Titanic, in full Royal Mail Ship (RMS) Titanic, British luxury passenger liner that sank on April 14–15, 1912, during its maiden voyage, en route to New York Cityfrom Southampton, England, killing about 1,500 (see Researcher’s Note: Titanic) passengers and shippersonnel. One of the most famous tragedies in modern history, it inspired numerous stories, several films, and a musical and has been the subject of much scholarship and scientific speculation.
TitanicThe Titanic.The Bettmann Archive
TitanicThe Titanic.The National Archives/Heritage-Images/Imagestate
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Origins And Construction
In the early 1900s the transatlantic passenger trade was highly profitable and competitive, with ship lines vying to transport wealthy travelers and immigrants. Two of the chief lines were White Star and Cunard. By the summer of 1907, Cunard seemed poised to increase its share of the market with the debut of two new ships, the Lusitania and the Mauretania, which were scheduled to enter service later that year. The two passenger liners were garnering much attention for their expected speed; both would later set speed records crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Looking to answer his rival, White Star chairman J. Bruce Ismayreportedly met with William Pirrie, who controlled the Belfastshipbuilding firm Harland and Wolff, which constructed most of White Star’s vessels. The two men devised a plan to build a class of large linersthat would be known for their comfort instead of their speed. It was eventually decided that three vessels would be constructed: the Olympic, the Titanic, and the Britannic.
TitanicAfter striking an iceberg, the British passenger linerTitanic sank on April 14–15, 1912.Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Ismay, J. BruceJ. Bruce Ismay.The National Archives/Heritage-Images/Imagestate
blueprints for the Titanic and the OlympicBlueprints for the Titanic and the Olympic.Science and Society/SuperStock
On March 31, 1909, some three months after work began on the Olympic, the keel was laid for the Titanic. The two ships were built side by side in a specially constructed gantry that could accommodate their unprecedented size. The sister ships were largely designed by Thomas Andrews of Harland and Wolff. In addition to ornate decorations, the Titanic featured an immense first-class dining saloon, four elevators, and a swimming pool. Its second-class accommodations were comparable to first-class features on other ships, and its third-class offerings, although modest, were still noted for their relative comfort.
construction of the ships Olympic and TitanicConstruction of the Olympic (right) and the Titanic in the shipyard of Harland and Wolff, Belfast, Northern Ireland.Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (file no. LC-USZ62-67359)
Titanic's propellersThe Titanic's propellers in Harland and Wolff's Belfast shipyard shortly before the ship's launch, May 1911.Image Asset Management Ltd./SuperStock
Andrews, ThomasThomas Andrews.The National Archives/Heritage-Images/Imagestate
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As to safety elements, the Titanic had 16 compartments that included doors which could be closed from the bridge, so that water could be contained in the event the hull was breached. Although they were presumed to be watertight, the bulkheads were not capped at the top. The ship’s builders claimed that four of the compartments could be flooded without endangering the liner’s buoyancy. The system led many to claim that the Titanic was unsinkable.
Titanic: life jacketsMembers of Titanic's crew wearing life jackets, 1912.Ann Ronan Picture Library/Heritage-Images/Imagestate
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Following completion of the hull and main superstructure, the Titanic was launched on May 31, 1911. It then began the fitting-out phase, as machinery was loaded into the ship and interior work began. After the Olympic’s maiden voyage in June 1911, slight changes were made to the Titanic’s design. In early April 1912 the Titanic underwent its sea trials, after which the ship was declared seaworthy.
Titanic's Grand StaircaseThe first-class stairway, known as the Grand Staircase, on the Titanic.Universal Images Group/SuperStock
parlour suite on the TitanicA parlour suite on the Titanic.Universal Images Group/SuperStock
Titanic's gymnasiumInstructor T.W. McCawley demonstrating the rowing machine in the gymnasium on the Titanic.Universal Images Group/SuperStock
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As it prepared to embark on its maiden voyage, the Titanic was one of the largest and most opulent ships in the world. It had a gross registered tonnage (i.e., carrying capacity) of 46,328 tons, and when fully laden the ship displaced (weighed) more than 52,000 tons. The Titanic was approximately 882.5 feet (269 metres) long and about 92.5 feet (28.2 metres) wide at its widest point.
Titanic's first-class loungeThe first-class lounge on the Titanic.Universal Images Group/SuperStock
Titanic's first-class dining saloonThe first-class dining saloon on the Titanic.Everett Collection/SuperStock
Maiden Voyage
Study the causes of and fallout from the Titanic's striking an iceberg and sinking in the Atlantic OceanAn overview of the Titanic.Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.See all videos for this article
On April 10, 1912, the Titanic set sail on its maiden voyage, traveling from Southampton, England, to New York City. Nicknamed the “Millionaire’s Special,” the ship was fittingly captained by Edward J. Smith, who was known as the “Millionaire’s Captain” because of his popularity with wealthy passengers. Indeed, onboard were a number of prominent people, including American businessman Benjamin Guggenheim, British journalist William Thomas Stead, and Macy’s department store co-owner Isidor Straus and his wife, Ida. In addition, Ismay and Andrews were also traveling on the Titanic.
poster of the TitanicPoster of the Titanic, 1912.The Granger Collection, NYC—All rights reserved.
