Titanic Sank
RMS Titanic sank in the North Atlantic
April 15, 1912
The Ship That Could Not Sink
On the night of April 14–15, 1912, the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean and sank, killing more than 1,500 people in one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history. The Titanic was the largest and most luxurious ship ever built at the time, and its builders had promoted it as virtually unsinkable. On its maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, it carried some of the wealthiest people in the world in its first-class cabins, along with hundreds of immigrants in third class who were hoping to start new lives in America. The ship struck the iceberg at 11:40 PM and sank in less than three hours.
A Night of Chaos and Heroism
The ship carried enough lifeboats for only about half the people on board — a reflection of outdated safety regulations and overconfidence in the ship's design. As the ship tilted and began to sink, the loading of lifeboats was chaotic. Many boats launched only partially full. First-class passengers were significantly more likely to survive than those in third class, who often faced locked gates and language barriers that hampered their escape. Band members famously played music on deck as the ship went down. Captain Edward Smith went down with his ship. Wireless operators sent distress signals until nearly the last moment, and a nearby ship, the RMS Carpathia, raced through the night to rescue 710 survivors.
A Legacy of Safer Seas
The sinking of the Titanic led to major improvements in maritime safety. The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea — still the most important international treaty on maritime safety — was agreed in 1914 as a direct result. It required enough lifeboats for everyone on board and around-the-clock radio watches on ships. The International Ice Patrol was established to monitor icebergs in North Atlantic shipping lanes. The wreck of the Titanic was discovered in 1985, resting 12,500 feet below the surface, and it has been the subject of countless books, films, and expeditions ever since. The story of the Titanic endures as a parable about human hubris and the unpredictability of the natural world.