first voyage of titanic

A Timeline of the Sinking of the Titanic

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From the time of its inception, the Titanic was meant to be gigantic, luxurious and safe. It was touted as being unsinkable because of its system of watertight compartments and doors, which of course proved to be just a myth. Follow the history of the Titanic, from its beginnings in a shipyard to its end at the bottom of the sea, in this timeline of the building of the ship through its maiden (and only) voyage. In the early morning hours of April 15, 1912, all but 705 of its 2,229 passengers and crew lost their lives in the icy Atlantic .

The Building of the Titanic

March 31, 1909: Construction of the Titanic begins with the building of the keel, the backbone of the ship, at Harland & Wolff's shipyard in Belfast, Ireland.

May 31, 1911: The unfinished Titanic is lathered up with soap and pushed into the water for "fitting out." Fitting out is the installation of all the extras, some on the exterior, like the smokestacks and the propellers, and a lot on the inside, like the electrical systems, wall coverings, and furniture.

June 14, 1911: The Olympic, sister ship to the Titanic, departs on its maiden voyage.

April 2, 1912: The Titanic leaves the dock for sea trials, which include tests of speed, turns, and an emergency stop. At about 8 p.m., after the sea trials, the Titanic heads to Southampton, England.

The Maiden Voyage Begins

April 3 to 10, 1912: The Titanic is loaded with supplies and her crew is hired.

April 10, 1912: From 9:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m., passengers board the ship. Then at noon, the Titanic leaves the dock at Southhampton for its maiden voyage. First stop is in Cherbourg, France, where the Titanic arrives at 6:30 p.m. and leaves at 8:10 p.m, heading to Queenstown, Ireland (now known as Cobh). It is carrying 2,229 passengers and crew.

April 11, 1912: At 1:30 p.m., the Titanic leaves Queenstown and begins its fated journey across the Atlantic for New York.

April 12 and 13, 1912: The Titanic is at sea, continuing on her journey as passengers enjoy the pleasures of the luxurious ship.

April 14, 1912 (9:20 p.m.): The Titanic's captain, Edward Smith, retires to his room.

April 14, 1912 (9:40 p.m.) : The last of seven warnings about icebergs is received in the wireless room. This warning never makes it to the bridge.

Last Hours of the Titanic

April 14, 1912 (11:40 p.m.): Two hours after the last warning, ship lookout Frederick Fleet spotted an iceberg directly in the path of the Titanic. The first officer, Lt. William McMaster Murdoch, orders a hard starboard (left) turn, but the Titanic's right side scrapes the iceberg. Only 37 seconds passed between the sighting of the iceberg and hitting it.

April 14, 1912 (11:50 p.m.): Water had entered the front part of the ship and risen to a level of 14 feet.

April 15, 1912 (12 a.m.): Captain Smith learns the ship can stay afloat for only two hours and gives orders to make first radio calls for help.

April 15, 1912 (12:05 a.m.): Captain Smith orders the crew to prepare the lifeboats and get the passengers and crew up on deck. There is only room in the lifeboats for about half the passengers and crew onboard. Women and children were put into the lifeboats first.

April 15, 1912 (12:45 a.m.): The first lifeboat is lowered into the freezing water.

April 15, 1912 (2:05 a.m.) The last lifeboat is lowered into the Atlantic. More than 1,500 people are still on the Titanic, now sitting at a steep tilt.

April 15, 1912 (2:18 a.m.): The last radio message is sent and the Titanic snaps in half.

April 15, 1912 (2:20 a.m.): The Titanic sinks.

Rescue of Survivors

April 15, 1912 (4:10 a.m.) : The Carpathia, which was about 58 miles southeast of the Titanic at the time it heard the distress call, picks up the first of the survivors.

April 15, 1912 (8:50 a.m.): The Carpathia picks up survivors from the last lifeboat and heads for New York.

April 17, 1912: The Mackay-Bennett is the first of several ships to travel to the area where the Titanic sank to search for bodies.

April 18, 1912: The Carpathia arrives in New York with 705 survivors.

April 19 to May 25, 1912: The United States Senate holds hearings about the disaster; the Senate findings include questions about why there were not more lifeboats on the Titanic.

May 2 to July 3, 1912: The British Board of Trade holds an inquiry into the Titanic disaster. It was discovered during this inquiry that the last ice message was the only one that warned of an iceberg directly in the path of the Titanic, and it was believed that if the captain had gotten the warning that he would have changed course in time for the disaster to be avoided.

Sept. 1, 1985: Robert Ballard's expedition team discovers the wreck of the Titanic .

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By: History.com Editors

Updated: March 12, 2024 | Original: November 9, 2009

The RMS Titanic, a luxury steamship, sank in the early hours of April 15, 1912, off the coast of Newfoundland in the North Atlantic after sideswiping an iceberg during its maiden voyage. Of the 2,240 passengers and crew on board, more than 1,500 lost their lives in the disaster. Titanic has inspired countless books, articles and films (including the 1997 Titanic movie starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio), and the ship's story has entered the public consciousness as a cautionary tale about the perils of human hubris.

The Building of the RMS Titanic

The Titanic was the product of intense competition among rival shipping lines in the first half of the 20th century. In particular, the White Star Line found itself in a battle for steamship primacy with Cunard, a venerable British firm with two standout ships that ranked among the most sophisticated and luxurious of their time.

Cunard’s Mauretania began service in 1907 and quickly set a speed record for the fastest average speed during a transatlantic crossing (23.69 knots or 27.26 mph), a title that it held for 22 years.

Cunard’s other masterpiece, Lusitania , launched the same year and was lauded for its spectacular interiors. Lusitania met its tragic end on May 7, 1915, when a torpedo fired by a German U-boat sunk the ship, killing nearly 1,200 of the 1,959 people on board and precipitating the United States’ entry into World War I .

Did you know? Passengers traveling first class on Titanic were roughly 44 percent more likely to survive than other passengers.

The same year that Cunard unveiled its two magnificent liners, J. Bruce Ismay, chief executive of White Star, discussed the construction of three large ships with William J. Pirrie, chairman of the shipbuilding company Harland and Wolff. Part of a new “Olympic” class of liners, each ship would measure 882 feet in length and 92.5 feet at their broadest point, making them the largest of their time.

In March 1909, work began in the massive Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Ireland, on the second of these three ocean liners, Titanic, and continued nonstop for two years.

On May 31, 1911, Titanic’s immense hull–the largest movable manmade object in the world at the time–made its way down the slipways and into the River Lagan in Belfast. More than 100,000 people attended the launching, which took just over a minute and went off without a hitch.

The hull was immediately towed to a mammoth fitting-out dock where thousands of workers would spend most of the next year building the ship’s decks, constructing her lavish interiors and installing the 29 giant boilers that would power her two main steam engines.

‘Unsinkable’ Titanic’s Fatal Flaws

According to some hypotheses, Titanic was doomed from the start by a design that many lauded as state-of-the-art. The Olympic-class ships featured a double bottom and 15 watertight bulkhead compartments equipped with electric watertight doors that could be operated individually or simultaneously by a switch on the bridge.

It was these watertight bulkheads that inspired Shipbuilder magazine, in a special issue devoted to the Olympic liners, to deem them “practically unsinkable.”

But the watertight compartment design contained a flaw that was a critical factor in Titanic’s sinking: While the individual bulkheads were indeed watertight, the walls separating the bulkheads extended only a few feet above the water line, so water could pour from one compartment into another, especially if the ship began to list or pitch forward.

The second critical safety lapse that contributed to the loss of so many lives was the inadequate number of lifeboats carried on Titanic. A mere 16 boats, plus four Engelhardt “collapsibles,” could accommodate just 1,178 people. Titanic could carry up to 2,435 passengers, and a crew of approximately 900 brought her capacity to more than 3,300 people.

As a result, even if the lifeboats were loaded to full capacity during an emergency evacuation, there were available seats for only one-third of those on board. While unthinkably inadequate by today’s standards, Titanic’s supply of lifeboats actually exceeded the British Board of Trade’s requirements.

Passengers on the Titanic

Titanic created quite a stir when it departed for its maiden voyage from Southampton, England, on April 10, 1912. After stops in Cherbourg, France, and Queenstown (now known as Cobh), Ireland, the ship set sail for New York with 2,240 passengers and crew—or “souls,” the expression then used in the shipping industry, usually in connection with a sinking—on board.

As befitting the first transatlantic crossing of the world’s most celebrated ship, many of these souls were high-ranking officials, wealthy industrialists, dignitaries and celebrities. First and foremost was the White Star Line’s managing director, J. Bruce Ismay, accompanied by Thomas Andrews, the ship’s builder from Harland and Wolff.

Absent was financier J.P. Morgan , whose International Mercantile Marine shipping trust controlled the White Star Line and who had selected Ismay as a company officer. Morgan had planned to join his associates on Titanic but canceled at the last minute when some business matters delayed him.

The wealthiest passenger was John Jacob Astor IV, heir to the Astor family fortune, who had made waves a year earlier by marrying 18-year-old Madeleine Talmadge Force, a young woman 29 years his junior, shortly after divorcing his first wife.

Other notable passengers included the elderly owner of Macy’s, Isidor Straus, and his wife Ida; industrialist Benjamin Guggenheim, accompanied by his mistress, valet and chauffeur; and widow and heiress Margaret “Molly” Brown, who would earn her nickname “ The Unsinkable Molly Brown ” by helping to maintain calm and order while the lifeboats were being loaded and boosting the spirits of her fellow survivors.

The employees attending to this collection of First Class luminaries were mostly traveling Second Class, along with academics, tourists, journalists and others who would enjoy a level of service and accommodations equivalent to First Class on most other ships.

But by far the largest group of passengers was in Third Class: more than 700, exceeding the other two levels combined. Some had paid less than $20 to make the crossing. It was Third Class that was the major source of profit for shipping lines like White Star, and Titanic was designed to offer these passengers accommodations and amenities superior to those found in Third Class on any other ship of that era.

Titanic Sets Sail

Titanic’s departure from Southampton on April 10 was not without some oddities. A small coal fire was discovered in one of her bunkers–an alarming but not uncommon occurrence on steamships of the day. Stokers hosed down the smoldering coal and shoveled it aside to reach the base of the blaze.

After assessing the situation, the captain and chief engineer concluded that it was unlikely it had caused any damage that could affect the hull structure, and the stokers were ordered to continue controlling the fire at sea.

According to a theory put forth by a small number of Titanic experts, the fire became uncontrollable after the ship left Southampton, forcing the crew to attempt a full-speed crossing; moving at such a fast pace, they were unable to avoid the fatal collision with the iceberg.

Another unsettling event took place when Titanic left the Southampton dock. As she got underway, she narrowly escaped a collision with the America Line’s S.S. New York. Superstitious Titanic buffs sometimes point to this as the worst kind of omen for a ship departing on her maiden voyage.

The Titanic Strikes an Iceberg

On April 14, after four days of uneventful sailing, Titanic received sporadic reports of ice from other ships, but she was sailing on calm seas under a moonless, clear sky.

At about 11:30 p.m., a lookout saw an iceberg coming out of a slight haze dead ahead, then rang the warning bell and telephoned the bridge. The engines were quickly reversed and the ship was turned sharply—instead of making direct impact, Titanic seemed to graze along the side of the berg, sprinkling ice fragments on the forward deck.

Sensing no collision, the lookouts were relieved. They had no idea that the iceberg had a jagged underwater spur, which slashed a 300-foot gash in the hull below the ship’s waterline.

By the time the captain toured the damaged area with Harland and Wolff’s Thomas Andrews, five compartments were already filling with seawater, and the bow of the doomed ship was alarmingly pitched downward, allowing seawater to pour from one bulkhead into the neighboring compartment.

Andrews did a quick calculation and estimated that Titanic might remain afloat for an hour and a half, perhaps slightly more. At that point the captain, who had already instructed his wireless operator to call for help, ordered the lifeboats to be loaded.

Titanic’s Lifeboats

A little more than an hour after contact with the iceberg, a largely disorganized and haphazard evacuation began with the lowering of the first lifeboat. The craft was designed to hold 65 people; it left with only 28 aboard.

Tragically, this was to be the norm: During the confusion and chaos during the precious hours before Titanic plunged into the sea, nearly every lifeboat would be launched woefully under-filled, some with only a handful of passengers.

In compliance with the law of the sea, women and children boarded the boats first; only when there were no women or children nearby were men permitted to board. Yet many of the victims were in fact women and children, the result of disorderly procedures that failed to get them to the boats in the first place.

Exceeding Andrews’ prediction, Titanic stubbornly stayed afloat for close to three hours. Those hours witnessed acts of craven cowardice and extraordinary bravery.

Hundreds of human dramas unfolded between the order to load the lifeboats and the ship’s final plunge: Men saw off wives and children, families were separated in the confusion and selfless individuals gave up their spots to remain with loved ones or allow a more vulnerable passenger to escape. In the end, 706 people survived the sinking of the Titanic.

Titanic Sinks

The ship’s most illustrious passengers each responded to the circumstances with conduct that has become an integral part of the Titanic legend. Ismay, the White Star managing director, helped load some of the boats and later stepped onto a collapsible as it was being lowered. Although no women or children were in the vicinity when he abandoned ship, he would never live down the ignominy of surviving the disaster while so many others perished.

Thomas Andrews, Titanic’s chief designer, was last seen in the First Class smoking room, staring blankly at a painting of a ship on the wall. Astor deposited his wife Madeleine into a lifeboat and, remarking that she was pregnant, asked if he could accompany her; refused entry, he managed to kiss her goodbye just before the boat was lowered away.

Although offered a seat on account of his age, Isidor Straus refused any special consideration, and his wife Ida would not leave her husband behind. The couple retired to their cabin and perished together.

Benjamin Guggenheim and his valet returned to their rooms and changed into formal evening dress; emerging onto the deck, he famously declared, “We are dressed in our best and are prepared to go down like gentlemen.”

Molly Brown helped load the boats and finally was forced into one of the last to leave. She implored its crewmen to turn back for survivors, but they refused, fearing they would be swamped by desperate people trying to escape the icy seas.

Titanic, nearly perpendicular and with many of her lights still aglow, finally dove beneath the ocean’s surface at about 2:20 a.m. on April 15, 1912. Throughout the morning, Cunard’s Carpathia , after receiving Titanic’s distress call at midnight and steaming at full speed while dodging ice floes all night, rounded up all of the lifeboats. They contained only 706 survivors.

Aftermath of the Titanic Catastrophe

At least five separate boards of inquiry on both sides of the Atlantic conducted comprehensive hearings on Titanic’s sinking, interviewing dozens of witnesses and consulting with many maritime experts. Every conceivable subject was investigated, from the conduct of the officers and crew to the construction of the ship. Titanic conspiracy theories abounded.

While it has always been assumed that the ship sank as a result of the gash that caused the bulkhead compartments to flood, various other theories have emerged over the decades, including that the ship’s steel plates were too brittle for the near-freezing Atlantic waters, that the impact caused rivets to pop and that the expansion joints failed, among others.

Technological aspects of the catastrophe aside, Titanic’s demise has taken on a deeper, almost mythic, meaning in popular culture. Many view the tragedy as a morality play about the dangers of human hubris: Titanic’s creators believed they had built an unsinkable ship that could not be defeated by the laws of nature.

This same overconfidence explains the electrifying impact Titanic’s sinking had on the public when she was lost. There was widespread disbelief that the ship could not possibly have sunk, and, due to the era’s slow and unreliable means of communication, misinformation abounded. Newspapers initially reported that the ship had collided with an iceberg but remained afloat and was being towed to port with everyone on board.

It took many hours for accurate accounts to become widely available, and even then people had trouble accepting that this paragon of modern technology could sink on her maiden voyage, taking more than 1,500 souls with her.

The ship historian John Maxtone-Graham has compared Titanic’s story to the Challenger space shuttle disaster of 1986. In that case, the world reeled at the notion that one of the most sophisticated inventions ever created could explode into oblivion along with its crew. Both tragedies triggered a sudden collapse in confidence, revealing that we remain subject to human frailties and error, despite our hubris and a belief in technological infallibility.

Titanic Wreck

Efforts to locate the wreck of Titanic began soon after it sank. But technical limitations—as well as the vastness of the North Atlantic search area—made finding it extremely difficult.

Finally, in 1985, a joint U.S.-French expedition located the wreck of the RMS Titanic . The doomed ship was discovered about 400 miles east of Newfoundland in the North Atlantic, some 13,000 feet below the surface.

Subsequent explorations have found that the wreck is in relatively good condition, with many objects on the ship—jewelry, furniture, shoes, machinery and other items—are still intact.

Since its discovery, the wreck has been explored numerous times by manned and unmanned submersibles—including the submersible Titan, which imploded during what would have been its third dive to the wreck in June 2023.

HISTORY Vault: Titanic's Achilles Heel

Did Titanic have a fatal design flaw? John Chatterton and Richie Kohler of "Deep Sea Detectives" dive the wreckage of Titanic's sister ship, Britannic, to investigate the possibility.

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The Story of the First Manned Expedition to the Sunken Wreck of the ‘Titanic’

The manned exploration in 1986 brought back the first high-quality images of the ship since it sank

Kat Eschner

A chilling sight in the frigid waters where the Titanic sunk more than 70 years before:  On this day in 1986, tapes from the first manned expedition to the Titanic  were publicly released.

It was the first detailed view of the Titanic since the ship went down 74 years earlier. Robert Ballard, the manned expedition's leader, had discovered the wreck on the ocean’s floor a year before using an unmanned underwater camera on a mission for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, but the photos from that mission weren't very detailed. By the following year, public interest in what was down there was at a high. 

Nowadays, the wreck is more familiar, as countless expeditions have visited the ship since its discovery. But in 1986, everything was new.

 “The videotapes are stunning in their clarity and detail,” writes History.com, “showing one of the ship’s majestic grand staircases and a coral-covered chandelier swinging slowly in the ocean current.”

A team of three made 11 exploratory dives on a submarine, Alvin , accompanied by a robotic camera nicknamed Jason Jr. that could be piloted remotely. They were only able to send Jason out a few times, reported Walter Sullivan for The New York Times . In total, the team took more than 57,000 photographs as well as hours of video in an attempt to document the wreck.

“It’s been transformed into another ship,” Ballard said,  according to the Los Angeles Times . “It has the vestiges of the Titanic, but it’s now a ship of the deep.” 

Ballard said in a 2012 talk that the moment that affected him most was when Jason Jr. found a pair of shoes lying on the ocean floor. “To me, this was what set the tone for our expedition,” he said.  Photographing massive ship components covered in sea life was one thing, he said. “But then when you go across the debris field, you come across these pairs of shoes.”

