The RMS Titanic sank in the North Atlantic Ocean in the early morning of 15 April 1912, after colliding with an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City. Of the estimated 2,224 passengers and crew aboard, more than 1,500 died, making it one of the deadliest commercial peacetime maritime disasters in modern history. It’s been more than 100 years ago, yeah it still haunts us today.
Many photos were taken to document what happened to the Titanic, though many were never shown to the public or forgotten about with time. Check out these amazing pictures and read some incredible facts about the Titanic below each one!
Just Before Sailing
These early photos of the Titanic took on new significance after the ship sank. This photo shows work still being done on the ship.
Did you Know: The RMS Titanic was the world’s largest passenger ship when it entered service, measuring 269 metres (882 feet) in length, and the largest man-made moving object on Earth. The largest passenger vessel is now Harmony of the Seas, at 362.12 metres.
Did you Know: The ship burned around 600 tonnes of coal a day – hand shovelled into its furnaces by a team of 176 men. Almost 100 tonnes of ash were ejected into the sea every 24 hours.
Setting Sail
The joyous occasion of watching this ship set sail was soon overshadowed by the sinking. It’s hard to look at the photo without thinking about the tragedy was soon to come.
Did you Know: The ship’s interiors were loosely inspired by those at the Ritz hotel in London. Facilities on board included a gym, pool, Turkish bath, a kennel for first class dogs, and a squash court. It even had its own on board newspaper – the Atlantic Daily Bulletin.
Did you Know: There were 20,000 bottles of beer on board, 1,500 bottles of wine and 8,000 cigars – all for the use of first-class passengers.
The Dreaded Iceberg
This is a photo of the iceberg that was believed to be the one that the Titanic hit. It doesn’t look very large, but as the saying goes, “is just the tip of the iceberg.” The damaging piece was below the water.
Did you Know: The Grand Staircase on board descended down seven of the ship’s 10 decks and featured oak panelling, bronze cherubs and paintings. Replicas can be found at the Titanic Museum in Branson, Missouri.
Did you Know: The staircase at the White Swan Hotel in Alnwick, contains banisters from the Grand Staircase of the Titanic’s sister ship, the Olympic. They are presumed to have been identical.
Last Known Photo
This is the last known photo taken before the Titanic sank. As you can see, it was captured by someone not on board. It’s breathtaking and ominous at the same time.
Did you Know: Only 16 wooden lifeboats and four collapsible boats were carried, enough to accommodate 1,178 people. That’s only one-third of Titanic’s total capacity, but more than legally required.
Did you Know: There were 246 injuries and two deaths recorded during the ship’s 26-month construction in Belfast.
Sinking Entertainment
Here you see several first class passengers aboard the Titanic. It might look normal, but they are actually being served drinks at the ship goes down. Refreshments included coffee, tea and chocolate.
Did you Know: John Jacob Astor IV was the richest passenger on board, with a net worth of around $85m (approximately $2bn today), and went down with the ship. One legend claims that after the ship hit the iceberg he quipped to a waiter: “I asked for ice, but this is ridiculous”.
Did you Know: Another notable victim was Benjamin Guggenheim, an American businessman. Realising that the ship was going down, he and his valet, Victor Giglio, reputedly changed into their evening wear while he remarked: “We’ve dressed up in our best and are prepared to go down like gentlemen.” They were last spotted on deck chairs drinking brandy and smoking cigars.
Titanic Lifeboats
You probably know that there were not enough lifeboats on the Titanic for everyone. This is a photo taken of 13 of them after being used to rescue people from the sinking ship.
Did you Know: Noel Leslie, the Countess of Rothes, was also on board, but survived. She is mentioned in an episode of Downton Abbey. “Isn’t this terrible? When you think how excited Lucy Rothes was at the prospect,” remarks the Countess of Grantham when she hears of the disaster.
Did you Know: Numerous people held tickets for the journey, but did not actually sail, including Milton S. Hershey, founder of the chocolate firm, Guglielmo Marconi, and Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, who died on the RMS Lusitania three years later.
Survivors on the Carpathia
Fortunately for some aboard the Titanic, the Carpathia came along and rescued them. This is a photo of the survivors on board after being pulled from the lifeboats. It sure doesn’t look like too many people were rescued.
