with the central powers ending their participation in World War I. -
Sedition Act passed
A piece of legislation designed to protect America's participation in World War I. -
Germany signs armistice
The great war ends.
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