titanic photo essay

Photos of the Titanic Tragedy From 101 Years Ago

The Titanic struck a North Atlantic iceberg on April 14, 1912; 705 passengers survived.

The Titanic struck a North Atlantic iceberg at 11:40 p.m. in the evening of April 14, 1912 at a speed of 20.5 knots (23.6 MPH). The berg scraped along the starboard or right side of the hull below the waterline, slicing open the hull between five of the adjacent watertight compartments. If only one or two of the compartments had been opened, Titanic might have stayed afloat, but when so many were sliced open, the watertight integrity of the entire forward section of the hull was fatally breached. The ship carried 1,317 passengers, but only 705 survived. This collection of photographs captures the Titanic and its fatal voyage.

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Why did the Titanic sink?

How many people died when the titanic sank, where is the wreck of the titanic , why is the titanic famous.

Sinking of the ocean liner the Titanic witnessed by survivors in lifeboats. May 15, 1912.

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World History Encyclopedia - RMS Titanic
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution - History of RMS Titanic
LiveScience - The Titanic: Facts About the 'Unsinkable' Ship
Al Jazeera - The Britannic and the Titanic: A story of two ships
Library Ireland - Thomas Andrews Shipbuilder
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - R.M.S Titanic - History and Significance
Titanic - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
Titanic - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
Table Of Contents

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The immediate cause of RMS Titanic ’s demise was a collision with an iceberg that caused the ocean liner to sink on April 14–15, 1912. While the ship could reportedly stay afloat if as many as 4 of its 16 compartments were breached, the impact had affected at least 5 compartments. It was originally believed that the iceberg had caused a long gash in the hull. After examining the wreck, however, scientists discovered that the collision had produced a series of thin gashes as well as brittle fracturing and separation of seams in the adjacent hull plates, thus allowing water to flood into the Titanic . Later examination of retrieved ship parts—as well as paperwork in the builder’s archives—led to speculation that low-quality steel or weak rivets may have contributed to the sinking.

The exact number of people killed is unknown. Original passenger and crew lists were rendered inaccurate by such factors as misspellings, omissions, aliases, and failure to count musicians and other contracted employees as either passengers or crew members. However, it is generally believed that of the ship’s approximately 2,200 passengers and crew members, some 1,500 people perished when the ship sank. According to the U.S. committee investigating the sinking, 1,517 lives were lost, and its British counterpart determined that 1,503 died. The crew suffered the most casualties, with about 700 fatalities. Third class also suffered greatly, as only 174 of its approximately 710 passengers survived.

The wreck of the Titanic —which was discovered on September 1, 1985—is located at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean , some 13,000 feet (4,000 metres) underwater. It is approximately 400 nautical miles (740 km) from Newfoundland, Canada. The ship is in two main pieces, the bow and the stern. The exact location of the ship’s bow—which is the largest and most intact portion—is 41°43′57′′ N 49°56′49′′ W.

From the outset, the Titanic captured the public’s imagination. At the time, it was one of the largest and most opulent ships in the world. It was also considered unsinkable, due to a series of compartment doors that could be closed if the bow was breached. However, four days into its maiden voyage in 1912, the Titanic struck an iceberg, and less than three hours later it sank. The drama of the eyewitness accounts and the great loss of life helped make it one of the most well-known tragedies in modern history. After the 1985 discovery of its wreckage, interest in the Titanic only increased, and its enduring appeal was evident with the huge success of James Cameron ’s 1997 film about the doomed ocean liner.

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Titanic , British luxury passenger liner that sank on April 14–15, 1912, during its maiden voyage , en route to New York City from Southampton , England , killing about 1,500 ( see Researcher’s Note: Titanic ) passengers and ship personnel. One of the most famous tragedies in modern history, it inspired numerous stories, several films , and a musical and has been the subject of much scholarship and scientific speculation.

In the early 1900s the transatlantic passenger trade was highly profitable and competitive, with ship lines vying to transport wealthy travelers and immigrants. Two of the chief lines were White Star and Cunard . By the summer of 1907, Cunard seemed poised to increase its share of the market with the debut of two new ships, the Lusitania and the Mauretania , which were scheduled to enter service later that year. The two passenger liners were garnering much attention for their expected speed; both would later set speed records crossing the Atlantic Ocean . Looking to answer his rival, White Star chairman J. Bruce Ismay reportedly met with William Pirrie , who controlled the Belfast shipbuilding firm Harland and Wolff , which constructed most of White Star’s vessels. The two men devised a plan to build a class of large liners that would be known for their comfort instead of their speed. It was eventually decided that three vessels would be constructed: the Olympic , the Titanic , and the Britannic .

