Centennial of RMS Lusitania sinking marked by Commission with May 7 events in New York and Washington, DC

On Thursday, May 7th, 2015, the U.S. World War One Centennial Commission will host two commemorative events to honor the 100th anniversary of the tragic sinking of the RMS Lusitania in 1915. Both events are free and open to the public.

In New York City, at 10 a.m. EDT, there will be a wreath-laying ceremony at Pier A in Battery Park, with honored guests and descendants of Lusitania passengers. 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.

In Washington, DC, at 6:30 p.m. EDT, the Commission will host a panel discussion with noted historians at the National Press Club. The panel will include: John Maxwell Hamilton from Louisiana State University, a senior scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars; Professor Richard Striner from Washington College, an expert on President Wilson; and RADM Samuel Cox (USN, Retired), the Director of the U.S. Navy History and Heritage Command. The panel will be moderated by noted national correspondent Gil Klein. Discussion will focus on the wartime role of Lusitania, the worldwide reaction to her tragedy, and the impact of Lusitania's sinking on public opinion in the United States.

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