Each of those pairs of shoes was a person who fell to the sea floor after they drowned, he said. Small animals and the sea’s acidity  made quick work of their bodies and skeletons–a process that only takes about five years. “What’s left behind are their pairs of shoes exactly as they were attached to the body,” he said.

A number of expeditions have gone to see–and take from–the Titanic’s wreck in the years since that first exploration, a fact that has troubled Ballard. “You don’t go to Gettysburg with a shovel,” Ballard said in 2012, arguing that the remains should all be left as they were. That year, after numerous artifacts had been removed from the Titanic, UNESCO declared the wreck to be a protected cultural heritage site,  protecting it from future scavengers.

“We do not tolerate the plundering of cultural sites on land, and the same should be true for our sunken heritage,” UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova said.

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Kat Eschner is a freelance science and culture journalist based in Toronto.

Titanic Maiden Voyage

Introduction.

Following her prestigious launch in front of a crowd of around 100,000 spectators and a throng of excited reporters, Titanic began her maiden journey, first collecting the passengers sailing – and even migrating – to America. It was a voyage that would end in disaster amidst the ice-strewn waters of the Atlantic. Read on for a comprehensive summary of the facts about this tragic trip.

Above: Footage of RMS Titanic leaving for her maiden voyage in 1912.

471 miles – the distance of the journey to deliver Titanic from Belfast – the city in which she was built – to Southampton, England – the city from which her maiden voyage would commence.

Where did the Titanic leave from?

Although Titanic initially sailed from Belfast (where she was built) to Southampton, her maiden voyage is considered to have begun in Southampton.

02 April 1912 – the date that Titanic set sail from Belfast to Southampton.

Southampton

6 – the number of days that the Titanic was at rest in Southampton, before the start of her maiden voyage to New York.

Above: The Titanic at Southampton at the beginning of her maiden voyage.

05 April 1912 – the date Titanic was briefly opened for viewing by the paying public, two days after sailing to Southampton. The ship was “dressed overall”, with flags and pennants hung from the rigging in a salute to the people of the city.

07:30 am – the time Captain Smith arrived on board on the morning of the maiden journey, along with the crew. The officers were already on board, having spent the previous night on the ship.

2 – the number of lifeboats employed in a brief safety drill, conducted at 08:00 am; starboard lifeboats 11 and 12.

Where was Titanic going?

The Titanic was on her maiden voyage, a return trip from Britain to America. The outward route was to be Southampton, England – Cherbourg, France – Queenstown, Ireland – New York, USA. The return route was going to be New York – Plymouth, England – Cherbourg – Southampton.

09:30 am – the time the second- and third-class boat trains began to arrive and passengers started to board the Titanic.

11:30 am – the time that the first-class boat train arrived from London.

Did You Know?

At the time of her maiden voyage a coal strike was on, and so coal for Titanic had to be scavenged from other company ships.

06 April 1912 – the date that the strike was ended, however there would not be time to deliver enough coal to Southampton docks before Titanic set sail on her maiden voyage.

84 miles – the length of the first leg of the journey, from Southampton to Cherbourg, France.

12.00 pm – the time Titanic cast off from Southampton Dock, towed out into the River Test by tugboats.

4 feet – the margin by which a collision with the USMS New York was averted, when the undertow from the much larger Titanic caused the smaller boat to be sucked toward the ship, snapping the six mooring ropes holding the New York in place.

60 minutes – the approximate time that departure was delayed by this incident, sailing finally resuming at 1pm.

04:00 pm – the time the boat train from Paris arrived in Cherbourg, around 90 minutes before passengers could be ferried out to the delayed Titanic.

22 – the number of cross-channel passengers who disembarked in Cherbourg.

274 – the number of passengers who boarded at Cherbourg.

08:10 pm – the time Titanic departed Cherbourg and set sail for Queenstown (now known as Cobh) in Ireland.

307 miles – the length of the next stage, from Cherbourg to Queenstown, Ireland.

Queenstown (Cobh)

11:30 am – the time Titanic dropped anchor in Queenstown, on the morning of 11th of April 1912, about 2 miles offshore.

7 – the number of passengers who disembarked in Ireland.

123 – the number of passengers who boarded at Queenstown (3 first-class, 7 second-class and 113 third-class ticket-holders).

63 – the number of male passengers who boarded in Ireland.

60 – the number of female passengers who came aboard.

2 – the number of tenders that ferried the passengers from Heartbreak Jetty to Titanic; they were named PS Ireland and PS America.

1,385 – the number of bags of mail delivered on board during the Queenstown stop.

01:30 pm – the time Titanic raised anchor and set sail on her first and last transatlantic crossing.

The Atlantic Ocean

2,825 miles – the intended distance of the longest leg of the voyage, from Queenstown to New York, USA.

137 hours – the anticipated journey time sailing from Queenstown to New York City.

How many people boarded the Titanic?

There were 2,223 people aboard Titanic for her maiden trip, 1,324 passengers and 908 crew.

116 – the typical number of hours taken to cover the same distance by the Titanic’s rivals, the Cunard liners Lusitania and Mauritania (the idea that the Titanic captain ignored the iceberg warnings because he was trying to set a new time record is just one of the many Titanic myths that endures).

Above: The route of the voyage of the Titanic and the location of her sinking.

4 – days into the crossing when the collision with the iceberg occurred.

How much were Titanic ticket prices?

The average cost for a First Class berth was $150 (£30). A parlour suite would have set you back the princelier sum of $4,350 (£875).

The average cost of a berth in Standard (Second) Class was $60 (£12).

The average cost of a Steerage (Third) Class berth was $15-$40 (£3-£8).

3 – the intended number of legs planned for Titanic’s return voyage (New York to Plymouth to Cherbourg to Southampton).

As she set sail on her maiden voyage, some interior work was still to be completed. For example, some areas of the ship were without heating, whilst others were too hot. A team of nine Harland & Wolff employees, including the ship’s designer, Thomas Andrews, sailed as members of a guarantee group, tasked with ensuring any problems were attended to. All died in the sinking.

More To Explore

Read about the passengers on the Titanic , about the iceberg that was her undoing, and about the spot in the Atlantic Ocean where the Titanic sank .

Encyclopedia Titanica

Titanic archive.

RMS Titanic departed on her maiden voyage at 12pm on 10 April 1912. Large crowds gathered at the ocean terminal in Southampton to see her off. Prior to departure some passengers, including Lawrence Beesley and Adolphe Saalfeld had welcomed guests on board to show them around the new ship. The voyage was almost cut short by a near disaster with the SS New York as Titanic steamed slowly passed laid up ships on Southampton water, but swift action averted a collision and after a short delay she reached open sea and set course for Cherbourg.

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R.m.s titanic - history and significance.

History, Culture and Iconic Interests in the United States and Abroad The R.M.S.  Titanic  is perhaps the most famous shipwreck in our current popular culture.  Titanic  was a British-registered ship in the White Star line that was owned by a U.S. company in which famed American financier John Pierpont "JP" Morgan was a major stockholder.  Titanic  was built in Belfast, Northern Ireland by Harland & Wolff for transatlantic passage between Southampton, England and New York City. It was the largest and most luxurious passenger ship of its time and was reported to be unsinkable.  Titanic,   launched on May 31, 1911 , and set sail on its maiden voyage from Southampton on April 10, 1912, with 2,240 passengers and crew on board. On April 15, 1912, after striking an iceberg,  Titanic  broke apart and sank to the bottom of the ocean, taking with it the lives of more than 1,500 passengers and crew. While there has been some  salvage  outside of the major hull portions, most of the ship remains in its final resting place, 12,000 feet below sea level and over 350 nautical miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. Its famous story of disaster and human drama has been, and continues to be, recounted in numerous books, articles and movies.  Titanic  has been recognized by the United States Congress for its national and international significance and in many ways has become a cultural icon. The disaster also resulted in a number of memorials around the world. In the United States, there are major memorials in  Washington D.C . offsite link  and  New York offsite link ; the  Widener Library  offsite link at Harvard University is another major memorial commemorating Henry Elkins Widener, a victim of the sinking. Investigation and the Development of Measures for Safety in Navigation The sinking of  Titanic  was one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history and quickly became a catalyst for change. The United States Congress held  hearings offsite link  on the casualty that resulted in a  report offsite link  and measures to improve  safety of navigation offsite link . Similar investigations were held in the United Kingdom. The international community readily came together for the purpose of establishing global maritime standards and regulations to promote safety of navigation, the most important of which was the Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), widely regarded as the most important of all international agreements on the safety of merchant ships.

• Frequently Asked Questions  on History and Significance
• Titanic’s 100th Birthday May 31, 2012 NOAA
• One hundred years after the sinking of  Titanic  is the  IMO World Maritime Day theme for 2012 offsite link
• R.M.S. Titanic Maritime Memorial Act of 1986  (1986 Act)
• International Agreement Concerning the Shipwrecked Vessel RMS Titanic
• NOAA Guidelines  for Research, Exploration and Salvage of RMS Titanic
• IMO, the Titanic, and the Safety of Life at Sea Convention (SOLAS) offsite link

Last Updated July 10, 2018

How the Titanic was lost and found

Researchers have pieced together debris from the Titanic to understand the final hours of the famed the ship and its passengers.

Many historical accounts of the sinking of the RMS Titanic describe the 882.5-foot-long passenger ship as “slipping beneath the ocean waves,” as though the vessel and its passengers drifted tranquilly off to sleep, but nothing could be further from the truth. Based on years of careful analysis of the wreck, which employed then state-of-the-art flooding models and simulations used in the modern shipping industry, experts are able to paint a gruesome portrait of Titanic ’s last hours and minutes.

Earlier this month, research on the ship continued as a team of experts completed five manned submersible dives at the site over an eight day span. Using high tech equipment, the team captured footage and images of the wreck that can be used to create 3D models for future augmented and virtual reality. The assets will help researchers further study the past and future of the ship.

The Titanic is in severe decay caused by salt corrosion and metal eating bacteria, Caladan Oceanic, the company overseeing the expedition, said in an announcement about the dives. A manned submersible reached the bottom of the north Atlantic Ocean in August.

The Titanic dive is being filmed by Atlantic Productions for the documentary special, "Mission Titanic", which will air globally on National Geographic in 2020.

“The most shocking area of deterioration was the starboard side of the officers’ quarters, where the captain’s quarters were,” said Titanic historian Parks Stephenson. The hull had started to collapse taking staterooms with it.

Scientists expect the erosion of the Titanic to continue.

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“The future of the wreck is going to continue to deteriorate over time, it’s a natural process,” said scientist Lori Johnson.

The Titanic 's fate was sealed on its maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York City. At 11:40 p.m. on April 14, 1912, the Titanic sideswiped an iceberg in the north Atlantic, buckling portions of the starboard hull along a 300-foot span and exposing the six forward watertight compartments to the ocean’s waters. From this moment onward, sinking was a certainty. The demise may have been hastened, however, when crewmen pushed open a gangway door on the port side of Titanic in an aborted attempt to load lifeboats from a lower level. Since the ship had begun listing to port, gravity prevented the crew from closing the massive door, and by 1:50 a.m., the bow had settled enough to allow seawater to rush in through the gangway.

By 2:18 a.m., with the last lifeboat having departed 13 minutes earlier, the bow had filled with water and the stern had risen high enough into the air to expose the propellers and create catastrophic stresses on the middle of the ship. Then the Titanic cracked in half.

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Once released from the stern section, the bow fell to the ocean floor at a fairly steep angle, nosing into the mud with such massive force that its ejecta patterns are still visible on the seafloor today.

The stern, lacking a hydrodynamic leading edge like the bow, tumbled and corkscrewed for more than two miles down to the ocean floor. Compartments exploded. Decks pancaked. Heavier pieces such as the boilers dropped straight down, while other pieces were flung off into the abyss.

The wreckage

For decades, a number of expeditions sought to find the Titanic without success—a problem compounded by the North Atlantic’s unpredictable weather, the enormous depth at which the sunken ship lies, and conflicting accounts of its final moments. Finally, 73 years after it sank, the final resting place of Titanic was located by National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Robert Ballard, along with French scientist Jean-Louis Michel, on September 1, 1985. The Titanic had come to rest roughly 380 miles (612 kilometers) southeast of Newfoundland in international waters. ( Discover how the Titanic was found during a secret Cold War mission. )

In the years since Ballard’s expedition, visitors to the site have made their mark: Modern trash litters the area, and some experts claim that submersibles have damaged the ship by landing on it or bumping into it. Organic processes are also relentlessly breaking down the Titanic : Mollusks have gobbled up most of the ship's wood while microbes eat away at exposed metal, forming icicle-like "rusticles."

"Everyone has their own opinion" as to how long Titanic will remain more or less intact , said research specialist Bill Lange of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts.

"Some people think the bow will collapse in a year or two," Lange said. "But others say it's going to be there for hundreds of years."

What was lost

More than 2,000 passengers and crew were aboard the Titanic ’s maiden voyage, but only 706 survived the trip.

Although the ocean liner could carry 3,511 passengers, the Titanic only had lifeboats for 1,178 people. To make matters worse, not all of the lifeboats were filled to capacity during the desperate evacuation of the doomed ship. Most of the Titanic ’s 1,500-odd victims died of hypothermia at the surface of the icy water. Hundreds of people may also have died inside the ship as it sank, most of them immigrant families in steerage class, looking forward to a new life in America.

Along with the lives lost, something else went down with the Titanic: An illusion of orderliness, a faith in technological progress, a yearning for the future that, as Europe drifted toward full-scale war, was soon replaced by fears and dreads all too familiar to our modern world. ( Test your knowledge of the famous ship. )

“The Titanic disaster was the bursting of a bubble,” said filmmaker James Cameron. “There was such a sense of bounty in the first decade of the 20th century. Elevators! Automobiles! Airplanes! Wireless radio! Everything seemed so wondrous, on an endless upward spiral. Then it all came crashing down.”

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April 4, 2012

14 min read

The Extraordinary Story of the White Star Liner Titanic

The great steamship sank 100 years ago, but its legendary drama, heroes and villains remain as unforgettable as ever

By William Henry Flayhart III

The most important shipping event in North Atlantic history was the creation of the International Mercantile Marine company (IMM) in 1902. This giant shipping trust was the brainchild of the Philadelphia Quaker shipping magnate Clement Acton Griscom and was made possible by the financial backing of the New York banker J. P. Morgan. Among the many U.S., Belgian, British, Dutch and German lines controlled by the IMM, certainly the most famous among the British-flag steamship lines was the Oceanic Steam Navigation Company—more commonly known as the White Star Line.

Its flagship, the Titanic, was the largest ship in the world when it took its maiden sailing from Southampton, England, on April 10, 1912. Weighing 46,328 tons and spanning 852.5 feet long by 92.5 feet wide, she could reach a speed of 21 knots, or about 39 kilometers per hour. The ship could accommodate 2,567 passengers, although on its maiden voyage, it was not fully booked because not every experienced—or wary—traveler cared to face the North Atlantic in April. Only about half of the cabins had been sold, to 1,316 passengers. Their fate, and that of the 892 crew members, would become a part of history.

Floating Palaces

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The plan to construct the Titanic and its sister ships came as a direct response to the White Star Line’s principal competitor, the Cunard Line, which had just commissioned two new superliners in 1907: the Lusitania and the Mauretania . Both could steam at 25 knots, making them the fastest liners on the North Atlantic.

Bruce Ismay, managing director of the IMM and president and chairman of the White Star Line, decided not to try and chase the Cunard liners, which could cross the Atlantic in five days. Instead he built a trio of the largest ships in the world that would be capable of six-day crossings. They would be less expensive to operate and, perhaps, more attractive to wealthy passengers.

When the Titanic was launched on May 31, 1911, it was the second of the three sister ships and was only 1,004 tons larger than its sister Olympic . Based on its experience with the Olympic, White Star realized it could sell far more first-class cabins and suites than were available. The solution on the Titanic was to enclose a portion of the promenade deck so as to increase the number of suites and to regard a portion of the second-class cabins as interchangeable with first class. The Titanic cost a reported $7.5 million, which was a phenomenal sum for the time.

(In terms of names, some sources indicate that the third sister ship was to be christened the Gigantic, but following the disaster to the Titanic, it was ultimately named the Britannic and completed in 1915. Unfortunately, it hit a mine in the Aegean Sea during World War I while serving as a hospital ship and sank without ever taking a commercial sailing.)

The master of the Titanic was the commodore of the White Star Line, Captain Edward John Smith. He had also been the first master of the Olympic and, therefore, had had a year's familiarity with the flaws and qualities of the new White Star floating palaces. He learned that they responded slowly to their rudders, partially because one of the three propellers was positioned immediately behind the rudder. Thomas Andrews, designer of the ships, brought up this issue with Ismay, but the White Star president expressed his reluctance to delay the construction in order to refine the design. He reportedly commented that the only place these liners would have to maneuver quickly would be in port and that was what you had tugboats for.

Andrews wanted another change as well: a second row of lifeboats that could be launched as soon as the first set was in the water. The result would have been enough lifeboats for all the passengers and crew. Ismay protested that they already had more than the legally required number of lifeboats (16) and the extra boats simply would clutter up the beautiful open expanse of the upper deck, where first-class passengers would want to stroll. Hence, the Titanic sailed with 16 lifeboats capable of accommodating 1,178 human beings out of the 2,200-plus passengers and crew onboard. The regulations governing the number of lifeboats had not been changed since 1894—18 years earlier—and the Titanic was 460 percent larger than the largest ship in the world at the time the outdated rules were published.

Promptly at 12:30 P.M. on April 10, 1912, the thunderous blasts of the Titanic ’s foghorns signified that the liner was preparing to sail as tugs nudged it away from its pier. Tragedy nearly struck immediately as the enormous suction of the huge liner's hull pulled on the U.S. liner New York, snapping the lines holding it to the pier. As a result, the New York ’s stern swung out toward the Titanic . Quick action by a tugboat caught the New York before it could smash into the Titanic .

The normal custom of the White Star Line ships was to sail from Southampton, England, across the English Channel to Cherbourg, France, to pick up additional passengers. Then during the night the ships would cross to Queenstown, Ireland, where last-minute Royal Mail bags were delivered to the ships and where many of the third-class passengers—often bound for a new life in America—would board from special ferry boats. The Titanic reached Ireland for her mail and final passenger pick-up on April 11.