On March 31, 1909, some three months after work began on the Olympic , the keel was laid for the Titanic . The two ships were built side by side in a specially constructed gantry that could accommodate their unprecedented size. The sister ships were largely designed by Thomas Andrews of Harland and Wolff. In addition to ornate decorations, the Titanic featured an immense first-class dining saloon, four elevators , and a swimming pool. Its second-class accommodations were comparable to first-class features on other ships, and its third-class offerings, although modest, were still noted for their relative comfort.

Newspaper boy Ned Parfett sells copies of the Evening News telling of the Titanic maritime disaster, outside Oceanic House, the London offices of the Titanic's owner, the White Star Line, in Cockspur Street, London, April 16, 1912.

As to safety elements, the Titanic had 16 compartments that included doors which could be closed from the bridge, so that water could be contained in the event the hull was breached . Although they were presumed to be watertight, the bulkheads were not capped at the top. The ship’s builders claimed that four of the compartments could be flooded without endangering the liner’s buoyancy. The system led many to claim that the Titanic was unsinkable.

Following completion of the hull and main superstructure, the Titanic was launched on May 31, 1911. It then began the fitting-out phase, as machinery was loaded into the ship and interior work began. After the Olympic ’s maiden voyage in June 1911, slight changes were made to the Titanic ’s design. In early April 1912 the Titanic underwent its sea trials, after which the ship was declared seaworthy.

As it prepared to embark on its maiden voyage, the Titanic was one of the largest and most opulent ships in the world. It had a gross registered tonnage (i.e., carrying capacity) of 46,328 tons, and when fully laden the ship displaced (weighed) more than 52,000 tons. The Titanic was approximately 882.5 feet (269 meters) long and about 92.5 feet (28.2 meters) wide at its widest point.

Maiden voyage

On April 10, 1912, the Titanic set sail on its maiden voyage, traveling from Southampton , England , to New York City . Nicknamed the “Millionaire’s Special,” the ship was fittingly captained by Edward J. Smith , who was known as the “Millionaire’s Captain” because of his popularity with wealthy passengers. Indeed, onboard were a number of prominent people, including American businessman Benjamin Guggenheim , British journalist William Thomas Stead , and Macy ’s department store co-owner Isidor Straus and his wife, Ida. In addition, Ismay and Andrews were also traveling on the Titanic .

The voyage nearly began with a collision, however, when suction from the Titanic caused the docked New York to swing into the giant liner’s path. After an hour of maneuverings to prevent the accident, the Titanic was under way. On the evening of April 10 the ship stopped at Cherbourg , France . The city’s dock was too small to accommodate the Titanic , so passengers had to be ferried to and from the ship in tenders. Among those boarding were John Jacob Astor and his pregnant second wife, Madeleine, and Molly Brown . After some two hours the Titanic resumed its journey. On the morning of April 11 the liner made its last scheduled stop in Europe , at Queenstown ( Cobh ), Ireland . At approximately 1:30 pm the ship set sail for New York City . Onboard were some 2,200 people, approximately 1,300 of whom were passengers.

Throughout much of the voyage, the wireless radio operators on the Titanic , Jack Phillips and Harold Bride, had been receiving iceberg warnings, most of which were passed along to the bridge. The two men worked for the Marconi Company, and much of their job was relaying passengers’ messages. On the evening of April 14 the Titanic began to approach an area known to have icebergs. Smith slightly altered the ship’s course to head farther south. However, he maintained the ship’s speed of some 22 knots. At approximately 9:40 pm the Mesaba sent a warning of an ice field. The message was never relayed to the Titanic ’s bridge. At 10:55 pm the nearby Leyland liner Californian sent word that it had stopped after becoming surrounded by ice. Phillips, who was handling passenger messages, scolded the Californian for interrupting him.