Titanic leaving Southampton, EnglandThe Titanic leaving Southampton, England, April 10, 1912.Stapleton Historical Collection/Heritage-Images/Imagestate
Edward J. Smith.Universal Images Group/SuperStock
Straus, IsidorIsidor Straus.Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (file no. LC-USZ62-54251)
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The voyage nearly began with a collision, however, when suction from the Titanic caused the docked New York to swing into the giant liner’s path. After an hour of maneuverings to prevent the accident, the Titanic was under way. On the evening of April 10 the ship stopped at Cherbourg, France. The city’s dock was too small to accommodate the Titanic, so passengers had to be ferried to and from the ship in tenders. Among those boarding were John Jacob Astor and his pregnant second wife, Madeleine, and Molly Brown. After some two hours the Titanic resumed its journey. On the morning of April 11 the liner made its last scheduled stop in Europe, at Queenstown (Cobh), Ireland. At approximately 1:30 PM the ship set sail for New York City. Onboard were some 2,200 people, approximately 1,300 of whom were passengers.
Titanic leaving Queenstown, IrelandThe Titanic leaving Queenstown (Cobh), Ireland, April 11, 1912.Universal Images Group/SuperStock
Astor, John JacobJohn Jacob Astor.Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (file no. LC-USZ62-40303)
Brown, MollyMolly Brown.Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Final hours
Throughout much of the voyage, the wireless radio operators on the Titanic, Jack Phillips and Harold Bride, had been receiving icebergwarnings, most of which were passed along to the bridge. The two men worked for the Marconi Company, and much of their job was relaying passengers’ messages. On the evening of April 14 the Titanicbegan to approach an area known to have icebergs. Smith slightly altered the ship’s course to head farther south. However, he maintained the ship’s speed of some 22 knots. At approximately 9:40 PM the Mesabasent a warning of an ice field. The message was never relayed to the Titanic’s bridge. At 10:55 PM the nearby Leyland liner Californiansent word that it had stopped after becoming surrounded by ice. Phillips, who was handling passenger messages, scolded the Californian for interrupting him.
reproduction of the Titanic's wireless roomA reproduction of the Titanic's wireless room; at the Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration, Mystic, Connecticut.Michelle McLoughlin/AP Iimages
first-class dinner menu from the TitanicThe Titanic's first-class dinner menu for April 14, 1912, the night the ship struck an iceberg.The Granger Collection, NYC. All rights reserved.
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Two lookouts, Frederick Fleet and Reginald Lee, were stationed in the crow’s nest of the Titanic. Their task was made difficult by the fact that the ocean was unusually calm that night: because there would be little water breaking at its base, an iceberg would be more difficult to spot. In addition, the crow’s nest’s binocularswere missing. At approximately 11:40 PM, about 400 nautical miles (740 km) south of Newfoundland, Canada, an iceberg was sighted, and the bridge was notified. First Officer William Murdoch ordered both the ship “hard-a-starboard”—a maneuver that under the order system then in place would turn the ship to port (left)—and the engines reversed. The Titanic began to turn, but it was too close to avoid a collision. The ship’s starboard side scraped along the iceberg. At least five of its supposedly watertight compartments toward the bow were ruptured. After assessing the damage, Andrews determined that, as the ship’s forward compartments filled with water, its bow would drop deeper into the ocean, causing water from the ruptured compartments to spill over into each succeeding compartment, thereby sealing the ship’s fate. The Titanic would founder. (By reversing the engines, Murdoch actually caused the Titanicto turn slower than if it had been moving at its original speed. Most experts believe the ship would have survived if it had hit the iceberg head-on.)
Smith ordered Phillips to begin sending distress signals, one of which reached the Carpathia at approximately 12:20 AM on April 15, and the Cunard ship immediately headed toward the stricken liner. However, the Carpathia was some 58 nautical miles (107 km) away when it received the signal, and it would take more than three hours to reach the Titanic. Other ships also responded, including the Olympic, but all were too far away. A vessel was spotted nearby, but the Titanicwas unable to contact it. The Californian was also in the vicinity, but its wireless had been turned off for the night.