Among the passengers, thoughts of perishing at sea were likely few and far between. The Titanic was regarded as the last word in naval architecture. Fifteen transverse bulkheads divided her hull into 16 watertight compartments with doors that were controlled electrically. The Titanic was described as “practically unsinkable” by the Shipbuilder 's souvenir issue, so confident was everyone about its construction. The confidence, however, did not stop the owners from taking out a $5 million insurance policy on the hull of the ship, covered by such companies as the Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company of New York City, with the first premium of $100,000 being paid before the Titanic sailed. Hence, White Star was partially covered against any total loss, and the policy ultimately was honored in full.

So delighted was Ismay with the second of his majestic vessels and the elite passengers who had booked to sail on its maiden voyage that he decided to join them to receive his share of the plaudits. After all, the passenger list included Colonel John Jacob Astor, arguably the wealthiest man in the U.S., and his new wife, who was expecting, and Mr. Isidor Straus, the founder of Macy's Department Store, and his wife. Other distinguished passengers included President William Howard Taft's military attaché Archibald Butt; Mr. and Mrs. John B. Thayer, a senior vice-president of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and their teenage son Jack; and Mrs. Margaret Brown of Denver, Colo., who was to gain fame as the Unsinkable Molly Brown for taking command of a lifeboat.

Into the Open Sea

The green hills of Ireland swiftly fell away as the Titanic ’s engines built up to full speed in its afternoon departure from Queenstown. In first class the orchestra played jaunty tunes, and the chefs in the kitchens worked their culinary magic. There was little to do in their cabins for first-class passengers except to change their clothes several times every day in order to have the correct appearance according to the hour. Some wealthy passengers even took more than one cabin so as to have additional closet space for colossal steamer trunks and wardrobes. Anything tagged “not wanted on voyage” was consigned to the appropriate baggage rooms. An upper-grade first-class cabin on the Titanic could cost more than $600 in 1912 (equal to about $13,000 today), and a suite of rooms much more than that. They were enormous sums compared with the earnings of an American laborer ($20 to $30 a month) or a schoolteacher ($200 to $350 a year). On the other hand, one could cross in third class for as little as $26.50, which enabled you to travel on the same ship as the privileged even if the food might best be described as “wholesome.”

Friday, April 12, saw the Titanic steam some 386 miles; Saturday, April 13, brought it another 519 miles closer to New York, with a similar distance on Sunday. The days were among the finest and smoothest that experienced travelers had ever seen on the North Atlantic. The ocean was on its best behavior. Everyone praised the stability of the ship and the lack of vibration, to the enormous delight of Ismay and the personal satisfaction of Andrews and Captain Smith. They had a blue-blood winner on their hands. Everything simply was perfect.

In the wireless room on the Titanic, the two operators, John George Phillips and Harold Bride, had their hands full with a continuous flow of messages largely to or from first-class passengers. On Sunday wireless reports of ice and icebergs began to come in as the Cunard liner Caronia reported a huge ice field at 42 degrees north stretching from 49 to 51 degrees west. Five other ships sent out similar radio messages of ice in the western reaches of the North Atlantic, where the Arctic current brought its deadly cargo of ice into the steamer lanes. At 1:42 P.M. the ice was 250 miles in front of the onrushing Titanic when the Baltic sent it a message; later, at 7:30 P.M., the Californian reported that it was surrounded by three giant icebergs. Still, the ice was 50 miles away and not visible, so no extra care was taken, even though the Titanic ’s lookouts, Frederick Fleet and Reginald Lee, were operating at a grave disadvantage because someone had left their powerful binoculars at Southampton. They had to rely only on their own sharp vision.

Unfortunately, it was not enough. At about 11:30 P.M. Fleet and Lee suddenly realized that haze had obscured the closely approaching mass of a one-million-ton iceberg when it was only about 1,500 feet in front of their ship. The lookouts screamed their warning to First Officer William Murdoch in command on the bridge: “Iceberg right ahead!” Murdoch had two choices before him: do nothing and ram the iceberg destroying the bow of the Titanic and sending everything that was not nailed down flying; or try to put the wheel hard a starboard in hopes of swerving enough to miss the looming disaster. Murdoch reacted instinctively and ordered the helmsman to put the wheel over hard-a-starboard, while ordering the engine room to stop all engines and then go full astern.

It was the wrong decision even if a perfectly human reaction. Four years earlier the North German Lloyd liner Kronprinz Wilhelm had faced a huge iceberg under similar circumstances, and her officer in charge had elected to ram the berg no matter what the consequences. The liner’s bow crumpled back against the ship, destroying the first watertight compartment and giving her passengers and crew a rude shock. The move permitted the Kronprinz Wilhelm to survive and limp into New York. The Titanic, by swerving to avoid the iceberg, suffered a fatal blow that sliced opened the starboard side for approximately one third of her length and compromised the integrity of five of her 16 watertight compartments. The ship was designed to survive the loss of up to three compartments; with five down, it was doomed.

Only Hours Left

After meeting Captain Smith on the bridge, Andrews immediately went below to evaluate the damage. The news was not good, Andrews realized: the Titanic had about three hours to live. The distress signal immediately went out, but help was a long way away.

The closest vessel appeared to be the Cunard liner Carpathia, which was outward bound from New York to the Mediterranean and about 58 miles away to the south-east. The Carpathia ’s captain, Arthur Rostron, awakened by the pounding on his cabin door by his radio operator, could not believe the news, but he acted immediately to ensure that every aspect of his ship was prepared to rescue any survivors. The deck crew was told to prepare to swing out the lifeboats; the doctor was told to alert all his staff; and the chefs were told to make a large batch of hot soup for the frozen passengers. Only when all appropriate officers and departments had been given their orders did Rostron ask his radio officer to confirm that the message was genuine. For all that he and his crew did during the next 24 hours Rostron ultimately received a knighthood from King George V.

The tragedy enveloping the Titanic became worse when, as the first lifeboats were loaded, many passengers refused to board them, fearing the frigid North Atlantic more that the false warmth and comfort of their ship. In the end the lifeboats of the Titanic left the ship with nearly 500 fewer lives than they could have saved. Furthermore, the lifeboats that got away stayed away until after the ship had filled with enough water for her stern to soar into the heavens and the hull to split into two gigantic pieces before plunging two miles down to the ocean floor. The near-freezing water temperature meant that anyone thrown in had approximately 10 to 12 minutes before losing consciousness. The Titanic, which had side-swiped the iceberg at about 11:40 P.M., sank about 2:20 A.M. the next morning, April 15, 1912.

When the Carpathia arrived approximately 110 minutes later, Captain Rostron and his crew were able to rescue 711 souls out of the 2,201 that had been onboard. Eleven of those rescued were pulled from the ocean after having managed to climb on the overturned hulls of some of the collapsible lifeboats that landed upside down in the ocean. Among those rescued from the North Atlantic was the junior radio officer of the Titanic, Harold Bride, but his feet were horribly frostbitten. Two days later Bride would learn that the Carpathia ’s radio operator, Harold T. Cottam, was near collapse after having been on duty for more than 30 hours. Bride had himself carried to the Carpathia ’s radio room to replace Cottam and worked nonstop sending and receiving messages mostly from survivors and those hoping against hope to learn the fate of loved ones. Bride, who ultimately lost several toes, went on to an active career as a journalist.

A Two-Nation Investigation

Ismay, the White Star’s president, had been shown to a first-class private cabin as soon as he boarded the Carpathia and remained in seclusion on the rescue ship until it reached New York on April 18. He did send an order to New York to hold the next White Star liner scheduled to sail until he could board it and return to England. Senator William Alden Smith of Michigan was determined that Ismay would not escape so easily and rushed to New York to serve the British shipping magnate with legal papers demanding his attendance at a formal inquiry by the U. S. Senate Committee on Commerce. Because many American lives had been lost, this request was not totally unreasonable, although technically, U.S. authorities had no jurisdiction because the Titanic was a British ship that had sunk in international waters.

Nevertheless, the Senate inquiry began on April 19 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City and proved to be a very hostile proceeding for Ismay. Even the British government ultimately expressed its displeasure over the inquiry, and the British press was furious at the U.S. intervention. Ismay finally returned to England to face the formal British inquiry, which opened on May 2 in London's Scottish Drill Hall and lasted 36 days. The British inquiry thoroughly covered every aspect of the disaster, underlining the fact that although the White Star Line had honored the letter of the law in the number of lifeboats placed on the Titanic, the number was nowhere near sufficient. The Board of Trade regulations promptly changed, and White Star immediately added lifeboats on Titanic ’s sister, the Olympic, increasing the number from 20 to 48.

The one officer who was vilified was not onboard either the Titanic or the Carpathia . Rather, it was Captain Stanley Lord of the Leyland liner California —which was stopped by ice some 10 to 20 miles from the Titanic— who failed to act.

The failure can be traced to two critical junctures. One was the decision of the California ’s radio officer, Cyril Furmstone Evans, to go to bed after having been on duty for 16 hours. A counterpart on the Titanic, John George Phillips, had told him to “shut up” after he had nearly blown the earphones off Phillips’s head because the ships were so close to each other at the time.

The second mistake occurred in the possible misinterpretation of the distress rockets fired off by the Titanic . The California ’s duty officers reported they saw rockets and they had awakened Captain Lord to tell him; he should have roused Evans to confirm the situation. In fact they all decided that the rockets simply were being fired off by another ship seeking to navigate its way through the ice. This may well have been the case: the Norwegian sealing vessel Samson, which had no radio, was firing off rockets as it weaved its way through the ice.

The principal witness testifying against Captain Lord was a second donkeyman in engineering (a junior supervisor), Ernest Gill, who hated Lord, and supplied his damning testimony after being paid nearly a year's salary by a journalist for his story. After giving his testimony he immediately disappeared from the scene and was never heard from again. The officers on the California may never have seen the rockets of the Titanic . On the other hand Captain Lord should never have dismissed the statements of his officers without pursuing the matter further.

In total, 1,503 people on the Titanic died, according to the British inquiry. The U.S. investigation pegged the number at 1,517; one reason for the discrepancy is that, at the time, officials counted passengers only after the ship reached its the final destination, to account for passenger changes at ports and stowaways.

The toll underlined the value of social standing at the time. Of 144 women in first class, only four died, and three of them because they refused to leave their husbands. Thirteen out of 93 women in second class died, but 76 out of 165 third-class women perished—many because they were not allowed on deck until all the lifeboats had left. Of children only one out of the 29 traveling in first or second class died, whereas 52 of 79 in third class, or steerage, died. Among male passengers on the White Star liner, one-third in first class perished, 92 percent in second class failed to survive and 84 percent in third class died.

Three-quarters of the almost 900 crew members, including Captain Smith, went down with the ship. When wives went to collect the paychecks of their dead husbands in Southampton, they discovered that the men's pay had ended when the Titanic sank, because under British maritime law the crew members were paid by the ship, not the steamship line.

Echo of the Titanic

“Those who do not know their history are doomed to repeat it,” is an old adage that suddenly has new meaning. On Friday, January 13, 2012, about 9:45 P.M., the Costa Concordia, more than twice the size of the Titanic, struck a rock in the Tyrrhenian Sea just offshore of Giglio Island near the western coast of Italy. It suffered a hole some 160 feet long in its side and drifted back to Giglio, where the hull came to rest on its side. (Perhaps ironically, the owner of the Costa Concordia, Carnival Cruise Lines, had bought Cunard, which in turn had taken over White Star decades ago.)

Getting the 3,229 passengers and 1,023 crew off the ship as quickly as possible was imperative because the ship was in danger of shifting and sinking. Complicating matters was that none of the passengers had yet practiced lifeboat drills, which were scheduled for the next morning during the first full day at sea. During the remainder of the evening and night, all but 32 passengers were rescued; those who lost their lives were trapped in sections of the ship that rapidly filled with water as the ship lay on its side.

Captain Francesco Schettino was steering an unauthorized course too close to the dangerous shoreline for, by some accounts, the entertainment of crew members and passengers so that they could see some of the towns and villages that the crew called home. No radar, sonar or other advances in marine navigation can alleviate human stupidity. Fortunately, a catastrophe was narrowly averted by sheer luck: the ship got stuck on a rock instead of being in open water, where it would have sunk. Had it gone under, it could have created a disaster that would have dwarfed the calamity of the Titanic .

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The Titanic: Passengers, Crew, Sinking, and Survivors

What was the Titanic?

The Titanic was a luxury vessel and the largest moveable man-made object of its time. It sank on April 15, 1912, off the coast of Newfoundland in the North Atlantic. Over 1,500 of the 2,240 passengers and crew lost their lives in the disaster. It remains a cautionary tale of the arrogance of builders that their creation could ever be flawless or impervious to harm. Scroll down to read more about the Titanic, its construction, crew, passengers, theories of its sinking , and its renowned legacy.

For more articles about the Titanic, go to the category archive .

The Titanic: Table of Contents

• The White Star Line: Its Construction and Amenities
• How Many People Were Onboard The Titanic?
• Why Did People Think The Titanic Was Unsinkable?
• Who Were The Crew?
• Who Were The Passengers?
• Theories On The Sinking of The Titanic
• Why Were There So Few Lifeboats?

The Californian: The Rescue Ship That Never Was

A new theory on the titanic sinking, seven amazing stories surrounding the titanic.

• The “Titan”: A Prophesy of the Titanic Sinking?

Bibliography

Listen to “Introduction To The Titanic” above. For the full “History Unplugged” podcast, click here !

The Titanic Timeline

(See Main Article: Titanic Timeline )

The White Star Line

(See Main Article: The White Star Line )

The White Star Shipping Line was founded in 1850 to take advantage of an increase in trade following the discovery of gold in Australia. In 1867, the White Star Shipping Line was purchased by Thomas Ismay and set up to rival Cunard in Trans-Atlantic passenger traffic. Thomas’s son, Bruce, became a partner in the firm and took over as company director in 1899 when his father died. In 1902 the company was bought by wealthy American, J Pierpoint Morgan. Ismay retained his position within the firm as managing director. Morgan’s money meant that the company could build large luxury liners to attract the wealthy passengers.In 1907 Ismay suggested that the company build two liners which were heavier, bigger and more luxurious than any other ship in the World. They were to be called Olympic and Titanic. If these were successful a third, Gigantic, later renamed Brittanic, would follow.

Construction

(See Main Article: Titanic Construction: Building the Unsinkable Ship )

The Titanic construction took place in Belfast by the shipbuilding company Harland and Wolff. The company was owned by Lord Pirrie, a friend of Bruce Ismay, managing director of the White Star Line (pictured below, left). The chief designer of the Titanic was his son-in-law, Thomas Andrews. Construction of the Titanic began in 1909. Harland and Wolff had to make alterations to their shipyard (larger piers and gantries) to accommodate the giant liners, Titanic and her sister ship Olympic. The two ships were to be built side-by-side. The Titanic was constructed with sixteen watertight compartments. Each compartment had doors that were designed to close automatically if the water level rose above a certain height. The doors could also be electronically closed from the bridge.

The Titanic was able to stay afloat if any two compartments or the first four became flooded. Shortly after Titanic hit the iceberg it was revealed that the first six compartments were flooded.BoilersThere were twenty-four double ended boilers and five single ended boilers which were housed in six boiler rooms. The double ended boilers were 20 feet long, had a diameter of 15 feet 9 inches and contained six coal burning furnaces. The single ended boilers were 11 feet 9 inches long with the same diameter and three furnaces. Smoke and waste gasses were expelled through three funnels.FunnelsTitanic’s four funnels were constructed away from the site and were then transported to the shipyard for putting on the Titanic. Only three of the funnels were used to expel smoke and waste gasses. The fourth was added to make the ship look more powerful.PropellersTitanic had three propellers which were powered by steam. The rotation of the propellers powered the ship through the sea.

The Titanic was launched in 1911. The next ten months were spent completing the interior of the ship. Details and pictures of the interior can be viewed on the layout page of this site. The total cost of the RMS Titanic was $7.5 million (1912).

(See Main Article: Titanic Amenities )

The Crow’s nest was used by the ship’s lookouts. It was from here, at 11.40 pm on April 15, 1912, that lookouts Frederick Fleet and Reginald Lee first spotted the iceberg that caused the Titanic to sink.

Officers’ Quarters: The Titanic’s officer quarters were located just below the boat deck so that they could quickly reach the bridge in case of emergency. Captain Smith retired to the officers’ quarters about an hour before the ship hit the iceberg. The Bridge was the place where the ship was operated from. There was always a senior officer on the bridge and it was first officer Murdock who ordered the Titanic ‘hard a starboard’ when the iceberg was spotted.

First Class Grand Staircase: The two first-class staircases were very grand indeed. Over the top of both were glass domes which allowed sunlight to pass through.Marconi/Wireless RoomThe two wireless operators, Harold Bride and John Philips were employed to send telegrams on behalf of the passengers. They also received and sent messages to other ships. It was here that the messages warning of icebergs were received on the afternoon of 14th April 1912 and the SOS messages were sent when it was realized that the Titanic would sink.

Gymnasium: The Titanic’s gymnasium had all the latest exercise equipment – a bicycle, rowing machine, and electric horse. Separate sessions were available for men, women, and children.

First Class Staterooms: The first-class staterooms were luxuriously furnished with curtained beds and tables and chairs. The most expensive even had their own private balcony. The Titanic’s a la carte restaurant served the finest food. Passengers could reserve tables and book areas for private parties.

First Class Smoking Room: The First Class smoking room was open for most of the day. Passengers could purchase the most luxurious cigarettes and tobacco here. Cafe ParisienThis cafe was designed to look like a Paris street cafe and the waiters were French.

Third Class Smoking Room: This was one of the leisure rooms provided for the use of third-class passengers.

Second-Class Staterooms: Second-class staterooms were occupied by up to four people. By the standards of the day they were luxurious with mahogany furniture and linoleum floors. Refrigerated Cargo: In order to ensure that food served at tables was as fresh as possible, the Titanic was fitted with a refrigerated storage area. There were different areas for meat, cheese, flowers and wines and champagne.

Second Class Dining Room: This large, pleasantly furnished room was where second-class passengers took their meals. Food served to second-class passengers was cooked in the first-class kitchen. First and Second Class Galley Food for both first and second class passengers was prepared in the same galley. There was a large ice-cream maker as well as refrigerated rooms for storing meat and perishable goods.

First Class Dining Room: The First Class Dining room was beautifully decorated with a huge glass dome roof and could seat over 500 people.

Third Class Dining Room: This was where the third class passengers took their meals. It was said to be like second class dining rooms on other ships.

Boilers: The Titanic had 24 boilers each containing 6 furnaces and 5 boilers containing 3 furnaces. Coal was burned in the boilers to power the ship and the steam and smoke was released through the four funnels.