Two lookouts, Frederick Fleet and Reginald Lee, were stationed in the crow’s nest of the Titanic . Their task was made difficult by the fact that the ocean was unusually calm that night: because there would be little water breaking at its base, an iceberg would be more difficult to spot. In addition, the crow’s nest’s binoculars were missing. At approximately 11:40 pm , about 400 nautical miles (740 km) south of Newfoundland , Canada , an iceberg was sighted, and the bridge was notified. First Officer William Murdoch ordered both the ship “hard-a-starboard”—a maneuver that under the order system then in place would turn the ship to port (left)—and the engines reversed. The Titanic began to turn, but it was too close to avoid a collision. The ship’s starboard side scraped along the iceberg. At least five of its supposedly watertight compartments toward the bow were ruptured.

After assessing the damage, Andrews determined that, as the ship’s forward compartments filled with water, its bow would drop deeper into the ocean, causing water from the ruptured compartments to spill over into each succeeding compartment, thereby sealing the ship’s fate. The Titanic would founder. (By reversing the engines, Murdoch actually caused the Titanic to turn slower than if it had been moving at its original speed. Most experts believe the ship would have survived if it had hit the iceberg head-on.)

Smith ordered Phillips to begin sending distress signals , one of which reached the Carpathia at approximately 12:20 am on April 15, and the Cunard ship immediately headed toward the stricken liner. However, the Carpathia was some 58 nautical miles (107 km) away when it received the signal, and it would take more than three hours to reach the Titanic . Other ships also responded, including the Olympic , but all were too far away. A vessel was spotted nearby, but the Titanic was unable to contact it. The Californian was also in the vicinity, but its wireless had been turned off for the night.

As attempts were made to contact nearby vessels, the lifeboats began to be launched, with orders of women and children first. Although the Titanic ’s number of lifeboats exceeded that required by the British Board of Trade, its 20 boats could carry only 1,178 people, far short of the total number of passengers. This problem was exacerbated by lifeboats being launched well below capacity, because crewmen worried that the davits would not be able to support the weight of a fully loaded boat. (The Titanic had canceled its scheduled lifeboat drill earlier in the day, and the crew was unaware that the davits had been tested in Belfast .) Lifeboat number 7, which was the first to leave the Titanic , held only about 27 people, though it had space for 65. In the end, only 705 people would be rescued in lifeboats.

As passengers waited to enter lifeboats, they were entertained by the Titanic ’s musicians, who initially played in the first-class lounge before eventually moving to the ship’s deck. Sources differ on how long they performed, some reporting that it was until shortly before the ship sank. Speculation also surrounded the last song they performed—likely either Autumn or Nearer My God to Thee . None of the musicians survived the sinking.

By 1:00 am water was seen at the base (E deck) of the Grand Staircase. Amid the growing panic, several male passengers tried to board lifeboat number 14, causing Fifth Officer Harold Lowe to fire his gun three times. Around this time, Phillips’s distress calls reflected a growing desperation as one noted that the ship “cannot last much longer.”

As the Titanic ’s bow continued to sink, the stern began to rise out of the water, placing incredible strain on the midsection. At about 2:00 am the stern’s propellers were clearly visible above the water, and the only lifeboats that remained on the ship were three collapsible boats. Smith released the crew, saying that “it’s every man for himself.” (He was reportedly last seen in the bridge, and his body was never found.)

At approximately 2:18 am the lights on the Titanic went out. It then broke in two, with the bow going underwater. Reports later speculated that it took some six minutes for that section, likely traveling at approximately 30 miles (48 km) per hour, to reach the ocean bottom. The stern momentarily settled back in the water before rising again, eventually becoming vertical. It briefly remained in that position before beginning its final plunge. At 2:20 am the ship foundered as the stern also disappeared beneath the Atlantic . Water pressure allegedly caused that section, which still had air inside, to implode as it sank.

Hundreds of passengers and crew went into the icy water. Fearful of being swamped, those in the lifeboats delayed returning to pick up survivors. By the time they rowed back, almost all the people in the water had died from exposure. In the end, more than 1,500 perished . Aside from the crew, which had about 700 fatalities, third class suffered the greatest loss: of approximately 710, only some 174 survived. (Subsequent claims that passengers in steerage were prevented from boarding boats, however, were largely dispelled. Given Smith’s failure to sound a general alarm, some third-class passengers did not realize the direness of the situation until it was too late. Many women also refused to leave their husbands and sons, while the difficulty of simply navigating the complex Titanic from the lower levels caused some to reach the top deck after most of the lifeboats had been launched.)

