On May 7, 1915, still relatively early in World War I, a German [[U-boat]] sunk a massive British passenger liner known as the Lusitania off the coast of Ireland. This one sinking killed 1,198 people, including 128 U.S. citizens. A member of the prominent Vanderbilt family, known for its railroad empire, was among the fatalities. The overall number of casualties was only a few hundred less than those who died on the Titanic when it hit an iceberg in 1912. | On May 7, 1915, still relatively early in World War I, a German [[U-boat]] sunk a massive British passenger liner known as the Lusitania off the coast of Ireland. This one sinking killed 1,198 people, including 128 U.S. citizens. A member of the prominent Vanderbilt family, known for its railroad empire, was among the fatalities. The overall number of casualties was only a few hundred less than those who died on the Titanic when it hit an iceberg in 1912. |