Bruce Ismay, of the White Star Line, hoped that the Titanic would make the fastest ever crossing from Southampton to New York.

First Class Reception Room: First class passengers met in the first class reception room. They would often enjoy a cocktail together before going into dinner. Turkish Bath The Titanic’s turkish baths was one of the most luxurious to be found in Europe.

First Class Elevator: The Titanic’s four electric lifts were one of the new features that made the Titanic special. Designed for use by first and second class passengers only, they each had their own lift attendant. None of the four lift attendants survived.

Swimming Pool: The Titanic was one of the first ships to have a swimming pool on board. It was filled with sea water which was heated by the boilers. There were separate times for men and women.

Squash Court: As part of its recreational facilities for passengers, the Titanic had a full-size squash court. Because the squash court was located just below the bridge but above the watertight compartments, it was used by the ship’s officers to monitor the rise of the water.

The Post Office: The Titanic had a fully equipped post office staffed by five mail clerks. Over three thousand mail bags were lost when the ship sank and over 7 million items of mail never reached their destination.

Cargo Room: Passengers’ cargo was loaded into the cargo room by crane. Among the items lost when the Titanic sank were:

• A Renault 35hp car
• A Marmalade machine
• 50 cases of toothpaste
• 5 grand pianos
• Four cases of opium
• A jewelled copy of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

Third Class Berths: Third Class berths on the Titanic were used by up to eight people. As you can see in the picture above, they slept in bunks and used a communal sink.

Fireman’s Passage: This was the passage between the boilers that was used by the firemen. In the film, Rose and Jack run through the fireman’s passage to the cargo room. However, on the Titanic the fireman’s passage was on the deck below the cargo room.

Crew Quarters: The Titanic had a crew of some 890 men and women of whom only 212 were saved. The crew’s quarters were located at the rear of the ship on decks D, E and F. Cargo Crane: This was a lifting device to enable large objects to be lifted onto ships. In the film Titanic, a cargo crane is seen lifting crates and a car onto the ship.

Total Number Onboard

“The Last Night on the Titanic: Overview of the 1,500 Passengers and Crew Who Lost Their Lives” For the full “History Unplugged” podcast, click here !

(See Main Article: How Many People Were on the Titanic? )

The exact numbers of those traveling on the Titanic is not known, but the official total of all passengers and crew is 2,229. The number of survivors varies from 701-713. The table below features a detailed breakdown of passengers in each class and the crew, and the number who survived. It is compiled from the most widely used figures for passengers and crew.

The numbers are for passengers in first , second , and third class . Many are taught that in the sinking of the Titanic, third-class passengers were locked into flooding passages so as to preserve lifeboats for the first class, most famously in James Cameron’s depiction of the Titanic sinking in film. Dramatic embellishment certainly occurred, but the fact remains that first-class passengers were more likely to survive than second or third-class passengers. In terms of a percentage breakdown of number of survivors based on their class, here are the relevant statistics.

• 37 percent of all passengers survived
• 61 percent of first-class passengers survived
• 42 percent of second-class passengers survived
• 24 percent of third-class passenger survived

(See Main Article: Titanic – Crew )

In all, the crew of the Titanic comprised some 885 people:

•  Deck Crew – Officers, Masters at arms, Storemasters and able bodied seamen.
• Engineering Department – Engineers, Boilermen, Firemen and Electricians.
• Victualling Department – Stewards and Galley staff.
• Restaurant staff

Captain Edward John Smith: Monthly wage: £105 The maiden voyage of the Titanic was to be 62-year-old Captain Smith’s last voyage before he retired. Smith was married with a young daughter. Very little is known about his actions on the Titanic after the collision – he was last seen on the bridge of the sinking ship. Captain Smith went down with his ship and his body was never recovered.

Chief Officer Henry Wilde – Monthly wage: £ 25. Henry Wilde was serving as Chief Officer on the Olympic but was transferred to the Titanic for her maiden voyage. Wilde was off duty when the ship hit the iceberg. He took control of the even-numbered lifeboats and was last seen trying to free the collapsible lifeboats. Wilde’s body has never been recovered.

First Officer William Murdoch: William Murdoch, 39 years old, had served on a number of White Star ships. He joined the Titanic as first officer and was on the bridge at the time of the collision and gave the order to turn the ship. He helped to load women and children into the lifeboats. He did not survive the disaster and his body was not recovered.

Second Officer Charles Lightoller: Charles Lightoller had begun his sailing career at the age of 13 and had been involved in a shipwreck before. Lightoller was keen to load the lifeboats as quickly as possible and was still trying to free the collapsible lifeboats when Titanic sank. He was sucked under the sea but blown to the surface by air escaping from a vent. He managed to climb onto the overturned collapsible lifeboat B. He survived the disaster and as the most senior surviving officer testified at both inquiries.

Third Officer Herbert Pitman: Herbert Pitman was in his bunk when Titanic hit the iceberg. After helping to uncover lifeboats he was put in charge of lifeboat number 5 by William Murdoch. After Titanic had sunk, Pitman wanted to return for more passengers but others in the boat persuaded him that they would swamp the boat and they would all die. Pitman was called to give evidence during the inquiry into the disaster.

Fourth Officer Joseph Boxall: Joseph Boxall, aged 28, had been at sea for 13 years. After the collision, Boxall helped to fire the distress rockets and to signal the nearby ship with a morse code lamp. Boxall was put in charge of lifeboat number 2 and like Pitman was persuaded not to return for more survivors after the ship had sunk. Boxall also gave evidence at the inquiry.

Fifth Officer Harold Lowe: Lowe was fast asleep when the Titanic hit the iceberg. When he eventually woke up, disturbed by noise, the ship was already at an angle. Lowe helped to load women and children into the lifeboats and took charge of lifeboat 14. After the cries and screams from the water had died down, Lowe put passengers from his lifeboat into others nearby before returning to pick up survivors. Lowe only found 4 people alive and one died before being rescued by the Carpathia. Lowe gave evidence at the inquiry.

Sixth Officer James Moody: James Moody was on duty at the time of the collision and took the phone call from Frederick Fleet warning of the iceberg. He helped to load the lifeboats and was last seen trying to launch the collapsible lifeboats. Moody did not survive the disaster.

Chief Baker Charles John Joughin:  Monthly wage: £12. After the collision Joughin fortified himself with a quantity of alcohol before throwing deckchairs into the ocean for people to hold on to. As the ship neared its final moments Joughin climbed over the stern rails and ‘rode’ the ship into the ocean. He managed to reach collapsible B and because there was no more room to climb on, spent several hours in the freezing water. Joughin survived and was rescued by the Carpathia.

Lookouts Frederick Fleet and Reginald Lee: Monthly wage: £5. Frederick Fleet and Reginald Lee were on duty in the crow’s nest and were the first to sight the iceberg. Fleet radioed the information to the bridge. Fleet survived in lifeboat 6, Lee in lifeboat 13. Both men were called to give evidence at the inquiry.

Radio Operators Jack Phillips and Harold Bride Monthly wage: £22.6. The two radio operators’ main duty was the sending of private telegrams for passengers. However, they also received seven iceberg warnings from other ships on the 14th of April. After the collision, they were asked to send the distress signal CQD (Come Quick Disaster). The signal was changed to the new distress code SOS. After contacting the Carpathia both operators stayed at their post until water poured into the Marconi room. Bride survived by climbing onto the overturned hull of collapsible B. Phillips also reached collapsible B but died sometime before dawn.

Bandsmen Monthly wage: £4.00. There were two bands on the Titanic. After the collision, they grouped on the deck and played to keep the spirits of the passengers up. Some survivors state that the band played until the end and many claim that the hymn ‘Nearer my God to thee’ was the last song played. None of the bandsmen survived.

First Class

(See Main Article: The Titanic First Class: Profile of Passengers )

The maiden voyage of the Titanic had attracted a number of rich passengers, which made up the Titanic first class. A first-class parlour suite cost £870 while a first-class berth cost £30. The following are some of the more well-known first-class travelers.

John Jacob Astor: The richest passenger aboard was multi-millionaire John Jacob Astor. He was traveling with his second wife, Madeleine, who was five months pregnant. JJ Astor did not survive but his wife did.

Benjamin Guggenheim: Millionaire Benjamin Guggenheim was traveling on the Titanic with a lady friend. His wife and family were at home in New York. Guggenheim and his manservant helped women and children into lifeboats. When all the boats had gone they changed into their best clothes and prepared to “Die like gentlemen.”

Sir Cosmo and Lady Duff Gordon: Lady Duff Gordon was a notable dress designer whose clientele included Isadora Duncan, Oscar Wilde and the British royal family. The Duff Gordons both survived but were called to testify at the court of inquiry and explain why their boat contained only twelve people. During the inquiry, they were accused and cleared of bribing crew members not to allow more people into the boat.

The ‘Unsinkable’ Molly Brown: Molly was the daughter of a poor Irish immigrant family whose husband struck rich when mining for silver. She was traveling home to America aboard the Titanic. She survived the disaster in lifeboat number 6 and earned her nickname because she took control of the boat, kept the women rowing for seven hours and gave her furs to keep others warm.

Isador and Ida Straus: Isador Straus was a partner of Macey’s department store, New York. He and his wife were returning from a European holiday. Both died on the Titanic. Ida nearly got into lifeboat number 8 but refused saying to her husband “We have been living together for many years. Where you go, I go.”There were 325 first-class passengers on board – 175 men, 144 women and 6 children.202 first-class passengers survived – 57 men, 140 women and 5 children.

Second Class

(See Main Article: Titanic Second Class Passengers )

The Titanic second class passengers enjoyed a level of luxury that rivaled that of  first class on other liners. Titanic was also the first ship to have an electric elevator for second-class passengers.A second-class ticket cost about £13The following passengers are the most well known second-class travelers.

Lawrence Beesley: Lawrence Beesley was a public school teacher traveling to America for a holiday. He survived the disaster in lifeboat 17 and was one of the first people to publish an account of the sinking and rescue.

Eva Hart: Seven year old Eva Hart was traveling to America with her parents. Eva’s mother had a premonition and refused to sleep at night during the voyage. Eva and her mother were saved in lifeboat 14. Eva never saw her father again.

Juozas Montvila and Thomas Byles: These two men were Roman Catholic priests who conducted services for second class passengers. After the sinking they both helped other passengers to safety, heard confessions and prayed. Both died in the tragedy.

Charles Aldworth: Charles Aldworth was first class passenger, William Carter’s chauffeur. Carter’s Renault 25 motor car was stored in the cargo hold. Charles Aldworth did not survive. There were 285 second class passengers on board – 168 men, 93 women and 24 children/118 second class passengers survived the disaster – 14 men, 80 women and 24 children.

Third Class

(See Main Article: Titanic Third Class Passengers )

Many of the Titanic third-class passengers traveling in rooms or steerage were emigrants traveling to the United States from Ireland and Scandinavia. In all some 33 nationalities were represented in the passenger lists. Accommodations were clearly more spartan than those for the first and second classes. A ticket for Titanic third-class passage cost between £3 and £8. The information below contains statistics on some of the nationalities traveling in third class and survival accounts.IrishThere were around 120 Irish passengers on the Titanic most of whom were emigrants hoping for a better life in America. Most of them did not make it. However, Anna Kelly who had gone up on deck to investigate what had happened survived in lifeboat 16. She later became a nun.

Finnish: There were 63 Finnish passengers on the Titanic of whom only 20 survived. Mathilda Backstr was traveling to New York with her husband and brothers. She survived in one of the last lifeboats to leave – collapsible D. Her husband and brothers died.SwedishThere were about 26 Swedish passengers on board the Titanic of whom most were traveling third class. Many did not reach their destination. Mrs. Hjalmar Sandstr, (Agnes Charlotta Bengtsson ) was traveling with her two daughters. They all survived the disaster in lifeboat 13.BelgiansThere were 24 Belgians on board the Titanic, 23 in third class. Two lucky Belgians, Emma Duyvejonck and Henri Van der Steen were turned away at Southampton. Only 4 Belgians, all men, survived the disaster. There were 706 third-class passengers on board – 462 men, 165 women and 79 children.178 third-class passengers survived the disaster – 75 men, 76 women and 27 children.

Why the Titanic Was Thought Unsinkable

(See Main Article: Why Did People Consider Titanic Unsinkable? )

“The 160-Minute Race to Save the Titanic” For the full “History Unplugged” podcast, click   here !

It seems incredible to us today that anyone could believe that 70,000 tons of steel could be unsinkable, and specifically the Titanic unsinkable, but that was the conventional wisdom of 1912 belief. The information on this page will seek to look at some of the reasons why people at the time had that belief. The shipbuilders Harland and Wolff insist that the Titanic was never advertised as an unsinkable ship. They claim that the ‘unsinkable’ myth was the result of people’s interpretations of articles in the Irish News and the Shipbuilder magazine. They also claim that the myth grew after the disaster. Yet, when the New York office of the White Star Line was informed that Titanic was in trouble , White Star Line Vice President P.A.S. Franklin announced ” We place absolute confidence in the Titanic. We believe the boat is unsinkable.” By the time Franklin spoke those words Titanic was at the bottom of the ocean. It would seem that the White Star Line President was also influenced by the ‘myth.’ It is difficult to discover exactly where or when the term ‘unsinkable’ was first used. Listed below are some possibilities.

There was a White Star Line publicity brochure produced in 1910 for the twin ships Olympic and Titanic which stated “these two wonderful vessels are designed to be unsinkable.” Some sources state that this wording was used on an advertising flyer while others point to an illustrated brochure. The White Star Line insist that the words used in the publicity brochure (shown above) only point to Titanic’s being designed to be unsinkable, not that it was claimed to be unsinkable. On June 1, 1911, the Irish News and Belfast Morning News contained a report on the launching of the Titanic’s hull.

The article described the system of watertight compartments and electronic watertight doors and concluded that Titanic was practically unsinkable. In 1911, Shipbuilder magazine published an article on the White Star Line’s sister ships Titanic and Olympic. The article described the construction of the ship and concluded that Titanic was practically unsinkable.”God himself could not sink this ship!” This quotation, made famous by Cameron’s film, is reputed to have been the answer given by a deck hand when asked if Titanic was really unsinkable. Whatever the origin of the belief, there is no doubt that people did believe Titanic to be unsinkable. Passenger Margaret Devaney said “I took passage on the Titanic for I thought it would be a safe steamship and I had heard it could not sink.”Another passenger, Thomson Beattie, wrote home “We are changing ships and coming home in a new unsinkable boat.”It was the beginning of the twentieth century and people had absolute faith in new science and technology. They believed that science in the twentieth century could and would provide answers to solve all problems. The sinking of the ‘unsinkable’ Titanic shattered much confidence in science and made people more skeptical about such fantastic claims.

Five Theories on the Sinking of the Titanic

(See Main Article: Why Did Titanic Sink? Five Theories )

Numerous theories have coalesced over the years, and they each have their defenders. Some are more plausible than others, but they each have a shred of plausibility due to the complexity of maritime navigation in the North Atlantic, and steering a massive, untested ship. But why did the largest, most advanced ship of the century sink?

Below are theories on why the Titanic sank.

1) It was Captain Smith’s fault: This was Captain E. J. Smith’s retirement trip. All he had to do was get to New York in record time. Captain E. J. Smith said years before the Titanic’s voyage, “I cannot imagine any condition which would cause a ship to founder. Modern shipbuilding has gone beyond that.” Captain Smith ignored seven iceberg warnings from his crew and other ships. If he had called for the ship to slow down then maybe the Titanic disaster would not have happened.

2) It was the shipbuilder’s fault about three million rivets were used to hold the sections of the Titanic together. Some rivets have been recovered from the wreck and analyzed. The findings show that they were made of sub-standard iron. When the ship hit the iceberg, the force of the impact caused the heads of the rivets to break and the sections of the Titanic to come apart. If good-quality iron rivets had been used the sections may have stayed together and the ship may not have sunk.

3) It was Bruce Ismay’s fault: Bruce Ismay was the Managing Director of the White Star Line and he was aboard the Titanic. Competition for Atlantic passengers was fierce and the White Star Line wanted to show that they could make a six-day crossing. To meet this schedule the Titanic could not afford to slow down. It is believed that Ismay put pressure on Captain Smith to maintain the speed of the ship.

4) It was Thomas Andrews’ fault: The belief that the ship was unsinkable was, in part, because the Titanic had sixteen watertight compartments. However, the compartments did not reach as high as they should have. The White Star Line did not want them to go all the way up because this would have reduced living space in first class. If Mr. Andrews, the ship’s architect, had insisted on making them the correct height then maybe the Titanic would not have sunk.

5) It was Captain Lord’s Fault: The final iceberg warning sent to Titanic was from the Californian. Captained by Stanley Lord, she had stopped for the night about 19 miles north of Titanic. At around 11.15, the Californian’s radio operator turned off the radio and went to bed. Sometime after midnight, the crew on watch reported seeing rockets being fired into the sky from a big liner. Captain Lord was informed but it was concluded that the ship was having a party. No action was taken by the Californian. If the Californian had turned on the radio she would have heard the distress messages from Titanic and would have been able to reach the ship in time to save all passengers. Both America and Britain held inquiries into the disaster. both reached almost identical conclusions. The American inquiry concluded that Captain Smith should have slowed the speed of the boat given the icy weather conditions. The British inquiry, on the other hand, concluded that maintaining speed in icy weather conditions was common practice. Both inquiries agreed on who was most at fault – Captain Stanley Lord of the Californian. The inquiries stated that if Lord had gone to Titanic’s assistance when the first rocket was seen then everyone would have been saved. Both inquiries made recommendations:

• All ships must carry sufficient lifeboats for the number of passengers on board.
• Ship radios should be manned 24 hours a day.
• Regular lifeboat drills should be held.
• Speed should be reduced in ice, fog or any other areas of possible danger.

Why There Were Too Few Lifeboats

“Last Night on the Titanic: The Life Savers” For the full “History Unplugged” podcast, click here !

(See Main Article: Titanic: Lifeboats )

One of the factors that makes the sinking of the Titanic so memorable is the fact that lives were needlessly lost. There were not enough Titanic lifeboats on board to hold all the passengers and crew, and when the lifeboats were launched they were not filled to capacity. The information on this page represents some of the main facts relating to the lifeboats on board Titanic. At the British Inquiry into the Titanic disaster, Sir Alfred Chalmers of the Board of Trade was asked why regulations governing the number of lifeboats required on passenger ships had not been updated since 1896.

