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Austrian throne, Franz Ferdinand, was scheduled to visit Sarajevo in June of 1914, the Black Hand decided to assassinate him because of his perceived threat to Serbian independence. -
The United States declares its neutrality. -
A German U-boat torpedoed the British-owned steamship Lusitania, killing 1,195 people including 128 Americans -
the first woman elected to the United States House of Representatives. -
The British intercept a telegram sent by Alfred Zimmermann in the German Foreign Office to the German embassies in Washington, D.C., and Mexico City. Its message outlines plans for an alliance between Germany and Mexico against the United States. -
Congress passed the Declaration of War. Not unlike the War of 1812, the U.S. went into war to protect shipping and the freedeom of trade while in international waters. Since the beginning of that year, 19 U.S. merchant vessels were sunk by German U-boats. -
Shock troops with the Austro-Hungarian Army pushed 11 Italian divisions off the Mount Ortigara summit, regaining their important defensive position in Asiago, Italy. -
made it a crime for American citizens to "print, utter, or publish... any false, scandalous, and malicious writing" about the government. -
Raymond Weeks, a World War II veteran, organized "National Veterans Day," which included a parade and other festivities, to honor all veterans. -
the president of the United States, for the first time since 1789, personally delivered a treaty to the Senate. This was no ordinary treaty; it was the Treaty of Versailles, ending World War I and establishing the League of Nations.