Did you Know: The last remaining survivor of the disaster, Millvina Dean, died on May 31, 2009, aged 97. She was two months old at the time.
Did you Know: The iceberg was spotted at 11.40pm on April 14, 1912, by lookout Frederick Fleet, who proclaimed: “Iceberg! Right ahead!” Fleet survived the disaster and was a lookout on the RMS Oceanic during the Twenties, before serving in the Second World War. Pranksters placed a pair of binoculars on his grave in 2012 with a note saying: “Sorry they’re 100 years too late”.
Being Rescued
Imagine the relief of these survivors as the Carpathia pulled alongside them. These are a few of the people who were rescued from the wreckage and brough to safety.
Did you Know: First Officer William McMaster Murdoch ordered the ship to turn, but it was too large to do so in time. It has been suggested that the ship would not have sunk if it hit the iceberg head-on. Murdoch went down with the ship; a memorial to him is found in his hometown of Dalbeattie, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland.
Did you Know: Edward Smith, the ship’s captain, also went down with the vessel. His last words were: “Well boys, you’ve done your duty and done it well. I ask no more of you. I release you. You know the rule of the sea. It’s every man for himself now, and God bless you.” A statue of him can be seen in Lichfield, Staffordshire.
Set Adrift
The water looks relatively calm, but these people must have been scared. After all, their ship had sunk and they were left adrift in the ocean. Fortunately, they were rescued.
Did you Know: The ship broke in two at around 2.20am on April 15, and sunk, sending all remaining passengers into the ocean. The temperature would have been -2°C – few would have survived longer than 15 minutes in the water, while around one in five would have died within two minutes from cold shock.
Did you Know: Charles Joughin, however, the ship’s baker, reportedly trod water for two hours before being rescued with little ill-effects. He claimed he had not felt the cold due to the amount of whiskey he had drunk.
Captain Smith
There was a lot of blame placed by some people on Captain Smith. Depsite that, he went down with his ship after doing what he could to stop the disaster. He’s a hero to some people.
Did you Know: The wreck of the Titanic was discovered in 1985 and lies 370 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, around 12,500 feet below the surface. The marine dive specialists Deep Ocean Expeditions previously offered trips to the wreck using a Mir submersible chartered from the Russian Academy of Sciences – with berths costing $59,000 – but stopped offering them in 2012.
Did you Know: Dozens of films and documentaries have been made about the disaster, the most controversial of which was commissioned by Joseph Goebbels in 1943. Its plot discredited British and American businessmen and features brave German passengers. The epilogue states: “The deaths of 1,500 people remain un-atoned, forever a testament of Britain’s endless quest for profit.”
Waiting for Survivors
This rare photo shows friends and family members waiting to hear news of the survivors of the Titanic. When they arrived, many of these people learned the worst.
Did you Know: James Cameron’s 1997 effort is undoubtedly the most successful – it has grossed more than $2bn and won 11 Oscars.
Did you Know: The film’s main theme song – My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion – was the biggest selling single of 1998 and has been covered by Neil Diamond, Sarah Brightman, Kenny G (instrumental) – and Miss Piggy from the Muppets.
Titanic Mysteries…
Was There Another Ship Out Sailing The Night The Titanic Sunk?
It was April 14, 1912, the moment RMS Titanic collided with an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean. The ship of dreams became a nightmare for those 2,224 passengers who were traveling to New York City from Southampton. Edward Smith, the captain of the largest ship of its time, consulted with Thomas Andrews, the designer of Titanic, and Bruce Ismay, the Managing Director of White Star Line (the company that owned the Titanic) and activated a standard distress procedure. Children and women were priority to be rescued and were put into the lifeboats. Even as the rescue mission was underway, there was a spark of hope when the crew noticed a light at some distance. This raised the question of whether or not there was another mystery ship sailing around on that fateful night.
According to the crew members of the Titanic, while their distress signals and white rockets were being ignored by SS Californian, there was another ship just a few miles away. On the contrary, the survivors claimed that there was no other ship apart from Californian during the deadly night.