Sir Alfred gave a number of reasons for this: Due to advancements that had been made in ship building it was not necessary for boats to carry more lifeboats. The latest boats were stronger than ever and had watertight compartments making them unlikely to require lifeboats at all.Sea routes used were well-traveled meaning that the likelihood of a collision was minimal. The latest boats were fitted with wireless technology. That it would be impossible for crew members to be able to load more than sixteen boats in the event of a disaster.That the provision of lifeboats should be a matter for the ship owners to consider. Sir Alfred also stated that he felt that if there had been fewer lifeboats on Titanic then more people would have been saved. He believed that if there had been fewer lifeboats then more people would have rushed to the boats and they would have been filled to capacity thus saving more people.

Facts on Titanic – Lifeboats: The Titanic carried 20 lifeboats, enough for 1178 people. The existing Board of Trade required a passenger ship to provide lifeboat capacity for 1060 people. Titanic’s lifeboats were situated on the top deck. The boat was designed to carry 32 lifeboats but this number was reduced to 20 because it was felt that the deck would be too cluttered. At the British investigation, Charles Lightoller as the senior surviving officer was questioned about the fact that the lifeboats were not filled to capacity. They had been tested n Belfast on 25th March 1912 and each boat had carried seventy men safely. When questioned about the filling of lifeboat number six, Lightoller testified that the boat was filled with as many people as he considered to be safe.

Lightoller believed that it would be impossible to fill the boats to capacity before lowering them to sea without the mechanism that held them collapsing. He was questioned as to whether he had arranged for more people to be put into the boats once it was afloat. Lightoller admitted that he should have made some arrangement for the boats to be filled once they were afloat. When asked if the crew member in charge of lifeboat number six was told to return to pick up survivors, the inquiry was told that the crew member was told to stay close to the ship. (

Lifeboat number 6 was designed to hold 65 people. It left with 40. Titanic also carried 3500 lifebelts and 48 life rings; Useless in the icy water. The majority of passengers that went into the sea did not drown, but froze to death. Usage of Titanic LifeboatsMany people were confused about where they should go after the order to launch the lifeboats had been given.

There should have been a lifeboat drill on 14th April, but the Captain cancelled it to allow people to go to church. Many people believed that Titanic was not actually sinking but that the call to the Titanic lifeboats was actually a drill and stayed inside rather than venture out onto the freezing deckThe inquiry was concerned that there was a delay of more than an hour between the time of impact and the launching of the first lifeboat – number 7. As a result there was not enough time to successfully launch all the Titanic lifeboats. Collapsible lifeboats A and B were not launched but floated away as the water washed over the ship. Collapsible B floated away upside down. People tried unsuccessfully to right it. 30 people survived the disaster by standing on the upturned boat.

(See Main Article: The Californian )

So near but yet so far away… The Titanic was not the only ship in the North Atlantic ice field on the night of 14th April 1912. At around 10:30 pm the liner Californian had stopped at the edge of the ice field for the night. They had turned off their radio and the operator had gone to bed.The night crew of the Californian noticed a big passenger liner stop some six miles to the south at 11.40pm. Shortly after midnight the Captain of the Californian was told by his crew that the big passenger liner was firing rockets into the sky. They concluded that the ship had stopped for the night and was having a party. At 2.20 am it was noticed that the big ship had disappeared and the crew believed that it had steamed away. At 3.20am more rockets were seen and by 4.00am another ship, the Carpathia, could be clearly seen in the last noted position of the big liner.  The Californian’s wireless operator was awoken at around 5am and the crew learned of the fate of the Titanic.

In the British and American inquiries into the disaster, Captain Stanley Lord of the Californian maintained that his ship was positioned nineteen miles north of the Titanic not six and could not have reached the Titanic in time to rescue passengers. However, many of Titanic’s survivors testified that there was indeed another ship about six miles north of Titanic. The inquiries concluded that the Californian had indeed been just six miles to the north of Titanic and could have reached the Titanic before it sank.

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(See Main Article: Titanic Sinking: A New Theory )

By now the story of the sinking of the Titanic is well-known and well-worn: Man creates an “unsinkable ship” and, in his hubris, brings along too few lifeboats. An iceberg cures his of his arrogance by tearing a hole in the side of the ship, sending it and thousands of passengers to the icy depths of the North Atlantic. But according to a new documentary, the iceberg may not have been the sole reason for the sinking of the Titanic . Instead, in an extraordinarily stroke of bad luck, the iceberg may have struck in the exact spot where the hull had been weakened by a coal fire that blazed in the depths of the ship prior to disembarking.Irish journalist Senan Molony argues in his January 2017 documentary “Titanic: The New Evidence” the hull of the ship was compromised weeks before its ill-fated voyage.

He examined photos and eye-witness testimonies to determine that a fire spontaneously lit inside one of Titanic ‘s coal bunkers and severely weakened a segment of the ship’s hull.“The ship is a single-skin ship,” Molony told Smithsonian.com . He means that while modern ships contain two hulls, Titanic, like other early twentieth-century vessels, had only one. Such a structure typically made for a weaker vessel, but in the Titanic ‘s case it proved fatal. The bunkers where the crew stored engine coal was located next to the hull. The heat from the fire transferred directly to the ship’s metal structure. The ah-ha moment for Molony came when he discovered a trove of previously unknown photographs. Four years ago he purchased them from a descendant of the engineering chief of Harland and Wolff, the Irish company that built the Titanic. He was startled to see a thirty-foot-long black streak documented on the outside of the ships hull, near where the iceberg struck its blow.

When Molony asked naval architects what the streak in the photograph could be, nobody knew but everyone was intrigued. “The best suggestion at the time was that this was a reflection.” But when the photograph was taken, there was no road or dock on the shore that could have been reflected in the hull. Other engineers believed the streak to have been caused by a fire in one of Titanic ‘s three-story-tall coal bunkers. Molony assembled the facts in his own timeline in order to create a new narrative. He argues that the fire began as early as three weeks before the Titanic launched its voyage but was ignored due to pressure to keep the ship on schedule and fears of bad press.

Britain ruled the seas but was facing increased pressure from Germany and others for the valuable immigrant trade. An article from the New York Tribute published shortly after Titanic survivors made landfall in the United States corroborates this theory: Stokers Agree Blaze Was in Progress from Time of Leaving Southampton Till 2 P.M. Saturday Every stoker who was interviewed declared that the Titanic was afire from the time she left Southampton until Saturday afternoon at 2 o’clock. This story was first told by an officer of the ship, who requested that his name be withheld, saying that all the men had been warned not to talk about the disaster. “ The fire was in the coal bunkers, forward,” said this man, “in stokeholes 9 and 10, on the forward end, in what is known as the second and third sections. The fire must have been raging long before she pulled out of her pier in Southampton, for the bunker was a raging hell when, one hour out past the Needles, the fire was discovered.” “ Immediately we began to work on the fire, and it took us until Saturday afternoon to extinguish it. We were compelled to dig out all the coal from these sections. In my opinion this fire played no small part in the disaster, for when the bow was stove in[,] the waters readily tore open the watertight bulkheads, behind which had been the coal. If the coal had been still in the second and third sections when the vessel struck the iceberg it would have probably helped the bulkhead to resist the strain.” This account was one of the first explanations of the Titanic ‘s sinking; it was mentioned by British officials in their official inquiry in 1912.

But the narrative was downplayed by the judge who oversaw it, Molony said.“He was a shipping interest judge, and, in fact, he presided at a toast at the Shipwright’s Guild four years earlier, saying ‘may nothing ever adversely affect the great carrying power of this wonderful country. So he closes down efforts to pursue the fire, and he makes this finding that the iceberg acted alone.” Molony’s theory is plausible, but not everyone buys it. Denying the iceberg explanation, after all, puts him in odd company.

A number of Titanic “ truthers” have emerged over the decades, offering less-than-convincing explanations, such as a torpedo from a German U-boat sinking the ship. Others, as Dan Bilefsky of the New York Times notes, blame the sinking on an Egyptian mummy’s curse. The conventional wisdom still holds that the iceberg is the main culprit. “A fire may have accelerated this. But in my view, the Titanic would have sunk anyway,” Dave Hill, a former honorary secretary of the British Titanic Society, told Bilefsky. Molony believes that his version holds up due to the shakiness of the original inquiry’s findings. The same inquiry stated that the Titanic had sunk intact, while it was found later to be broken in half on the sea floor.“Just because an official finding says it doesn’t make it true,” Molony says.To read more about “Titanic: The New Evidence,” click here.

(See Main Article: 7 Amazing Stories Surrounding Titanic )

1. The First Film about the Titanic Premiered Just 29 Days after the Vessel SankYou may have seen James Cameron’s theatrical version of the Titanic, a movie that has accrued over $1.84 billion in total gross sales since its release in 1997. But we can confidently bet that you have never laid eyes on Saved From the Titanic, a 1912 silent motion picture starring actress and survivor of the RMS titanic, Dorothy Gibson. Ms. Gibson was one of the 28 people that safely made it out in the first lifeboat launched from the sinking ship, which floated around aimlessly for 5 hours until it was rescued. When she landed in New York, she co-wrote the script and played a fictional role of herself in the film. The plot involves her retelling the story of the incident to her family, with occasional flashbacks depicting what took place. The entire movie was filmed in a New Jersey studio, and aboard a ship in the New York Harbor. It was the first film in history to tell a story about the disaster, and was released just 29 days after it happened. Unfortunately, the movie is considered a lost film, as the only existing prints were destroyed in a fire in 1914.

2. The 1997 Titanic Film Cost more to make than the Original RMS ShipThe Titanic vessel took 3 years to build and cost about $7.5 million. If we take inflation into account, then that would be roughly equivalent to $174 million in today’s dollars. The 1997 movie cost $200 million to film, which is way more than the Titanic itself.

3. A Person Survived the Sinking of both the Titanic and her Sister Ship, BritannicViolet Constance Jessop may be the bravest ocean liner stewardess/nurse in history. Not only did she survive the unfortunate sinking of the RMS Titanic, but she also survived the sinking of her sister ship HMHS Britannic. Additionally, she was also onboard the RMS Olympic, their other sister ship, when it struck a protected cruiser. After the war, she continued to work for different ship lines. Years after she retired, Violet claims to have received a call from a woman who asked if she had saved a baby on the night of the Titanic. Violet replied, “yes,” and the woman replied with, “I was that baby.” The person then hung up. Violet claims to never have told anyone that story before the call. Ms. Jessop, who was often referred to as, “Ms. Unsinkable,” died of heart failure in 1971 at the age of 84.

4. Not One Single Engineer aboard the Titanic Survived the Disaster; They Sacrificed Themselves in Order to Give Others a Chance to EscapeWhen the order came to “abandon ship,” it was far too late for the engineers aboard the Titanic to escape. They could not make their way through the confusing passageways deep in the heart of the Titanic, and many of them most likely did not try. They probably did not drown, but were instead crushed by the boilers and machinery that broke when the vessel sank deeper. They died carrying out their duty, and sacrificed themselves so that others could survive.

5. The Only Japanese Survivor of the Titanic was Condemned as a Coward in Japan and Lost his JobMasabumi Hosono was the only Japanese passenger aboard the Titanic to survive the disaster. When he arrived in Japan, he was condemned by the public for his decision to save himself rather then go down with the vessel. As a result, he lost his job, but was soon re-employed and continued to work until 1939.To be fair, a lot of the men that survived the Titanic were frowned upon, because they were supposed to let women and children on the lifeboats first. However, Mr. Hosomo was the only survivor who reportedly lost his job as a result.

6. A Mexican Drug Lord had Two Watches Made From the Metal of the TitanicWhen the feds captured Gulf Cartel Leader, Jorge Eduardo, they found a lot of expensive jewellery in his mansion, but nothing was as rare as the two watches made from the original metal of the Titanic ship.

7. A Priest Refused a Spot on a Lifeboat Twice. Instead, he decided to stay behind. An English Catholic priest, Thomas Roussel Davis Byles, remained on board the Titanic as it sank, listening to confessions and giving absolution. He was portrayed in the 1997 film by actor James Lancaster.

The “Titan”: A Prophesy of the Titanic Sinking?

“Last Night on the Titanic: Conclusion” For the full “History Unplugged” podcast, click here !

(See Main Article: Titanic – Futility )

Robertson’s novel features a ship, the Titan, ‘..which was the largest craft afloat and the greatest of the works of men’. No expense was spared on making the ship luxurious and the steward’s cabin is described as being ‘equal to that of a first class hotel.’The latest technology was used in the building of the Titan, including the addition of ‘..nineteen water-tight compartments.. With nine compartments flooded the ship would still float, and as no known incident of the sea could possibly fill this many, the steamship Titan was considered practically unsinkable.’Because Titan was considered unsinkable, she only carried the minimum number of lifeboats required by law – 24 – able to carry 500 people. This was not enough for the 2000 passengers on board. Morgan Robertson’s Titan hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean and sank. 2987 people died in the disaster. Morgan Robertson republished Futility after the sinking of the Titanic, with some notable changes suggesting that he was trying to cash in on the Titanic disaster. Nevertheless, the similarities between The Titan and Titanic are striking: Did the book predict the Titanic disaster? Uncanny but true!

Click here to read more articles about the details and events of the Titanic.

(See Main Article: Bibliography )

Titanic and other White Star Line Ships – Mark M Nichol

Titanic’s Mail – James H Bruns

Titanic Facts and Figures – Jim Sadur

The Unsinkable Molly Brown – Danuta Bois

The Grave of Titanic – Gulf of Maine Aquarium

Titanic Disaster – Karl Metelko

Encyclopedia Titanica – (comprehensive passenger information)

The Californian – a manufactured mystery – George Behe

Titanic – Over 2,500 pages of facts

British and US Inquiries into the Disaster

How Titanic became ‘unsinkable’ – George Behe’s Titanic Tidbits

Titanic Photographs

Additional Resources About The Titanic

Was titanic unsinkable: why did people think it was, titanic construction: building the “unsinkable” ship, why did the titanic sink five theories that may explain it, the titanic – the white star line, cite this article.

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Titanic’s Maiden Voyage: The Cherbourg Connection

Although it has been over 100 years since rms titanic set sail her story still endures, capturing hearts and minds throughout the world..

Follow the ship’s journey

Read the next story in the series ‘Titanic’s Maiden Voyage: The Queenstown Connection’ here, and don't forget to follow along with our A Night To Remember event on social media on the evening of April 14th, marking the anniversary of Titanic’s sinking.

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Mental Floss Presents: Titanic Timeline

By mentalfloss .com | apr 11, 2022, 9:27 am edt.

The sinking of the Titanic on April 15, 1912, is surely history’s most storied shipwreck. On the 110th anniversary of the maritime disaster, Mental Floss is looking back at the people, events, and twists of fate that set the Titanic ’s incredible story in motion, and the legacy we still honor today.

All times are approximate.

The Birth of the Titanic

Titanic might not have existed if not for the rivalry between its shipping company, White Star Line, and its competitor, Cunard. Out of this intense business battle emerged the largest and most opulent ship known at that time.

June 7, 1906

British company Cunard launches the world’s largest and fastest passenger ship, the Lusitania , followed by its sister ship, the Mauretania , on September 20. Both would go on to win the Blue Riband for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic.

In response, Joseph Bruce Ismay , the chairman of Cunard’s rival White Star Line, resolves to build three massive luxury ocean liners: ships that would eventually be called the Olympic , the Britannic , and, of course, the Titanic .

All three would be built by Northern Ireland's Harland & Wolff in its Belfast shipyard. Lord Pirrie, chairman of Harland & Wolff, designs the three Olympic-class ocean liners. Alexander Carlisle, Lord Pirrie’s brother-in-law and Harland & Wolff’s general manager, takes responsibility for the “details, the decorations, the equipments, and general arrangements” for Olympic and Titanic .

March 31, 1909

Construction of the Titanic begins . It’s not just the world’s largest passenger ship at the time—it’s the world’s largest moving, man-made object (which sounds impressive until you try to picture a plane or truck as big as even a medium-sized ship, but still …). It measures 882.75 feet long and 92.5 feet broad, with enormous funnels belching exhaust from its 29 monstrous boilers. Its steel hull is held together with 3 million rivets, collectively weighing 1200 tons. Its main anchor weighs 16 tons, roughly the same as 32 concert grand pianos, and each link in its chain weighs 175 pounds.

June 30, 1910

Alexander Carlisle retires and is eventually succeeded by Thomas Andrews.

May 31, 1911

Before it can go out to sea, Titanic has to make its way from land to water via a large slipway—emphasis on the slip. More than 20 tons of lubricant, primarily rendered animal fat and soap, are applied to the slipway to ease the ship’s transition into the water. It works: in just over a minute, the ship is in the water, “as though she were eager for the baptism,” in the somewhat off-puttingly-anthropomorphizing language of the Belfast News Letter .

Contrary to popular belief, the White Star Line never touts the Titanic as flat-out “ unsinkable ” ahead of its maiden voyage. In fact, it isn’t until after the luxury liner sinks that the term starts to float (ahem) around and is subsequently seized upon by the press. But the Titanic ’s safety features are praised in the lead-up to its official launch; in 1911, The Shipbuilder magazine refers to it as “ practically unsinkable ” on account of its 16 watertight compartments, which are innovative for the era. The idea is that, even if up to four of the compartments are damaged or flooded, the others will keep the ship afloat.

Once the Titanic is in the water, it is fitted out : internal systems are put in place and interior detailing begins. Workers start constructing the swimming pool, squash and tennis courts, exercise rooms, sunrooms, libraries, lounges, fine dining rooms, and the passenger cabins in first, second, and third class.

There are 20 lifeboats aboard the RMS Titanic —enough to accommodate around 1178 people, or roughly half the total passengers and crew members expected on the maiden voyage. The White Star Line isn’t flouting safety regulations, however. According to the Merchant Shipping Act of 1894 and Merchant Shipping Act of 1906 (the only safety requirements in place prior to the disaster), the number of lifeboats required aboard is determined by a ship’s tonnage . At the time, the highest requirement—which applies to ships over 10,000 tons—calls for 16 lifeboats. The Titanic , which has a gross carrying capacity of 46,328 tons (and clocked in at 52,000 tons total when weighed) not only meets the safety requirements of the era, but exceeds them.

Late summer 1911

A large iceberg breaks off from a glacier in southwest Greenland. Over the next several months, it will drift in a southwest direction across the Labrador Sea .

The Titanic Begins Its Maiden Voyage

The maiden voyage of the world’s largest, most luxurious ocean liner brings together a who’s who of early 20th-century tycoons , socialites, and movie stars. But not everyone aboard the Titanic is famous. Most of the passengers are regular folks on a visit to New York or emigrants seeking new opportunities in the United States. 

