The World War One Centennial Commission hosts events in New York and Washington to mark the sinking of the Lusitania on its final voyage from New York to Liverpool.
Almost 130 Americans were lost when the passenger liner was sunk by the German submarine, U-20, off the coast of Cork, Ireland. It is seen as one of the pivotal events in driving America to enter the war in 1917.
On the morning of Thursday May 7th 2015 (10am EDT), descendants of Lusitania passengers and guests will convene for a wreath laying ceremony in Battery Park, New York City.
From the Centennial Commission: “The location is symbolic, as it houses the first dedicated memorial to World War One in the United States. Further, the location overlooks the Statue of Liberty, and is not far from Pier 54, where the RMS Lusitania departed on her final voyage one hundred years ago.”
The commission will also host a panel discussion about the tragedy, its legacy, and the impact of the German attack on public opinion in the US at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.
The panel will include noted historians, among them: John Maxwell (Louisiana State University), Professor Richard Striner (Washington College), and Rear Admiral Samuel Cox (Director of US Navy Hiistory and Heritage Command).
The event will take place at 6:30 pm, EDT.
For more information on the commemoration in New York, please click here.
For more information on the panel discussion in Washington, and how to attend, please click here.
Find out more about the World War One Centennial Commission on their website.
Images: Centenary News
Posted by: Éadaoin Hegarty, Centenary News