Key Facts at a Glance
The RMS Titanic was an Olympic-class British passenger liner that sank in the North Atlantic on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden transatlantic voyage from Southampton to New York City. Built by Harland & Wolff in Belfast, it was the largest ship afloat at the time, designed to showcase technological confidence in early 20th-century maritime engineering.
| Attribute | Verified Detail | Source Type |
|---|---|---|
| Name | RMS Titanic | Official records |
| Owner / Operator | White Star Line | Company archives |
| Shipyard | Harland & Wolff, Belfast | Historical construction logs |
| Yard Number | 401 | Harland & Wolff records |
| Keel Laid | 31 March 1909 | Shipbuilding timelines |
| Launched | 31 May 1911 | Launch ceremony reports |
| Maiden Voyage | 10 April – 15 April 1912 | Shipping manifests and voyage logs |
| Route | Southampton → Cherbourg → Queenstown → New York City | Original sailing notice |
| Passenger Capacity (Designed) | 3,547 (920 First/Second/Third Class + Crew) | White Star Line specifications |
| Lifeboat Capacity | 1,178 (approximately 37.5% of persons on board) | Board of Trade regulations and manifests |
| Dimensions (Registered) | Overall 882 ft 9 in (269.1 m); Beam 92 ft 0 in (28.0 m) | Naval architecture records |
| Gross Tonnage | 46,328 GRT | Lloyd’s Register survey |
| Propulsion | Two triple-expansion reciprocating engines + low-pressure steam turbine; twin propellers | Engineering diagrams |
| Service Speed | Service: ~21–22 knots; Estimated maximum: ~24 knots | Trials data and logbooks |
| Sinking Date & Time | 15 April 1912, 02:20 ship’s time | Survivor testimonies and inquiry reports |
| Wreck Location | Approximately 370 nautical miles southeast of Newfoundland, 12,500 ft (3,800 m) depth | 1985 expedition logs (IFREMER/WHOI) |
| Discovery | 1 September 1985 | Woods Hole/IFREMER expedition |
The Design and Construction of Titanic
Designed by senior naval architect Thomas Andrews at Harland & Wolff, Titanic embodied the era’s optimism about technology and commerce. As the second Olympic-class vessel, it featured 16 main compartments with remotely closable watertight doors and an advanced wireless telegraph system. Intended to reflect British engineering prowess, the ship incorporated reinforced bulkheads and a high double bottom, yet these safety features had critical limits that would later influence maritime regulation.
Hull and Stability
The hull followed contemporary standards for transverse and longitudinal framing, with a cellular double bottom intended to provide additional buoyancy. However, the very height of the ship and relatively low number of lifeboats reflected a balance between luxury, capacity, and existing Board of Trade regulations—regulations that assumed a vessel of this stature would remain largely intact in an emergency.
Luxury and Passenger Experience
First-class accommodations included grand staircases, spacious cabins, and amenities such as a swimming pool and squash courts, underscoring the social hierarchy of early 20th-century travel. Second and third-class accommodations were more modest but still emphasized comfort for their respective markets. These design choices aimed to attract affluent travelers and establish a benchmark for transatlantic liners.
The Maiden Voyage and Final Leg
Departing Southampton on 10 April 1912, Titanic called at Cherbourg to accommodate continental passengers and then Queenstown (now Cobh, Ireland) before setting a westward course for New York. Built with a high freeboard and powerful engines, the ship carried 2,224 people, including many prominent figures of the time. The combination of high speed, clear weather, and drifting sea ice created conditions that would prove catastrophic in the North Atlantic shipping lanes.
The Iceberg Warning Context
Multiple nearby vessels relayed ice warnings, which the bridge acknowledged. However, a combination of routing choices, darkened crow’s nests, and fragmented communication protocols meant that lookouts lacked binoculars and sufficient early warning. This confluence of factors is widely cited by historians and maritime investigators as a key contributor to the disaster.
The Sinking and Immediate Aftermath
On 14 April, at approximately 11:40 ship’s time, Titanic struck an iceberg on the starboard side. The collision buckled sections of the hull below the waterline and caused the first five forward compartments to flood, exceeding the ship’s assumed safety margins. The crew’s efforts to manage flooding and coordinate lifeboat deployment were hampered by a lack of training, insufficient lifeboat capacity, and unclear passenger instructions. An estimated 1,513 of the approximately 2,224 people aboard perished, making it one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in modern history.
Rescue and Response
Carpathia arrived on the scene several hours after the sinking and rescued 705 survivors. Subsequent inquiries in the United Kingdom and the United States scrutinized safety practices, wireless communication protocols, and seamanship standards. The findings led to lasting reforms, including the establishment of the International Ice Patrol and updated lifeboat regulations, demonstrating how tragedy catalyzed systemic change.
Cultural Memory and Technical Legacy
Over time, Titanic has evolved from a historical event into a global cultural symbol, often examined through the lenses of class, hubris, and technological overconfidence. Numerous expeditions have documented the wreck, revealing progressive decay and raising ethical questions about salvage and preservation. Meanwhile, engineering analyses and simulations continue to refine understanding of the structural and hydrodynamic factors involved in the disaster.
Modern Exploration and Conservation
Since the 1985 discovery, scientific dives and imaging projects have mapped debris fields and documented the condition of the hull and artifacts. These efforts inform both conservation strategies and public education, highlighting the ship’s status as a fragile underwater memorial rather than a recoverable vessel.
Summary of Verified Specifications
The table above compiles authoritative attributes of Titanic, from construction milestones to performance metrics. Together, they provide a concise reference for understanding the ship’s design intent, operational history, and the limits of its era’s safety assumptions. This factual baseline supports ongoing analysis of how Titanic has shaped maritime policy, engineering practice, and public memory over more than a century.
Why Titanic Remains Relevant
Titanic endures in public imagination not only because of the human stories but also because it represents a turning point in safety regulation, international cooperation, and engineering accountability. Long after its final voyage, the ship continues to inform best practices in maritime safety, risk assessment, and disaster response, ensuring that lessons from 1912 remain embedded in modern systems.
For historians, engineers, and the general public, Titanic offers a durable case study in the interaction between technology, organization, and the natural environment—an evergreen subject that transcends its century of origin.
References
- United States Senate Inquiry into the Sinking of the RMS Titanic, 1912.
- British Wreck Commissioner’s Inquiry Report, 1912.
- Harland & Wolff archives and construction records.
- International Ice Patrol annual reports and data summaries.
- National Geographic Society and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution expedition logs (1985).
- Lloyd’s Register of Shipping survey archives.
- White Star Line published specifications and sailing notices.
- Survivor testimonies and subsequent scholarly analyses.
Tags: RMS Titanic, maritime history, ship design, iceberg collision, safety reforms