April 2, 1912

Titanic completes tests to confirm its seaworthiness, then sails from Belfast to its home port of Southampton, UK, from which it will depart on its maiden voyage. Its regular transatlantic service between Southampton and New York City will include stops in Cherbourg, France, and Queenstown (now Cobh), Ireland, on its outbound journey.

April 3, 1912

The Titanic arrives in Southampton around midnight .

April 10, 1912

Passengers begin boarding the Titanic in the morning . Among them, Macy's co-owner Isidor Straus and his wife, Ida, board the ship after a trip to Europe. Accompanying them on the voyage are Isidor's valet, John Farthing, and Ida's new maid, Ellen Bird.

At noon , the Titanic sets off from Southampton on its way to Cherbourg, France, with great fanfare. As the ship glides past other vessels along the docks, an incident that can be interpreted as a seriously bad omen occurs. Its colossal propellers displace so much water that some of those vessels become unmoored and get pulled toward the Titanic . Realizing that the SS New York will soon collide with the ocean liner’s port side, the Titanic reverses the port propeller—churning water in the opposite direction. Titanic captain Edward Smith's quick thinking (and quick work from a tugboat, which helps restrain the New York ) succeeds in preventing a crash. The tugboat captain claims that the New York had halted just four feet from the Titanic .

At 6:35 p.m. , the Titanic arrives in Cherbourg. John Jacob Astor IV and his wife, Madeleine Force, board the ship before its 8:10 p.m. departure with Astor’s manservant, Victor Robbins; Madeleine’s maid, Rosalie Bidios; and her nursemaid, Caroline Endres (Madeleine is pregnant at the time). The couple had taken a lengthy holiday in Egypt and Paris and are heading back to New York. Astor, who would be Titanic ’s richest passenger, had married the 18-year-old Madeleine in 1911 after divorcing his first wife, Ava Lowle Willing, in 1909. 

Most of the Titanic ’s other first-class passengers board at Cherbourg, including American socialite Margaret “Molly” Brown , Scottish landowners Sir Cosmo and Lucy Duff Gordon, and American mining heir Benjamin Guggenheim.  

April 11, 1912

After departing Cherbourg, the Titanic sails to its last stop before New York: the Irish port of Queenstown (now Cobh). The ship arrives at 11:30 a.m. Seven second-class and 113 third-class passengers come on board, along with multiple bags of mail , fulfilling the Titanic ’s contract as a royal mail ship. Seven lucky passengers also disembark in Queenstown.

The majority of passengers now aboard the Titanic are either American or European. American, British, Irish, and Swedish passengers are the most represented nationalities. But there are people from all over the world, including a large number of Syrian passengers. South African, Portuguese, Australian, and Chinese travelers fill the cabins as well.

At 1:30 p.m. , the Titanic pulls away from the dock. Third-class passenger Eugene Daly plays the traditional tune “ Erin’s Lament ” on his uilleann pipes as the Irish coast fades into the distance.

The Titanic at Sea

Titanic passengers settle in for the next few days at sea. The ocean liner is equipped with every kind of pastime and diversion to entertain guests, from a Turkish bath to sumptuous meals served by attentive stewards.

April 12, 1912

One activity every passenger looks forward to is the Titanic ’s meal service . Each class has its own formal dining room and the first-class passengers also enjoy an à la carte restaurant in which dishes are sold separately. Unlike earlier passenger liners, the Titanic offers plentiful portions of wholesome, expertly prepared foods at three seatings a day, all included in the ticket price. 

To work off all of those extravagant meals, the passengers (at least the rich ones) have access to a pretty impressive gymnasium. Some of the equipment highlights include punching bags; ‘cycle racing machines,’ which are essentially stationary bikes; an electric horse and an electric camel; and access to a squash court. Women are allowed to use the gym in the morning, and men are permitted in the afternoon. One of the more ironically useful pieces of equipment available is a mechanical rowing machine. 

And the Titanic has its own luxurious Turkish bath, mostly available for first-class passengers. It includes steam rooms, massage rooms, and an electric bath, which sounds like a recipe for disaster. In the book Titanic: Building the World’s Most Famous Ship , author Anton Gill describes it resembling an iron lung or “a modern tanning bed, which even sophisticated first-class passengers [view] with suspicion.”

While passengers spend the majority of their time aboard the Titanic eating, socializing, reading in the libraries, sending messages to loved ones by the Marconi wireless , or playing cards in the smoking lounges, they eventually return to their rooms at night to sleep. First-class passengers have their choice of 333 spacious staterooms spread over five decks and placed amidships, where the rocking of the sea is hardly felt, including four extravagant parlor suites.

Second-class passengers stay in rooms a bit lower in the ship with between two or four beds that have a sink and mirror, but no private bathrooms. They do have access to an outdoor promenade, smoking room, and library, however. Third-class passengers sleep near the noisy bottom of the ship, in rooms with bunkbeds that could accommodate between two and 10 passengers. Single men sleep in the bow of the ship, while single women and families are usually in the stern. There are reportedly only two bathtubs for everyone in third class, which (at full capacity) could be over 1000 passengers.

The Beginning of the End

A cold front passes over the Titanic on the morning of April 14, bringing brisk northwesterly winds. The temperature drops from the spring-like upper 50s to about 50°F by noon, but rapid weather changes are par for the course in the North Atlantic in spring. Nothing in the air signals the catastrophe about to occur.

April 14, 1912

The morning begins like the others on the journey, with breakfast. Third-class passengers gather in their dining room for a filling spread of oatmeal, smoked herring, potatoes, bread, butter, and marmalade. Second-class diners probably enjoy a classic British selection of eggs, grilled meats, fried and mashed potatoes, fresh fish, and an array of breads. In first class, the tables groan under the plates of baked and stewed fruits, puddings, smoked fish, grilled and cold meats, eggs cooked several ways, breads, rolls, spreads, and more.

Following the morning meal, passengers write letters, read, or go up on the decks. Captain Edward Smith and the crew keeps the Titanic going at a fast clip : it burns so much coal that roughly 100 tonnes of ash are dumped into the Atlantic Ocean every day of its journey. Over the wireless, other ships report icebergs on the Titanic ’s route. 

Lunch is served at mid-day . For third class, it’s the biggest meal they will have, and they tuck into rice soup, roast beef with gravy, more potatoes, corn, fresh bread, and plum pudding for dessert. Two decks above them, second-class diners likely have a slightly larger variety of soups, appetizers, meat-based entrees, and fruit, nuts, and sweets. Incredibly, first-class passengers are served another gigantic meal just a couple of hours after their breakfast, consisting of clear or hearty soups, numerous fish dishes and a seafood buffet, grilled mutton, potatoes, chicken dishes, sausages, roast beef, tongue, and a cheese selection.

At 5:50 p.m. , maintaining his speed, Captain Smith orders the ship to be turned. (While some accounts say the ship is now traveling to the south to avoid the ice, some modern historians argue that explanation misunderstands the Titanic ’s route.) 

But the passengers are too busy eating to notice the slight change of direction. They’re already well into the dinner hour . For the third-class folks, a rather anemic array of cold meats, bread, pickles, and stewed figs awaits them in the dining room, while second-class patrons can choose from baked haddock, curried chicken and rice, spring lamb with mint sauce, or roast turkey with cranberry sauce along with vegetables, the ever-present potatoes, and “American ice cream” among the desserts. Not to be outdone, the first-class menu positively bursts its buttons with a multicourse meal beginning with hors d’oeuvres, oysters, soups, salmon, filet mignon, chicken, roast duckling, and beef sirloin; side dishes like roast squab and cress, pâté de foie gras, asparagus vinaigrette, and, yes, potatoes; and éclairs, French ice cream, and peaches in chartreuse jelly. 

After dinner, men get together in the smoking lounges for drinks or to play cards, while women go to the libraries or to their rooms to put their children to bed. George Widener, the superrich CEO of a Philadelphia streetcar corporation, and his wife Eleanor host a party attended by Captain Smith and other wealthy passengers. At the same time, a group of second-class passengers sings hymns in their dining room, and a boisterous party takes place in the third-class area. 

About 7:40 p.m. , the Titanic wireless operator Harold Bride receives a message from the Californian , a ship belonging to the Leyland Line that is en route to Boston, warning of ice. Bride later testifies he delivers the message to the bridge. A few hours later, the Californian turns off its engines to avoid collisions with ice in the dark, and they send another warning to the Titanic . The Titanic ’s operator barks, "Shut up, shut up, I am busy; I am working Cape Race!" He’s likely sending messages to the Marconi tower at Cape Race, Newfoundland. 

At 9 p.m. , Captain Smith leaves Widener’s party and goes to the bridge. The sea is so calm it appears like a sheet of glass. The night is clear and moonless, and stars scatter across the bowl of the sky. He leaves the bridge with First Officer William Murdoch in command and turns in at 9:30 p.m.

At 10 p.m. , most passengers retire to their cabins. Crew members Frederick Fleet and Reginald Lee climb up to the crow’s nest to take over the watch. They are without binoculars, though it’s unclear how much help they would have been.

Captain Stanley Lord of the Californian , having turned off his ship’s engines earlier in the evening, tells his wireless operator to turn in. The Marconi system is shut off at 11:30 p.m . 

Fleet and Lee glimpse a hazy shape in the distance at about 11:30 p.m. In the pitch-black night , it’s difficult to discern the horizon, and the sea is motionless.

Nine minutes later, the object comes into view—a huge iceberg directly on the Titanic ’s course. Fleet rings the lookout bell and phones the bridge. “Iceberg, right ahead!” he cries. Officer Murdoch tells Quartermaster Robert Hichens to turn the ship’s wheel hard a-starboard. But it’s too late. At 11:40 p.m. the Titanic crashes into the berg, and an underwater tongue of ice gashes the hull.

The Sinking of the Titanic

In the moments after the Titanic collides with the iceberg, only the captain and crew are aware of the immense peril the ship will soon face. Passengers remain calm. Many never imagine that the brand-new ocean liner has a chance of sinking.

Following the impact, bits of ice rain onto the ship’s deck; passengers, unaware of the gravity of the situation, use chunks of the debris to play a game of soccer . Captain Smith emerges onto the deck and learns not only that the Titanic has hit an iceberg, but that six of the ship’s watertight compartments are damaged. The Titanic can handle only four flooded compartments. Thomas Andrews, who is on board for its first voyage, surveys the damage and determines the Titanic will sink within two hours .

Meanwhile, the ship’s sea post clerks are enjoying a small birthday party for their colleague Oscar Scott Woody . They rush to the mail sorting room and find it rapidly flooding. The five men begin lugging the Titanic ’s registered mail sacks—a small portion of the up to 9 million pieces of mail aboard the ship—to the upper decks. None of the clerks would survive the disaster to come.

April 15, 1912

At 12:05 a.m. , the captain orders the crew to begin preparing the lifeboats . Officers are dispatched to stations around the ship to oversee the process. It’ll be hard—the Titanic is only carrying enough lifeboats to fit half the people on board. Passengers are roused from their rooms and told to report to the deck. The ship’s musicians entertain everyone, their attempt at maintaining a sliver of normalcy.

The Titanic ’s radio operators begin sending out distress signals at 12:15 a.m . Use of “SOS” as a Morse code distress signal isn’t commonplace in 1912, though it was adopted by the International Radiotelegraph Convention in 1906 and intended to go into effect internationally in 1908. The wireless operators on the Titanic are employed by the Marconi Company, which still favors using “CQD” for distress calls. Operator Jack Phillips uses both in an attempt to get help, but he isn’t the first to use “SOS”—the practice is already in effect among German liners.

The Frankfurt and the Olympic respond, but are too far to render timely aid. Minutes later, the Carpathia begins to head toward the Titanic —it's still hours away from the sinking ship.

At 12:25 a.m. , women and children are helped into the lifeboats. Passengers are at first unaware that there aren’t enough lifeboats for everyone, and the crowd gathered on the deck is calm; some stand quietly, others pace about. “At no time during this period was there any panic, or evidence of fear, or unusual alarm,” notes one first-class passenger . Men say goodbye to their wives and children, and, as time passes, some attempt to snag a spot on the emergency vessels. Many passengers remain unconvinced the ship will actually sink.

Lifeboat Number 7 is lowered into the icy water at 12:45 a.m . The first to leave the ship, it’s carrying around 27 people, though it can fit 65. Meanwhile, the Titanic begins firing distress rockets, hoping to catch the attention of a nearby ship. The Titanic continues to tilt forward as the bow sinks. More lifeboats enter the water, none loaded to full capacity: Number 5 at 12:55 a.m .; Number 6 a few minutes later, carrying Margaret “Molly” Brown and Frederick Fleet.

Number 3 is lowered around 1 a.m. carrying roughly 39 passengers and crew, followed by Number 1 with the Duff Gordons and only 10 other people.

All eight members of the Titanic’ s band continue playing as the women and children clamber into the boats. Later, many survivors remember them playing "Nearer, My God, To Thee" as the ship sinks, while others dispute these claims and suggest that band leader Wallace Hartley offered more uplifting songs, including ragtime melodies and popular hits like “ Songe d’Automne .”

Just before 1:10 a.m ., Ida Straus refuses to take a place in Lifeboat Number 8; she will not leave her husband, who won’t break the crew’s order of women and children first.

Lifeboat Number 10 hits the water at 1:20 a.m. Among its occupants is the Titanic ’s youngest passenger, Millvina Dean , who is only 9 weeks old.

Benjamin Guggenheim and his valet, Victor Giglio, visit the deck. When they realize the Titanic is sinking, the two head back to their suite and don their most formal attire. Guggenheim reportedly says, “We've dressed up in our best and are prepared to go down like gentlemen.” Guggenheim’s alleged mistress is one of 56 people in Lifeboat Number 9. 

Lifeboats 12, 14, 13, 15, and 16 are lowered between 1:25 a.m. and 1:35 a.m.

At 1:40 a.m. , Collapsible Boat C is lowered with White Star executive J. Bruce Ismay among the occupants.

Five minutes later, Lifeboat Number 2 is set adrift with 20 people, followed by Number 11 with 50, and Number 4 with John Jacob Astor IV’s pregnant wife Madeleine in the group. Astor himself is not permitted to board with her.

At 2 a.m. Captain Smith begins releasing the crew from their duties. People have become more frantic, rushing to load the remaining lifeboats and causing chaos. At 2:05 a.m ., the last lifeboat, canvas-sided Collapsible D, is lowered. More than 1500 people remain on the ship. On the narrow staircases, third-class passengers claw their way up the height of seven decks; first-class passengers begin to slide forward on the slanted floors. Deck chairs, tables, potted plants, dishes, and wine glasses cascade into the sea. The bow continues to flood and sink, while the stern tilts so dramatically that the propellers are lifted above water. 

The Titanic sends its final distress call at 2:17 a.m. : “We are sinking fast. Passengers are being put into boats.” Father Thomas Byles, a Catholic priest, comforts the panicked passengers, hearing their confessions and giving absolution. The ship’s lights finally go out as the electricity fails. Everyone, both on the ship and those who managed to make it onto the lifeboats, is plunged into darkness.

The Titanic ’s bow fully sinks below the surface by 2:20 a.m. , sending the stern higher into the air. The strain causes the ship to snap into two pieces. Freed from the still-buoyant stern, the bow begins to fall to the bottom of the ocean. Passengers and crew alike are thrown into the freezing ocean. 

Then the Titanic ’s stern plummets beneath the surface. Like the bow, it shoots nearly vertically toward the ocean floor, where it remains to this day. The great, celebrated ship is fully lost to the sea .

As the Titanic survivors huddle in lifeboats and others clutch floating debris in the icy water, rescue is still hours away. The nearest ship, the Californian , fails to heed the Titanic 's distress signals. But the Cunard passenger liner Carpathia is steaming toward the Titanic 's last known position, almost 60 nautical miles to the northeast . 

By 2:30 a.m ., hundreds of Titanic survivors are shivering in lifeboats, trying to swim toward the half-empty vessels, or simply hanging on to pieces of debris. The lifeboats' occupants try to reach the survivors clinging to flotsam. A horrifying stillness overtakes the scene. Whether they're first class or steerage, the passengers and crew are alone in the North Atlantic, with every object familiar to them now spiraling 12,000 feet down to the seabed. 

Minutes tick past. The boats are able to pick up only a handful of survivors. The screaming and thrashing of people in the water grows quieter. They begin to die of hypothermia, but remain floating upright in their lifebelts, with their heads and shoulders bobbing above the surface.

Nearby ships, not knowing the nature of the disaster, continue to try to reach the Titanic by wireless. The operators attempt to glean information from other vessels. The SS Birma , belonging to the Russian East Asiatic Steam Ship Co., reports in its wireless log , "several ships calling MGY [the Titanic 's call letters], no reply. Fear it is serious." The Birma 's operator speaks to his counterpart on the German liner Frankfurt , who confirms the distress call came from the Titanic . Several vessels sail toward the Titanic 's last position to render aid.

The Californian remains stationary only 10 or so miles from the Titanic . The wireless operator had turned off the system only 10 minutes before the Titanic struck the iceberg. It receives none of the Titanic 's desperate CQD calls, nor does Captain Lord respond to the Titanic emergency rockets, which he thinks are flares used among ships owned by the same company. 

The Cunard steamship Carpathia continues at full speed to the Titanic ’s last position. Captain Arthur Rostron orders his crew to prepare its lifeboats to receive survivors, tells the galley to prepare hot tea and soup, and starts collecting warm clothes and blankets. 

At 4 a.m. , the Carpathia 's crew sees a green signal flare from the Titanic 's lifeboat 2, which carries 18 survivors : four crew, eight women from first class, and two families from third class. The two vessels make their way toward each other. The Carpathia 's crew lowers rope ladders and slings to hoist people onto the passenger liner's decks. As the day wears on and more lifeboats are rescued, the Carpathia 's passengers wrap the shivering castaways in blankets and offer hot beverages. Nineteen-year-old Bernice Palmer takes photos of the rescued survivors—and the infamous iceberg—with her new Kodak Brownie camera.

At 8:30 a.m. , Charles Lightoller , a deck officer, is the last passenger rescued from the last lifeboat to be brought aboard the Carpathia . The ship's decks teem with 705 wet survivors in varying states of shock and grief. Still, Captain Rostron continues to search the debris field with spotlights, hoping to pick up more victims. But he finds no one alive.

Captain Rostron debates what to do next. Halifax, Nova Scotia, is the closest large port, but sailing there would mean traveling through the same dangerous ice fields that had just sunk the Titanic . Sailing east to the Azores would keep the Carpathia relatively on course, but the ship isn't provisioned for so many passengers and risks running out of food. Roston decides to turn around and go back to New York—the Titanic 's original destination. He orders the crew and passengers not to speak to the press until they arrive.

