The RMS Lusitania was a British ocean liner owned and operated by the Cunard Company. When she was first launched in 1906 the Lusitania was the largest, fastest and most luxurious ship in the world, and was only overtaken by her sister ship, RMS Mauritania, and rival vessels like the Titanic a few years later.
Over 7 years the Lusitania made 101 round-trip voyages across the great expanse of the Atlantic Ocean, but her long career was abruptly ended on May 7, 1915. Sailing 12 miles off the coast of Ireland, the Lusitania was struck by a torpedo from a German submarine, the U-20, and sank in just 18 minutes. 1,197 people perished aboard the Lusitania that day, 128 of whom were US citizens.