Facts about the Titanic
- 11
When the Titanic struck the iceberg, the ship's speed was approximately 22.5 knots, and the collision lasted only 7 seconds before the hull began taking on water.
- 10
Captain Edward Smith, commander of the Titanic, went down with the ship on April 15, 1912, making him one of 1,500 victims in the disaster.
- 09
Harold Bride, the Titanic's junior wireless operator, survived the sinking by clinging to an overturned collapsible boat and was rescued after spending hours in freezing water on April 15, 1912.
- 08
Built in Belfast between 1909 and 1912, the Titanic measured 882 feet long and 46,000 tons, making it the largest ship afloat at its launch.
- 07
First-class passengers on the Titanic paid up to $4,350 for a parlor suite ticket in 1912, equivalent to approximately $120,000 in modern currency.
- 06
The Titanic's band continued playing music as the ship sank, with their final song likely being either a hymn or ragtime piece, according to survivor accounts from April 15, 1912.
- 05
Margaret Molly Brown, a first-class passenger, survived the Titanic by boarding Lifeboat No. 6 and later became famous as the Unsinkable Molly Brown for her heroic efforts aiding fellow survivors.
- 04
Titanium was not used in the Titanic's construction; its steel hull contained rivets made from wrought iron, which became brittle in freezing North Atlantic waters and contributed to rapid hull failure.
- 03
Approximately 1,500 people perished in the Titanic disaster, yet the ship carried only 20 lifeboats, sufficient for 1,178 passengers maximum.
- 02
At 2:20 AM on April 15, 1912, the RMS Titanic sank in just 2 hours 40 minutes after striking an iceberg in the North Atlantic.
- 01
Of the 2,224 people aboard the Titanic on April 15, 1912, only 710 survived the sinking in the North Atlantic Ocean.