Key Facts at a Glance
The table below summarizes core, verifiable details about the RMS Titanic and its 1912 sinking.
| Attribute | Verified Detail | Source Type |
|---|---|---|
| Official name | RMS Titanic | Company records |
| Type | Passenger steamship (Olympic-class) | Naval architecture records |
| Tonnage | 46,328 GRT | Surveyor measurements |
| Length | 882 ft 9 in (269.1 m) | Shipyard plans |
| Beam | 92 ft 6 in (28.2 m) | Surveyor measurements |
| Passenger capacity (typical layout) | 2,435 total; 891 First/Second/Third class, 695 crew | White Star Line documentation |
| Maiden voyage | 10 April 1912 (Southampton to New York) | Port records |
| Sinking date/location | 15 April 1912; 370 miles southeast of Newfoundland | Board of Trade inquiry |
| Lifeboats available | 20 (capacity ~1,178) | Inquiry testimony |
| Rescue ship | RMS Carpathia | Carpathia logs |
| Fatalities | Approximately 1,517–1,521 of about 2,224 aboard | Historical passenger lists |
| Rediscovery | 1985; wreck lies in two main sections | IFREMER/US Navy expedition logs |
What Was the RMS Titanic?
The RMS Titanic was a British-registered steamship and the largest of the Olympic-class trio built for White Star Line service between Europe and North America. Designed to project prestige, comfort, and maritime technological confidence, it featured lavish first-class accommodations and advanced engineering for its era. Conceived in the early 1900s and constructed in Belfast, Titanic entered service in spring 1912.
Maiden Voyage and Departure
Titanic began its maiden voyage on 10 April 1912, sailing from Southampton with scheduled stops at Cherbourg, France, and Queenstown (now Cobh), Ireland, before heading for New York. The voyage drew global attention, carrying a mix of prominent elites, emigrants, and workers. Boarding procedures, crew deployment, and coal supply were tightly coordinated across three ports under compressed schedule pressure.
Design, Equipment, and Safety Context
Designed under rules then in force, Titanic met regulatory requirements but reflected design choices that heightened risk. Lifeboat capacity was determined not by total aboard but by ship tonnage thresholds; davits could physically hold more boats than planned, but only 20 were carried. Bulkhead and watertight compartment designs allowed the ship to remain upright with certain forward compartments flooded, yet those limits were exceeded once the wound extended beyond immediate compartments.
Speed decisions in iceberg-prone waters, without systematic lookout protocols using binoculars for the crow’s nest, are now studied as compounding factors. Radio operators worked under company pressure to relay passenger messages, which influenced responsiveness to ice warnings.
Construction and Engineering Highlights
- Built by Harland and Wolff in Belfast; designed by Thomas Andrews and naval architects at Harland and Wolff and White Star Line.
- Propulsion: two reciprocating four-cylinder engines plus a central low-pressure turbine; top service speed approximately 21–23 knots.
- Stability and hull subdivision informed by contemporary Lloyd’s Register rules, but safety margins relied on assumptions about damage scenarios that proved incomplete.
The Night of the Sinking
On 14 April 1912, calm conditions and clear skies masked dangerous pack ice. After multiple ice warnings, Titanic maintained high speed. At 11:40p.m. ship time, an iceberg scraped along the starboard side, rupturing several forward watertight compartments. The progressive flooding overwhelmed design assumptions, and lifeboat loading became uneven, with many boats departing far below capacity due to unclear procedures, lack of practiced drills, and reluctance to fill deck areas that passengers perceived as safe.
Distress signals were visible to nearby ships, but without a dedicated emergency frequency in common use and limited understanding of procedure, timely coordinated rescue was delayed. The nearest vessel, Carpathia, arrived after first light on 15 April. By then many had succumbed to hypothermia in the cold North Atlantic waters.
Rescue and Aftermath
Carpathia rescued 705 survivors early on 15 April, transporting them to New York where they were met by company representatives, media, and grieving families. Investigations followed in the United States and the United Kingdom; both inquiries identified organizational, procedural, and design issues. Recommendations led to changes in lifeboat regulations, around-the-clock radio watchkeeping, and international ice reporting coordination through the International Ice Patrol.
Legacy and Lessons
Titanic reshaped maritime safety and set precedents for transportation regulation. Its story continues to inform modern risk management, engineering, and emergency response practices. Safeguarding human lives now depends on layered protections—technology, training, drills, and transparent communication—lessons that extend beyond ships into aviation, healthcare, and critical infrastructure.
Cultural Memory and Public Interest
The wreck’s 1985 discovery and subsequent explorations renewed global fascination. Museums, documentaries, and scholarly studies examine the ship’s engineering, the social mix of its passengers, and the choices made under duress. Memorials in several countries honor the lost, while ongoing research continually refines understanding of events, contributing to ethics and public education about technological ambition and accountability.