Speculations led to many theories over the mystery ship – the most significant one being that it was ship named Samson. As per the emerging theories, the crew of Samson was near the Titanic but illegally hunting seals that lived on the icebergs. When Titanic gave out distress signals, the crew of Samson realized their proximity to the ship. However, the fear of being caught had them turning away instead of aiding the Titanic. Even the captain of Californian, Stanley Lord claimed that there was another ship out on the deadly night.
When the investigations and research began in the aftermath of Titanic’s drowning, it was found that there was indeed a ship named Samson, but it was not around the Titanic on April 14, 2012. As per records, the Norwegian sailing ship was docked at a port in Iceland for repair work. Considering that the distance between Samson and Titanic was too vast the Samson theory was debunked.
Nonetheless, the very same Samson theory allowed SS Californian to escape conviction. Captain Stanley Lord testified that since Titanic and Samson were communicating and everything was fine between them.
The debate over the mystery ship on that disastrous night when Titanic sunk will never end as many unanswered questions on what happened on April 14, 1912 aboard the Titanic still remain.
Some People Believed Woman Who Claimed To Be Titanic Passenger, But DNA Evidence Finally Solves Mystery
When RMS Titanic sunk on April 14, 1912, it left an unanswered question which was finally resolved after 100 years. Of the 705 survivors of the fateful night, most were women and children. But, the mystery behind two-year-old Loraine Allison’s survival remained.
According to the records, Hudson and Bess were on board Titanic and traveling with their two children, seven-month-old Trevor and two-year-old Loraine, to New York from Southampton. In the aftermath of the Titanic hitting an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean, Trevor survived because he was with the family’s maid. Unfortunately, Hudson, Bess and Loraine who were also on the lift boat supposedly died. But, while Hudson’s body was found, the lack of physical evidence of Loraine and her mother’s body raised mystery over their survival.
28 years later, a person named Helen Karmer on a radio show titled ‘We the People’ claimed that she was the missing two year old. Helen’s claims were not believed by Hudson and Bess’ immediate family, even though a few distant relatives believed her. Despite Helen’s claims, she was not made part of the family inheritance.
In 1992, Helen’s death put all the claims to rest. But, the mystery once again resurfaced in 2012, when Helen’s granddaughter Debrina Woods and brought back the haunted questions. She claimed that Helen had left more evidence and the truth must come out.
To resolve the mystery once and for all, 20 years later, a team of Titanic researchers initiated a project to find out if Debrina’s claims were true or not.
The team took DNA tests of all the descendants from Helen’s family and Hudson’s family. The result unlocked the mystery.
Helen Karmer was not the two year old Loraine Allison who went missing on that deadly night.
Little-Known Titanic Facts
The RMS Titanic set sail on April 10, 1912 from Southampton to New York carrying 2,224 passengers on board. Nobody knew that five days in, the world’s largest ship of that time would cease to exist. The Titanic sank on April 15, 1912 after it hit an iceberg the previous night leaving only 705 survivors. While these facts have been mentioned over the years, there are many things that are still unknown about that the ship of dreams.
The richest person on board the Titanic was John Jacob Astor IV. In today’s terms, his net worth would have been $2 billion. He did not survive. As per records, when Astor was informed that Titanic has hit an iceberg, without realising the implications, he had joked, ‘I had asked for ice, but this is absolutely ridiculous.’
The youngest and the last survivor was two-month-old Millivina Dean. She passed on May 31, 2009, when she was 97 years old.
The captain of the ship, Edward Smith’s last words were: ‘I release you as you have done your duty. The rules of the sea are known to all. It is now every man for himself.’ Smith went down with his ship.
The lookout officer of that disastrous night was Frederick Fleet who had alerted others saying, ‘Iceberg! Iceberg ahead.’ On hearing the alarm, First Officer William Murdock gave orders to turn the ship, but weaving or turning such a large ship immediately was practically impossible. The total time between Fleet noticing the iceberg, to Murdock ordering the ship to turn to the ship hitting the iceberg was 37 seconds. Fleet survived but Murdoch did not make it.
There was also kennel for the dogs of the first class passengers. There were nine dogs that were on the ship but only two were rescued on that deadly night.
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