It sank 111 years ago Saturday, but we can’t forget the RMS Titanic.
History’s most famous ship slipped beneath the North Atlantic at 2:20 a.m. on April 15, 1912, but we continue to explore its maiden voyage, iceberg, sinking and undersea decay through a seemingly endless stream of photographs, books, documentaries and movies, and museum exhibits.
Why are people drawn to Titanic?
“There isn’t a simple answer,” says Karen Kamuda, president of the Titanic Historical Society, which operates the Titanic Museum in Indian Orchard, Maine.
Those who join the society are of “all ages and occupations, and their interests are multivariable,” Kamuda says. Aside from Titanic and its passengers, crew, their curiosity may include the sister ships Olympic and Britannic, the White Star Line, artifacts, and TV or movies.
“James Cameron’s 1997 film, Titanic, opened up a brand-new interest,” Kamuda says. “The internet has helped spread the story worldwide.”
Here are a few things you may not know about Titanic:
Titanic traveled less than 3,000 miles
Titanic was built at the Harland & Wolff shipbuilding company in Belfast, Ireland. After outfitting and sea trials, the ship left port for her maiden voyage.
From Belfast to the fatal iceberg, Titanic traveled about 2,555 nautical miles, or 2,940 land miles:
April 2, 1912 | 8 p.m.: Titanic leaves Belfast, sails to Southhampton, England (577 nm).
April 10, 1912 | noon: Titanic leaves Southhampton, sails to Cherbourg, France (88 nm).
April 11, 1912 | 8:10 p.m.: Titanic leaves Cherbourg, sails to Queenstown (now known as Cobh), Ireland (341 nm).
April 11, 1912 | 1:30 p.m.: Titanic leaves Queenstown for New York.
April 14, 1912 | 11:40 p.m.: Titanic strikes iceberg 1,549 nm from Queenstown.
April 15, 1912 | 2:20 a.m.: Titanic sinks about 400 miles south of Newfoundland, Canada.
Titanic’s lifeboats were not filled to capacity
15-ton piece of wreckage recovered
The largest piece of wreckage recovered from Titanic, above, is a 15-ton section of the hull measuring 26 feet by 12 feet. It’s on display at Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition at the Luxor hotel in Las Vegas
The hull section was originally part of the starboard side of the ship, between the third and fourth funnels. It was lifted to the surface in 1998.
Museums keep Titanic’s memory alive
A number of museums offer visitors a look at hundreds of objects recovered from the wreck site. Here are a few:
And if you can’t get to a Titanic museum, a traveling exhibit, Titanic. The Exhibition, with 200 items, may be coming to you after it leaves New York.
Thousands of artifacts have been salvaged
Titanic is small compared with today’s cruise ships
Want to learn more about Titanic?
Historical associations are a good source of information.
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SOURCE USA TODAY Network reporting and research; Associated Press; Titanic Historical Society; titanicfacts.net; titanicuniverse.com; National Geographic; encyclopedia-titanica.org