April 17, 1912

As the Carpathia steams toward New York, the crew of the Mackay-Bennett , a cable ship based in Halifax, appropriates all of the embalming fluid in town for its grim mission: collecting the remains of Titanic victims from the sea. Having been hired by the White Star Line for the task, the Mackay-Bennett also carries a minister, an undertaker, 100 wooden coffins, 100 tons of ice, and 12 tons of iron to weigh down bodies buried at sea. It departs in the morning.

April 18, 1912

The Carpathia arrives in New York City at 9:15 p.m. in the eye of a media hurricane. For three days, the other ships in the vicinity of where the Titanic had gone down had received almost no news since the Carpathia arrived on the scene. Reporters had sent frantic wireless messages to the ships that received no reply. On both sides of the Atlantic, friends and family of the passengers and crew didn't know if their loved ones had survived. Now, as the overloaded Cunarder sails up the Hudson River to Pier 54, journalists and photographers in tugboats follow the Carpathia , shouting questions through megaphones, offering huge sums of money for exclusives, and trying to squeeze scoops out of the Titanic survivors. Despite Captain Rostron's media blackout, one of the Carpathia 's original passengers, St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Carlos Hurd , secretly takes notes and interviews Titanic victims before they get to the pier. Knowing what a bombshell his eyewitness account will be, he seals his notes in a cigar tin, ties champagne corks to the box for buoyancy, and flings it overboard, where it is fished out of the river by a colleague in a boat. Hurd's story is splashed across the paper's front page the following day.

April 22, 1912

The White Star Line hires a second mortuary ship, the Minia , when the Mackay-Bennett finds far more bodies than expected in the Titanic debris field. The Minia departs Halifax and meets with the Mackay-Bennett at sea to transfer supplies. The Mackay-Bennett steams back to Halifax with its grim cargo. 

Meanwhile, John Jacob Astor IV’s son Vincent contacts the Merritt-Chapman Wrecking Company to do whatever it takes to retrieve his father’s body. They have little interest in salvage, though—the plan is to drop 400 pounds of gun cotton in the wreck and use the explosion to bring bodies to the surface. The scheme does not go further because Astor’s body is recovered the same day by the Mackay-Bennett . Families of the wealthier passengers will continue to investigate ways to raise the Titanic , but experts consider it impossible .

April 30, 1912

The Mackay-Bennett arrives in Halifax at 9:30 a.m . and begins unloading the Titanic victims' remains. The crew found a total of 306 bodies , each carefully catalogued according to the clothing, appearance, and personal effects. Not all are able to be identified. While at sea, the crew embalmed and placed the first 100 bodies in coffins; when the coffins ran out, the crew selected those who appeared to be from first class to be embalmed and placed in ice. Apparent Titanic crewmembers and third-class passengers were buried at sea. In total, 190 victims are brought to Halifax for burial and 116 are buried at sea. Of the latter, around 56 were able to be identified. Over the next six weeks, the Minia and two more mortuary ships attempt to pick up the victims' remains. The Minia finds 17 bodies, the Montmagny recovers four, and the Algerine finds one, that of saloon steward James McGrady.

The Aftermath

The public’s fascination with the Titanic only grows stronger in the months and years following the disaster. Movies and books scrutinize the facts and romanticize the survivors’ stories , while discussions about finding and salvaging the Titanic begin almost as soon as the ship goes down. 

May 14, 1912

The first film about the disaster, Saved From the Titanic , is shot and released just 29 days after the ship sank. It stars Dorothy Gibson, a well-known actress and model who was an actual Titanic survivor (she and her mother had been in Lifeboat 7). The film kicks off a century-long trend. More films dramatize the Titanic sinking, including Atlantic (1929), an early talkie; Titanic (1943), a Nazi propaganda film smearing Great Britain; and Titanic (1953), which won an Oscar for screenwriting in 1954.

August 1, 1953

Newspapers report that Southampton-based company Risdon Beazley Ltd. makes what is usually considered the first serious attempt to find and salvage the Titanic . Investigators used explosives underwater to detect the shipwreck’s location via soundwaves. When asked by a reporter from the Liverpool Echo , Risdon Beazley officials neither confirm nor deny whether they’re also looking to recover the Titanic ’s reported “fortune in art treasures, including a priceless gem-set copy of Omar Khayyam.” They fail to locate the ship. (Today, some experts claim Risdon Beazley was looking for a completely different ship, the Empire Manor .)

November 21, 1955

A Night to Remember , a thrilling minute-by-minute telling of the Titanic ’s sinking, hits bookstores . Author Walter Lord interviewed dozens of Titanic survivors still alive in the early 1950s for his fact-based account. The Chicago Tribune gushes that “all the drama, horror, tragedy of that grim, heartbreaking night are here, never before presented in such superb narrative style,” while The New York Times ’s reviewer calls it “a stunning book, incomparably the best on its subject and one of the most exciting books of this or any year.” A Night to Remember lands on bestseller lists and sparks renewed interest in the Titanic saga.

July 3, 1958

A British movie based on Lord’s book, also called A Night to Remember , premieres in London. Widely praised for its accuracy, the film stars British actors Kenneth More as second officer Charles Lightoller and Michael Goodliffe as the ship’s architect Thomas Andrews.

January 23, 1960

Explorers Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh descend in the bathyscaphe Trieste —a blimp-shaped, deep-sea research vessel with a spherical observation chamber—to Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, some 36,000 feet below the ocean’s surface, the deepest known point on Earth. And make it back alive. The expedition proves it is possible to get equipment and people down to the bone-crushingest depths of the ocean.

The Rediscovery

Scientists may now have the technology to find the Titanic , which one expert pinpoints as being 500 miles from Halifax and 70 miles south of the Grand Banks, at a depth of two miles. The question is, who will get there first?

August 19, 1977

Newspapers report that scientists may launch an expedition to the Titanic to take photos of the wreck. Team leader Robert Ballard, a seafloor geologist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, is inspired by Piccard and Walsh’s groundbreaking voyage, and, after a career in the military, develops submersible prototypes of his own. 

Ballard tells the Boston Globe that it would be possible to locate the wreck in a newly available vessel, the Alcoa Seaprobe , which can hold machinery capable of scanning the seabed with sonar. It can also take photos of any objects it detects and send them back to the scientists on the ship. “Finding the Titanic wouldn’t, to my mind, be difficult,” Ballard says. “The real challenge in something like this is the photography.” But when they get ready to go, a pay dispute with a drilling contractor means they have to use a cheaper replacement crew—which leads to an accident and the loss of $600,000 of equipment. 

July 17, 1980

Jack Grimm —who has also searched for Bigfoot and Noah’s Ark — departs Port Everglades, Florida, on his first unsuccessful expedition to find Titanic . According to Titanic Belfast , his ship passes over the shipwreck, but sonar fails to detect it. Grimm nevertheless pieces together a documentary about the expedition, Search for the Titanic , narrated by Orson Welles. 

June 28, 1981

Grimm once again heads out to the North Atlantic, this time with a documentary crew in tow. He claims that his expedition did snap a photo of the Titanic ’s propellers, but experts disagree.

July 16, 1983

Grimm makes his third and final attempt to find the Titanic . He also claims that computer enhancement of images proves it is a propeller, but in his memoir Into the Deep , Robert Ballard writes that when he checked it out there was nothing there. Grimm will go to his grave (in 1998) claiming to have found the ship first.

Summer 1984

Robert Ballard sets off on a mission to test his new submersible, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) called the Argo , and to hopefully find the Titanic . This story, however, is just a cover; Ballard is actually checking out two nuclear submarines — USS Thresher and the USS Scorpion —that had sunk in the North Atlantic in the 1960s. The U.S. Navy tells Ballard that if he can examine the subs, he can spend the remaining time on the expedition doing whatever he wants. In summer 1984, he maps and photographs the Thresher . Ballard later tells CNN, “What they wanted me to do was go back and not have the Russians follow me, because we were interested in the nuclear weapons that were on the Scorpion and also what the nuclear reactors (were) doing to the environment.”

August 17, 1985

Ballard maps and examines the Scorpion . His primary mission accomplished, he has just 12 days to search for Titanic before he has to return to shore. With help from a French ship called Le Suroit , he looks for the world’s most famous shipwreck.

Using a concept they learned from mapping the wreckage of the subs—which had imploded under pressure and spread wide debris fields—Ballard’s team begins to scan the seafloor looking not for the Titanic ’s hull, but for its trail of metal parts and objects. The items provide a much bigger target than the ship itself, and will hopefully lead explorers right to the motherlode.

The crew works around the clock. As the days pass, Ballard thinks this mission might also be a failure.

September 1, 1985

At about 2 a.m. , Ballard is in his cabin reading when he hears a knock on the door. The ship’s cook tells him that he’s needed in the command center. Ballard recalls later, “I knew something had happened, so I flew out of my bunk and blew past him. It took me about four seconds to slide down six banisters of stairs.”

The crew monitoring the feed had seen the Titanic ’s debris field come into view. At the moment Ballard enters the room, the ROV glides over one of Titanic ’s boilers, sending images of the long-lost artifact to the stunned researchers. After an initial celebration, the mood quickly turns somber. The researchers realize it’s about the same time of night that the Titanic finally sank in 1912. Ballard tells 60 Minutes , “We were embarrassed we were celebrating … all of a sudden we realized that we should not be dancing on someone’s grave.”

In his memoir Into the Deep , Ballard would later write, “a world tragedy had played itself out on this spot, and now the site itself took hold of me. Its emotion filled me and never let go.”

September 2, 1985

The Titanic itself is discovered at approximately 41°43’57” N, 49°56’49” W—nearly 15 miles from the position given during distress calls. It rests in two pieces on the ocean floor more than 12,000 feet below the surface. The ship appears to be in mostly good condition, with the hull standing upright and little growth from marine organisms.

July 9, 1986

Ballard and crew from Woods Hole set off for the Titanic site to make the first crewed trip down to the wreck in a three-person submersible called the Alvin . Eleven dives total yield nearly 60,000 high-quality photos and hours of video footage. From examining the wreck, they determine that—contrary to popular belief—the iceberg hadn’t created a gash in the Titanic . Rather, the collision had caused the seams in that area to split apart, flooding the ship . They also find that the ship is quite rusty , which leaves it in a fragile state. The rust is caused by ocean microbes feeding on the iron and forming long “rusticles.”

July 18, 1986

Photos and video of the Titanic wreck are released to the public while Ballard’s crew is still at sea . The three major television networks and other media outlets pool funds to charter a helicopter to Ballard’s ship to retrieve the images and tapes, which are flown to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution under a shroud of secrecy. Reporters get the first glimpses of the storied ship, “ sheathed in icicles of iron ,” that evening.

July 28, 1986

Ballard and crew return to Woods Hole with thousands of photographs and videotapes of the Titanic . “The Titanic can finally rest in peace,” he tells UPI. Over the next few days, the photos are printed in newspapers across the country.

October 21, 1986

The R.M.S Titanic Maritime Memorial Act of 1986, which designates the site as an international maritime memorial, becomes law . The act also regulates research, exploration, and salvage activities regarding the ship. "The R.M.S. Titanic is the premier symbol in modern times of both the perils of the sea and the need for high standards of ship safety," President Ronald Reagan says in a statement . "The significance of the R.M.S. Titanic stems not only from the durable imprint of the disaster upon the consciousness of succeeding generations but also from the enormous strides made by the international community in promoting safety of life at sea, the study and observation of ice conditions, the maintenance of ice patrols in the North Atlantic Ocean, and the development and improvement of standards for the design and construction of vessels."

The Titanic Becomes a Touchstone

After discovering Titanic , Robert Ballard balks at questions about bringing up artifacts from the wreck—doing so, he believes, is like desecrating a gravesite: "I just hope we can somehow rise above the way we have behaved in the past and preserve the Titanic ," he says . Survivor Louise Pope— who was 4 when Titanic sank — takes on the salvage issue when testifying before Congress in 1985, saying, "I do not like the benefit of salvaging for commercial purposes, but if they can use it for research or something on there for museums, I would be more than willing." Over the years, a number of dives are made to the wreck—some for research purposes, some for documentary purposes, and some for the purposes of retrieving objects for exhibitions that traveled around the world. And perhaps more than any artifact brought up from the deep, James Cameron’s feature film Titanic does more to keep the spirit of the ocean liner alive well into the 21st century.

July 25, 1987

Titanic Ventures Limited Partnership (TVLP), in partnership with L'Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer, makes its fir st salvage trip to the wreck. Among the 1800 artifacts it returns with is the bronze bell that lookout Frederick Fleet rang to warn of the iceberg and a bronze cherub from one of the ship's staircases.

November 12, 1992

Marex Inc.—which counts Jack Grimm among its leaders — seeks sole salvage rights to Titanic but is denied. Instead, TVLP is awarded sole salvage rights. The decision is eventually reversed on appeal.

RMST Inc., the successor of TVLP,  visits Titanic again, making "15 trips in 15 days," according to Titanic, Triumph and Tragedy , adding 800 new artifacts to its collection.

June 7, 1994

RMST Inc. is awarded exclusive salvage rights by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, provided that it remains “in possession” of the wreck. RMST must mount regular expeditions to ensure its status. RMST Inc. makes another trip to Titanic , spotting a huge piece of the hull they mark for future salvage; more than 1000 artifacts are brought to the surface in July and put on display at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London. 

August 1996

RMST Inc. heads to the wreck's debris field again; this time, the company tries to bring up the piece of the hull spotted two years earlier, but the cable snaps mid-salvage, sending the piece back down to the ocean floor.

James Cameron’s Titanic begins principal photography with a budget of $110 million and almost immediately runs aground . The entertainment media maligns it for its exorbitant budget, which grows to over $200 million before marketing costs, and delays. It is originally scheduled to open in July 1997 as a summer blockbuster to compete with Men in Black . A Night to Remember author Walter Lord is a consultant on the film.

Among those who audition for Cameron’s Titanic is Matthew McConaughey, who loses out on the role of Jack Dawson when Cameron opts for Leonardo DiCaprio. “Walked away from there pretty confident that I had it,” McConaughey later recalls. “I didn’t get it. I never got offered that.”

November 1, 1997

Cameron’s Titanic finally premieres—in Japan. The movie has its world debut at the Tokyo International Film Festival. DiCaprio is big in Japan, so much so that the studio deploys 49 personal security guards for both the actor and director. At the screening, the excited audience keeps shouting “Leo!” There’s no word on their reaction when his character (spoiler alert!!) dies.

December 14, 1997

Titanic premieres in the U.S. and goes on to be the blockbuster studios had hardly dared to hope for. Critics and audiences fall for its sweeping romance set against heart-stopping cinematography and effects. It becomes the first film to make more than $1 billion and sets a record as the highest-grossing film of all time (until 2010, when it is dethroned by Avatar , another Cameron creation).

March 23, 1998

Titanic is the most-nominated film at the 70th Academy Awards with 14 nods in all of the major categories, tying the record set by 1950’s All About Eve . It wins 11 Oscars (tying the number won by Ben-Hur in 1960), including Best Picture, Directing, Score, Song, Art Direction, Cinematography, Visual Effects and more, but is shut out of the acting categories.

August 10, 1998

On this trip down to the debris field, RMST Inc. succeeds in nabbing the piece of hull dropped during the previous attempt. Weighing in at 15 tons, it becomes known as "The Big Piece." It is the largest piece of the ship recovered and still has glass in its portholes .

August 2000

RMST Inc. makes another trip to Titanic , salvaging perfume samples that once belonged to first-class passenger Adolphe Saalfeld.

September 2001

Cameron dives to Titanic to film his 3D documentary Ghosts of the Abyss. The documentary is released in 2003.

June 22, 2003

NOAA embarks on an 11-day mission to dive to the wreck and check the condition of the ship.

May 27, 2004

Ballard returns to study the wreck for the first time in 18 years. Over the course of 11 days, Ballard and a team use ROVs to examine the deterioration of the ship, which Ballard believes is accelerating due to visits by submersibles and salvage missions. "The deep sea is the biggest museum in the world ... yet there's no lock on the door," Ballard tells NPR .

August 25, 2004

RMST Inc. heads to Titanic again. By this point, the seven salvage dives to the wreck's debris field have resulted in the recovery of 5500 artifacts.

December 2010

Scientists announce that a new bacterium has been found in samples of rusticles brought up from the ship. They name the bacterium Halomonas titanicae .

August 15, 2011

RMST Inc. is granted title to the Titanic artifacts it has salvaged, provided the company follows conditions that "ensure that the collection of artifacts recovered from Titanic will be conserved and curated consistent with current international and U.S. historic preservation standards," according to NOAA .

January 31, 2012

Government agencies including NOAA, the U.S. National Park Service, and the U.S. Coast Guard release a circular advising ships not to jettison waste or garbage within the area surrounding the wreck. Submersibles are asked not to land on the wreck itself or leave plaques behind.

April 4, 2012

James Cameron’s Titanic remains unsinkable when it's re-released in theaters to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the real-life disaster. Presented in 3D in select theaters, the film takes in a staggering $100 million internationally in one weekend, putting its overall grosses at over $2 billion.

The Future of the Titanic

A century after the RMS Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage and makes the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean its final resting place, a new ship—dubbed the Titanic II —makes headlines. Envisioned as an almost exact replica of the doomed luxury liner by Australian billionaire and politician Clive Palmer , it becomes something of an iceberg looming on the modern-day legacy of the Titanic . For maritime scholars and fans of Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster alike, it might go down in history as one of the biggest publicity stunts of all time—provided it ever actually gets built or sets sail .

April 30, 2012

The same day he announces his bid for political office in his native Australia, mining mogul Clive Palmer reveals his plans to build a nearly exact replica of the Titanic , to be christened Titanic II . "It will be every bit as luxurious as the original Titanic but of course it will have state-of-the-art 21st-century technology and the latest navigation and safety systems," Palmer says in a press conference. He adds that he hopes the planned liner—to be built by Chinese company CSC Jinling Shipyard as the flagship of Palmer's cruise company, Blue Star Line —will set sail from England to New York in 2016.

October 2012

Titanic experts Steve Hall and Daniel Klistorner, co-authors of Titanic: The Ship Magnificent and Titanic in Photographs , are appointed to work on the forthcoming ship. Descendants of Titanic survivors Joseph Bruce Ismay and Margaret "Molly" Brown later join the ship's advisory board.