Read our timeline of the Titanic ’s final hours.

The Carpathia arrived in the area at approximately 3:30 am , more than an hour after the Titanic sank. Lifeboat number 2 was the first to reach the liner. Over the next several hours the Carpathia picked up all survivors. White Star chairman Ismay wrote a message to be sent to the White Star Line’s offices: “Deeply regret advise you Titanic sank this morning fifteenth after collision iceberg, resulting serious loss life; further particulars later.” At approximately 8:30 am the Californian arrived, having heard the news some three hours earlier. Shortly before 9:00 am the Carpathia headed for New York City, where it arrived to massive crowds on April 18.

Photo Essay: Titanic Sights in the Washington, D.C. Area

By Daniel Piazza , Philatelic Curator

In addition to visiting the Smithsonian National Postal Museum’s new exhibit, "Fire & Ice: Hindenburg and Titanic ," opening March 22 , plan your trip to include these other Titanic -related sights in Washington, D.C.

A life vest from an unknown survivor of the Titanic disaster and a camera used by Carpathia passenger Bernice Palmer Ellis to photograph the rescue of Titanic’s survivors are on view in this exhibition. Photo Courtesy National Museum of American History

A committee of wealthy American women, including First Lady Helen Taft, raised $60,000 for a Washington, D.C., Titanic memorial “in honor of those men who died that women and children might live.” Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney sculpted the memorial.

The monument in its original location at New Hampshire Avenue and Rock Creek Parkway, NW. Later it was moved to make way for the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts and re-erected at its present location, Fourth and P Streets, SW, farther up the Potomac River. Photos Courtesy Library of Congress

Archibald Butt and artist Frank D. Millet had been leading figures in Washington, D.C., social circles prior to their deaths in the Titanic disaster. Their friends erected this memorial fountain (once used by U.S. Park Police horses) in the Ellipse on the south side of the White House. Photo by Cheryl Ganz

Senator William Alden Smith of Michigan convened a U.S. Senate hearing into the Titanic disaster barely twelve hours after the rescue ship Carpathia’s arrival in New York. The hearings began at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, and then moved to the brand-new Caucus Room of the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C. The Pearl Harbor, Army-McCarthy, Watergate, and Iran-Contra hearings were held here, too. Photo Courtesy Architect of the Capitol

The Uzbekistani Embassy was constructed in 1909 as a private residence for Washington banker and businessman Clarence Moore, who died in the Titanic disaster while returning from a vacation and dog-buying trip in England. He and fellow Washingtonian, Major Butt, were playing cards together in the first class smoking room when the ship struck the iceberg. The Canadian government bought Moore’s mansion to house its legation in 1927; Queen Elizabeth II and President Eisenhower dined together here in 1959. Photo Courtesy Library of Congress

Candee—a writer, interior decorator, and trustee of the Corcoran Gallery—was hurrying home on Titanic to see her son, who had been injured in an automobile accident. She escaped in Lifeboat #6 with Margaret Tobin (“Molly”) Brown and twenty-one others. Her account of the sinking, “Sealed Orders,” appeared in Collier’s Weekly on May 4, 1912. Candee died in 1949 at the age of 90; her former home is now owned by a non-profit organization. Photo Courtesy Library of Congress

A veteran of the Spanish-American War and occupation of Cuba, Colonel Butt, pictured here in 1910 at the rank of captain, served as President William Taft’s military aide. After an extended European vacation, he booked a first class passage aboard the Titanic . Another memorial to Butt is located in the Washington National Cathedral at 3101 Wisconsin Avenue NW. Look for it on the wall of the gift shop. Photos Courtesy Library of Congress

About the Author Daniel A. Piazza, Curator of Philately, collects and writes about the stamps and postal history of the U.S. during the Bureau period (1894-1978) as well as the Italian peninsula. He sits on the board of governors of the Vatican Philatelic Society and edits its journal, Vatican Notes. His other national memberships include the American Philatelic Society, American Philatelic Research Library, American First Day Cover Society, and Writers Unit #30. Locally, he belongs to both the Washington Stamp Collectors Club and the Baltimore Philatelic Society. In addition to his philatelic activities, Piazza is an academic historian specializing in U.S. History to 1760. He holds degrees in the subject from Wagner College (B.A., 1998) and Syracuse University (M.A., 2004) and has completed the coursework for his Ph.D.