(Saturday, February 3, 1917, 2:00 p.m. EST; during the Atlantic U-boat campaign of World War I) — President Woodrow Wilson announced today before a joint session of Congress that the United States had broken off diplomatic relations with Germany, after that nation had announced a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare.

Wilson did not declare that the U.S. would enter the war against Germany, though “preparations for war are being made” as The New York Times reported.