February 26, 2013

Palmer releases blueprints for the design of Titanic II at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York. The proposed ship will have first-, second-, and third-class accommodations and the capacity to carry 2600 passengers and 900 crew members, with enough lifeboats for all those aboard. Additionally, it's revealed that the ship will serve meals from the original Titanic menu and that crew members will don uniforms similar to those worn in 1912. Structurally, Titanic II will differ from the Titanic in key ways: It will be diesel-powered but have four smoke stacks to recreate the look of the original liner and have an enlarged rudder and bow thrusters, so as to better maneuver around whatever obstacles might come its way.

April 16, 2013

Finnish engineering firm Deltamarin signs a deal with Blue Star Line to manage the development of Titanic II and ensure it meets modern-day safety regulations and construction guidelines. "Deltamarin will be responsible for coordinating the various parties involved in the project including the shipyard, architects, interior designers and operations managers," Palmer says in a statement.

September 16, 2013

Palmer files a U.S. federal trademark for "Titanic II Blue Star Line," as well as " Titanic Two " and " RMS Titanic ."

September 19, 2013

A wooden prototype of the Titanic II is tested at the Hamburg Ship Model Basin in Germany at speeds up to 23 knots per hour.

The Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) partners with Blue Star Line to promote Titanic II from within China, with plans to launch the ship from the country .

Deltamarin, the Finnish engineering firm responsible for the development of Titanic II , reveals that work on the project has come to a halt, as a spokesperson for Palmer claims that he has retired from business to focus on his political career. Workers at the CSC Jinling Shipyard tell The Australian that little work has been done on the project, with one saying: "That ship was just a proposal. It's never been carried out and the project has never launched."

March 21 and 26, 2015

The U.S. federal trademarks for " Titanic II Blue Star Line ," " Titanic Two ," and " RMS Titanic " are classified in status as "Abandoned - Failure to respond or late response," per Trademarkia, a search engine for trademarks held in the U.S.

August 2015

A spokesperson for James McDonald, the global marketing director for Blue Star Line, reveals that the launch date for Titanic II has been pushed back to 2018 , two years after it was originally planned.

Queensland Nickel, a nickel refinery that Palmer purchased in 2009 , alleges amid financial troubles that close to AUD $6 million was taken from the company for the marketing and development of Titanic II ; Palmer denies these allegations.

September 27, 2018

Palmer reveals in a statement that work on Titanic II was suspended because of a financial dispute between the Chinese government-owned Citic Limited and Mineralogy, the parent company of Blue Star Line. He adds that the dispute has since been resolved and the building of Titanic II will resume, with plans to offer a two-week maiden voyage to Dubai, and offer another from Dubai to Southampton.

October 2018

Titanic II , which has still yet to be built, is set to make its maiden voyage in 2022, officially starting in China and traveling to Singapore and Dubai, from where it will sail to Southampton, and then follow the Titanic ’s original 1912 route all the way to New York City.

November 9, 2018

Deltamarin confirms it has recommenced work on the project; in January 2019, the engineering firm reveals Blue Star Line has contracted the company to further handle the design for the proposed ship.

April 16, 2019

The official Twitter account for Titanic II —as linked to by the official Titanic II website —posts about a gala dinner held in honor of the proposed ship in February 2019. This is the last public post made from the account as of April 2022.

August 21, 2019 A group of explorers make the first crewed dive to Titanic in over a decade and find that the wreck is rapidly deteriorating . " Titanic is returning to nature," historian Parks Stephenson tells the BBC .

October 1, 2019

Palmer files a U.S. federal trademark for "Titanic II."

January 21, 2020

RMST Inc. announces plans to dive to Titanic to retrieve the Marconi radio from the wreck. In May, a judge rules that the salvage trip can proceed, against the wishes of NOAA, UNESCO, and many archaeologists.

January 2021

Funding and logistical issues due to the COVID-19 pandemic derail plans to dive to the wreck for the radio.

June 30, 2021

The U.S. federal trademark for "Titanic II" is classified in status as " Abandoned - Failure to respond or late response ," per Trademarkia.

As of April 8, the Titanic II official website notes : "Tickets are not yet available for purchase. Ticketing information including the date of the maiden voyage and ticket prices will, when released, be made available on this website."

THE HISTORY OF THE TITANIC

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE REAL STORY AHEAD OF YOUR EXPERIENCE

THE EXHIBITION

A LEGEND IS BORN

The story of the Titanic begins in a mansion in London, 1907. One summer night, Lord William James Pirrie (chairman of shipbuilders Harland andcWolff) and J. Bruce Ismay (director of shipping company White Star Line) planned the construction of three of the largest and most magnificent ships in the world: the Olympic, the Titanic and the Gigantic, which after the Titanic’s tragedy would become the Britannic. The luxury and grandeur in Ismay and Pirrie’s ocean liners were unparalleled at the time. Their interiors could compete with even the best hotels and restaurants, and the implementation of a state-of-the-art watertight door system meant that they were considered “practically unsinkable”.

THE TITANIC´S MAIDEN VOYAGE

After delays due to inclement weather and stops to stock up on provisions, the Titanic at last set sail on 10th April 1912. It docked first in Cherbourg, France, then in Queenstown, Ireland, picking up passengers in both cities before heading to its destination in New York. The first three days went by without incident. It wasn’t until midnight on 14th April that the ship saw its first and final hazard: an enormous iceberg, drifting towards the ship. First officer William Murdoc immediately ordered the crew to steer off course to slow the ship, but unfortunately he could not stop the ice from striking the starboard side. We all know how this story ends…

RECOVERY EXPEDITIONS

From the moment the Titanic disappeared into the waters of the Atlantic, “the ship of dreams” became highly sought after by oceanographers, treasure hunters and even businessmen from all over the world. It was discovered at last on 1st September 1985 in Nova Scotia, Canada, about 800 kilometres away from the coast and at a depth of almost 4 kilometres. The first recovery expedition began the following year. Some objects were recovered in 1987, but it was only in 1993 when George Tulloch’s company, the RMS Titanic, was legally authorised to salvage items from the ship. It is estimated that in one generation, perhaps two, erosion and bacteria will take their toll on the Titanic and break down the remains until they are nothing but a legend. Gone, but not forgotten. Titanic. The Exhibition aims to preserve the magic, beauty, history and integrity of the Titanic, keeping alive the memory and sharing its maritime, historic and cultural significance with the world.

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

Titanic. The Exhibition aims to preserve the magic, beauty, history and integrity of the Titanic, keeping alive the memory and sharing its maritime, historic and cultural significance with the world.

Claes-Göran Wetterholm  (Nora, 1952) is probably one of the world’s greatest authorities on the history of the Titanic. An eminent ethnologist, historian, researcher and writer, he is the author of several books on the ship, most notably Titanic (1988). He has dedicated  more than 40 years  of his life to investigating and studying the history of the Titanic, and since 1987 he has contributed to numerous exhibitions. He has also taken part in  four expeditions to the wreckage  of the ship (1993, 1994, 1996 and 1998).

Since 2003, he is the  curator and historian for this exhibition.  Throughout the years he has carefully selected the artefacts and personal stories that best convey the philosophy behind the display: empathy and a sense of closeness with all those who were aboard.

All historical photographs in this website and the Exhibition’s communication assets belong to ©Claes Göran-Wetterholm’s personal archive, as well as ©Harland and Wolff’s archives, and are used with the respective owners’ permission. Unauthorised use or reproduction is forbidden.

Titanic. The Exhibition would also like to thank the following people and institutions for their collaboration and contributions: Claes-Göran Wetterholm – Gunilla & Amy Genrup – Hjördis Ohlsson – Craig & Ruth Sopin – Joan Randall – Per & Anna-Greta Nilsson – Susanne Murdoch – Jill Stuifbergen – Günter Bäbler – Ann-Charlotte, Kaj & Patrick Bäck – Brigitte Saar – Bo & Doris Strandberg – Lars Erik & Elisabeth Svennerby – Bo Jerndell – Yvone & Bengt Möller-Jonsson – Familjen Ugarte – Lina Kindblom – Per Warvlin

Australian billionaire says ‘Titanic’ replica will set sail in 2027—but first he has to build the ship

Want to be king of the world? The Titanic is set to sail once again.

Australian billionaire Clive Palmer has noodled for years with the idea of building Titanic II : a full replica of the doomed luxury liner that sank on its maiden voyage in 1912. Now he’s set a date for the successor’s first voyage.

“We are very pleased to announce that after unforeseen global delays, we have re-engaged with partners to bring the dream of Titanic II to life. Let the journey begin,” Palmer said in a statement. The ship is scheduled to set sail in June of 2027, although tickets are not yet available.

First, Blue Star Line, of which Palmer is CEO, has to build Titanic II.

That’s something the mining billionaire and politician has hoped to do for more than a decade. He first announced his plans to do so in 2012. Nothing happened. He made another announcement in 2017, but blamed the pandemic for scuttling those plans. Now, he says, construction will begin next year—and Blue Star is seeking proposals and construction plans from builders.

There will be some differences from the original, of course. Palmer has said he wants cutting-edge navigation equipment (the better to avoid those icebergs) and a lot more lifeboats than the Titanic featured in James Cameron’s film .

Otherwise, though, the plan is to make it as exact as possible, with grand staircases; 835 cabins over nine decks; and first, second, and third/steerage class cabins. Folks who opt for the budget option will be served stew and mash at communal tables, just as the original passengers were (though they can opt for other meal choices).

Palmer even says that depending on the weather, they’ll have delousing for third-class passengers, just as the original vessel did.

The ship will begin its voyage in Southampton, England, according to Blue Star Line’s website . From there, it will head to Cherbourg, France, before sailing to New York.

Palmer, who jokes that his wife has tried to talk him out of re-creating the Titanic, says he is funding the project himself and has already allocated “a couple of hundred million dollars” for the recreation, adding, ”and certainly there’s more available.”

“One of the problems we had with the Titanic is that you have to make it safe,” he told Rolling Stone . “You’ll remember, in the movie you had the guy in the crow’s nest saying “Iceberg!” That was because from the bridge, you couldn’t see over the bow. We can’t do that today. So we had to put a whole new deck in the Titanic. And it’s got a lot of the modern conveniences that you want. We’re going to make sure that in every room there’ll be a little panel that will tell you the history of the person who occupied your cabin. Did they survive, did they prevail? Everyone will get a costume so that they can come up to dinner, and it will be a real experience for them.”

By funding the construction of Titanic II, Palmer is also able to put his own stamp on the cruise line. Passengers, he says, will not be required to be vaccinated for COVID, and the ship, he says, will reflect traditional values instead of ‘woke’ ones.

“Titanic ll is something that can provide peace,” he said in the press release. “It can be a ship of peace between all countries of the world. Millions have dreamt of sailing on her, seeing her in port and experiencing her unique majesty. Titanic ll will be the ship where those dreams come true.”

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The Last Meal Of The Titanic's First-Class Passengers

T he wreck of the RMS Titanic endures as the most infamous maritime tragedy in history, claiming roughly 1,500 lives as it sank below the frigid waters of the North Atlantic. Countless books, articles, documentaries, and movies have relayed what happened on the night of April 14, 1912; but in our obsession over the Titanic passengers' deaths, we often overlook how they lived.

The Titanic was the subject of international fame long before it sank. Hailed as one of the largest and most luxurious ships ever built, its passengers included some of the wealthiest people in the world at the time, including John Jacob Astor IV, Benjamin Guggenheim, and Isadore Straus, the owner of Macy's. Captain Edward Smith was even known as the "Millionaire's Captain" because of his ties with the wealthy.

These fabulously rich passengers stayed in the Titanic's opulent first-class quarters, where a suite cost £870, which translates to a stunning $133,132 in today's dollars. Tickets included meals in the ship's first-class dining hall, where diners could enjoy as many as 13 courses for dinner, each one accompanied by a different wine pairing . A few menus from this dining room survived the wreck (later selling for a staggering amount of money) , so we know exactly what those first-class passengers ate for their last meal. It seems that the Titanic's dining room would have held its own against any of the world's finest restaurants.

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The First-Class Menu Was The Epitome Of Luxury

A dinner menu from the night of April 14 reveals that the first-class passengers aboard the Titanic ate an extravagant dinner, beginning with assorted hors d'oeuvres and oysters. They then had a choice of soup between cream of barley and consommé Olga, a soup made from veal stock and sturgeon marrow. This was followed by salmon with mousseline sauce. It sounds like a well-rounded meal already, but the Titanic chefs were just getting started.

For entrees (that's right, the salmon was an appetizer course), guests could choose between filet mignon, chicken lyonnaise, lamb with mint sauce, roast duck, or beef sirloin with chateau potatoes. There was also a vegetarian option: vegetable marrow farci (marrow is a type of summer squash native to England). An array of side dishes were offered, including peas, carrots, and rice. After their entrees, guests were served a palate-cleansing punch followed by roast squab, asparagus, and foie gras . For dessert, there were peaches with jelly, vanilla and chocolate eclairs, French ice cream, and Waldorf pudding.

The first-class lunch that day was almost as opulent. The midday menu included mutton chops, roast beef, ham, ox tongue, custard pudding, a cheese course, and a rather intriguing chicken and banana dish . This was fine dining at its most indulgent.

What The Other Passengers Ate

The ship was divided into three classes to match the economic hierarchy: the upper, the middle, and the lower class. The Titanic was among the first ocean liners to include a second class, reflecting the newly-formed middle class that emerged at the tail end of the 19th century. Of the 1,317 passengers aboard that voyage, only 324 were in first class. The 284 second-class passengers and 709 third-class passengers ate very different meals.

The second-class dinner on April 14 wasn't as luxurious as the first-class fare, but it was still a gourmet meal. There was only one soup offering — consommé tapioca, and the entree choices included curried chicken, lamb with mint sauce, and roast turkey with cranberry sauce (sorry vegetarians, but there was no meat-free dinner option below first class). There were many options for dessert, including plum pudding and wine jelly, but the ice cream served to second-class passengers was explicitly American rather than French.

Third-class passengers had a very different experience. Their day was divided into four meals: breakfast, dinner, tea, and supper. Breakfast was hearty, with oatmeal, smoked herring, ham and eggs, and fresh bread. The dinner entree was roast beef with rice soup and boiled potatoes, while supper consisted of cheese, cabin biscuits, and gruel. It was hearty food, but it couldn't have seemed like much when the guests in first class were feasting on multiple meat courses for every meal.

Read the original article on Chowhound

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Titanic ll construction planned for 2025, following pandemic-related delays

BRISBANE, Australia (WKRC) - An Australian billionaire is planning to construct the Titanic ll, a near-perfect replica of the ill-fated ship that struck an iceberg and sank in 1912.

According to CNN, Australian billionaire Clive Palmer first launched his ambitious project to construct a Titanic replica in 2012, then again in 2018. The plans, however, were delayed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Forbes, Clive Palmer is worth around $4.2 billion and made much of his wealth from mining.

“It’s a lot more fun to do the Titanic than it is to sit at home and count my money,” Palmer reportedly told local media when asked why he had undertaken the massive project, per CNN.

According to the network, when Palmer first floated ideas of building a replica Titanic, many believed he was eccentric and rich enough to do it. When the pandemic brought the world to a halt, however, Palmer was forced to put his ambitious plans on hold.

Now that the COVID-19 pandemic is over and cruise ships are sailing the seas again, Palmer, who is chairman of the Blue Star Line company, is ready to revive the project, full steam ahead.

“We are very pleased to announce that after unforeseen global delays, we have reengaged with partners to bring the dream of Titanic ll to life. Let the journey begin,’’ Palmer said in a press release.

9 News Australia uploaded a video to YouTube, which includes a clip of Palmer reiterating his intent to see the project to its completion.

In the video, when asked why people should believe he'll finish the project when it's been just a promise for so long, Palmer replies "because I have more money now."

According to CNN, Blue Star Line is soliciting proposals and plans, hoping to confirm a ship builder by the end of the year, so that work can begin on the vessel in the first quarter of 2025. Per the network, Palmer said he expects the winning bidders to be based in Europe, as he doesn't believe Chinese standards are up to the task.

Palmer said his intention is to replicate the Titanic, without the tragic ending, and believes tapping into the world's fascination with the ship will bring people closer together.

“Millions have dreamt of sailing on her, seeing her in port and experiencing her unique majesty. Titanic ll will be the ship where those dreams come true,’’ Palmer said, per the network.

Gold watch recovered from body of richest man on the Titanic sells for £1.2m

John Jacob Astor was last seen smoking a cigarette and chatting with a fellow passenger as the Titanic went down. His body was recovered from the Atlantic a week later - along with the pocket watch.

Sunday 28 April 2024 06:42, UK

A gold pocket watch that was recovered from the body of the richest man on the Titanic has been sold for a record-breaking £1.175m.

The watch was sold to a private collector in the US at Henry Aldridge & Son in Devizes, Wiltshire, for the highest amount ever for Titanic memorabilia, the auctioneers said.

The timepiece was expected to fetch between £100,000 and £150,000.

Its original owner, John Jacob Astor, 47, went down with the ship on 15 April 1912 after helping his wife on to a lifeboat.

Rather than try his luck with another lifeboat, the impeccably dressed businessman, a prominent member of the wealthy Astor family, was last seen smoking a cigarette and chatting with a fellow passenger.

His body was recovered from the Atlantic Ocean seven days after the sinking of the ship, which hit an iceberg on its maiden voyage to New York, and his 14-carat gold Waltham pocket watch, engraved with the initials JJA, was found.

Mr Astor was thought to be one of the richest people in the world at the time of the Titanic 's sinking, with a net worth of about $87m - equivalent to several billion dollars today, auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said.

"At first, Astor did not believe the ship was in any serious danger but later it was apparent she was sinking and the captain had started an evacuation after midnight, so he helped his wife into lifeboat four," Mr Aldridge said.

Mrs Astor survived. Her husband's body was recovered not far from the sinking.

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The watch was passed by Mr Astor's son Vincent to the son of his father's executive secretary, William Dobbyn.

The previous highest price paid for Titanic artefacts was £1.1 million at the same auction house in 2013 for a violin that was played as the ship sank.

The case for the violin was sold in the same auction as the pocket watch at Henry Aldridge & Son for £360,000.

Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said that the prices fetched by the Titanic memorabilia at the sale were "absolutely incredible".

He said: "They reflect not only the importance of the artefacts themselves and their rarity, but they also show the enduring appeal and fascination with the Titanic story.

"112 years later, we are still talking about the ship and the passengers and the crew.

"The thing with the Titanic story, it's effectively a large ship hits an iceberg with a tragic loss of life, but more importantly is 2,200 stories.

"2,200 subplots, every man, woman and child had a story to tell and then the memorabilia tells those stories today."

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