The Titanic Sinks

Setting the scene

The RMS Titanic was the largest ship afloat when built in 1912 by Harland and Wolff in Belfast for the White Star Line. At 882 feet long, it was marketed as 'unsinkable' due to its 16 watertight compartments. It represented Edwardian confidence in technology and class hierarchy—first-class suites cost $4,350 ($120,000 today), while third-class passengers, mostly immigrants, paid $40. The ship carried 2,224 people on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, including millionaires John Jacob Astor IV and Benjamin Guggenheim.

What happened

On April 14, 1912, at 11:40 p.m., Titanic struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic, 400 miles south of Newfoundland. The iceberg buckled the hull, opening six compartments to the sea—four could flood and the ship would survive, but six was fatal. The crew had ignored six ice warnings and was traveling at 22 knots. The ship sank in 2 hours 40 minutes, at 2:20 a.m. on April 15. There were only 20 lifeboats for 1,178 people, though the ship could carry 64. Over 1,500 died, mostly from hypothermia in 28°F water.

Why it still matters

The Titanic disaster led to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) in 1914, mandating enough lifeboats for all, 24-hour radio watches, and international ice patrols. The wreck was discovered in 1985 by Robert Ballard, 12,500 feet deep, split in two. The tragedy became a cultural touchstone for hubris, class inequality—only 25% of third-class passengers survived versus 62% of first-class—and the end of the Edwardian era. James Cameron's 1997 film became the highest-grossing movie for 12 years, cementing the Titanic in popular memory.

Background

The disaster led to major maritime safety reforms.