Phillips, Jack, senior wireless operator on the TitanicJack Phillips, senior wireless operator on the Titanic. Although he reportedly reached an overturned lifeboat, Phillips died before being rescued.The National Archives/Heritage-Images/Imagestate
SOS from the TitanicAn SOS from the Titanic received by the Birma.Universal Images Group/SuperStock
distress call from the TitanicA distress call sent by the Titanic at approximately 1:40 AM on April 15, 1912.The National Archives/Heritage-Images/Imagestate
As attempts were made to contact nearby vessels, the lifeboats began to be launched, with orders of women and children first. Although the Titanic’s number of lifeboats exceeded that required by the British Board of Trade, its 20 boats could carry only 1,178 people, far short of the total number of passengers. This problem was exacerbated by lifeboats being launched well below capacity, because crewmen worried that the davits would not be able to support the weight of a fully loaded boat. (The Titanic had canceled its scheduled lifeboat drill earlier in the day, and the crew was unaware that the davits had been tested in Belfast.) Lifeboat number 7, which was the first to leave the Titanic, held only about 27 people, though it had space for 65. In the end, only 705 people would be rescued in lifeboats.
Titanic sinkingThe sinking of the Titanic, undated illustration.Image Asset Management Ltd./SuperStock
Titanic survivors in a lifeboat.National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
As passengers waited to enter lifeboats, they were entertained by the Titanic’s musicians, who initially played in the first-class lounge before eventually moving to the ship’s deck. Sources differ on how long they performed, some reporting that it was until shortly before the ship sank. Speculation also surrounded the last song they performed—likely either Autumn or Nearer My God to Thee. None of the musicians survived the sinking.
By 1:00 AM water was seen at the base (E deck) of the Grand Staircase. Amid the growing panic, several male passengers tried to board lifeboat number 14, causing Fifth Officer Harold Lowe to fire his gun three times. Around this time, Phillips’s distress calls reflected a growing desperation as one noted that the ship “cannot last much longer.”
As the Titanic’s bow continued to sink, the stern began to rise out of the water, placing incredible strain on the midsection. At about 2:00 AMthe stern’s propellers were clearly visible above the water, and the only lifeboats that remained on the ship were three collapsible boats. Smith released the crew, saying that “it’s every man for himself.” (He was reportedly last seen in the bridge, and his body was never found.) At approximately 2:18 AM the lights on the Titanic went out. It then broke in two, with the bow going underwater. Reports later speculated that it took some six minutes for that section, likely traveling at approximately 30 miles (48 km) per hour, to reach the ocean bottom. The stern momentarily settled back in the water before rising again, eventually becoming vertical. It briefly remained in that position before beginning its final plunge. At 2:20 AMthe ship foundered as the stern also disappeared beneath the Atlantic. Water pressure allegedly caused that section, which still had air inside, to implode as it sank.
Hundreds of passengers and crew went into the icy water. Fearful of being swamped, those in the lifeboats delayed returning to pick up survivors. By the time they rowed back, almost all the people in the water had died from exposure. In the end, more than 1,500 perished. Aside from the crew, which had about 700 fatalities, third class suffered the greatest loss: of approximately 710, only some 174 survived. (Subsequent claims that passengers in steerage were prevented from boarding boats, however, were largely dispelled. Given Smith’s failure to sound a general alarm, some third-class passengers did not realize the direness of the situation until it was too late. Many women also refused to leave their husbands and sons, while the difficulty of simply navigating the complex Titanic from the lower levels caused some to reach the top deck after most of the lifeboats had been launched.)
Rescue
The Carpathia arrived in the area at approximately 3:30 AM, more than an hour after the Titanic sank. Lifeboat number 2 was the first to reach the liner. Over the next several hours the Carpathia picked up all survivors. White Star chairman Ismay wrote a message to be sent to the White Star Line’s offices: “Deeply regret advise you Titanic sank this morning fifteenth after collision iceberg, resulting serious loss life; further particulars later.” At approximately 8:30 AM the Californian arrived, having heard the news some three hours earlier. Shortly before 9:00 AMthe Carpathia headed for New York City, where it arrived to massive crowds on April 18.
Titanic survivors aboard the CarpathiaTitanic survivors aboard the Carpathia, April 1912.Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (file no. LC-USZ62-56453)
Titanic lifeboats alongside the CarpathiaSurvivors from the Titanic being lifted aboard theCarpathia, April 15, 1912.The National Archives/Heritage-Images/Imagestate
news of the Titanic's sinkingNewspaper boy shortly after the Titanic's sinking, 1912.The Print Collector/Heritage-Images/Imagestate
crowds awaiting news of the Titanic's sinkingPeople gathering around newspaper bulletin boards for information about the Titanic's sinking, New York City, April 1912.Stapleton Historical Collection/Heritage-Images/Imagestate
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It is the greatest tragedy known to me. I cried when I watched the film "Titanic ". I was in secondary school then. For some days, I was emotionally down.