The RMS Titanic, pride of the White Star Line. Launched in 1911 and ready for passengers in 1912, the ship was the largest ever to set sail. With every amenity known to man on board, the ship was a wonder to behold.
Designed to be the largest and most opulent, the Titanic was not nearly as fast as the Cunard competitors. Built by Harland and Wolff in Belfast, Ireland, the Titanic and her sister ship RMS Olympic were completed and destined to become the largest and most elegant transatlantic ocean liners.
On April 14, 1912 at 11:40 PM, on the fourth day of the maiden voyage the ship hit an iceberg that critically damaged the luxury liner. By 2:20 AM on April 15, 1912 the RMS Titanic had completely slipped beneath the water and sank. The loss of life was unprecedented with 1,514 people perishing in the icy waters that night. Of the 1,514 souls lost, 1,352 men, 109 women, and 53 children perished in the greatest maritime disaster to date.
Discovered in 1985 by Dr. Robert Ballard, the quest to find Titanic was finally over.
origins of grandeur on the sea
Initially conceived over dinner and drinks one evening in 1907 between J. Bruce Ismay, then chairman of the White Star LIne, and Lord Pirrie of Harland and Wolff. J.P. Morgan, who controlled the International Mercantile Company, the parent company of White Star, supported the venture. The Titanic and her two sister ship were envisioned to be the largest and most luxurious passenger liners to ever grace the sea. Running seemingly non-stop service between Southhampton, Liverpool, and New York, The White Star Line would become the most powerful shipping line in history.
Shortly after, the trio of ships began to take shape. The first two ships, the Olympic and Titanic were designed and built side by side in Belfast by Harland and Wolff shipyards. Taking nearly two years to complete,
Design of a Colossus
Designed with no expense to be spared, the Titanic had many amenities on previously available on ships. With three classes of passengers to work around, the Titanic's designers ensured that all three levels of passengers had unsurpassed luxuries. From a pool and sauna for the first class passengers to plumbing features within second class staterooms and even single family third class berths, the ship was aptly named the ship of wonder.
The largest vessel by both length, width, and tonnage, Titanic lived up to the name. Powered by coal, the boilers were located at the bottom of the ship. Moving to the rear were two reciprocating engines of immense power. Steam from the boilers powered these engines and then passed through to a turbine powering the center and smaller propeller. The ship also utilized several electric generators that surpassed most power generating facilities around the world at the time. The Titanic was not only a luxurious ship, but one of technological superiority of the time.
Tragedy on the Sea
After leaving Queenstown in April of 1912, the Titanic embarked on her maiden voyage. With all the pomp and circumstance afforded to these luxury liners, the voyage began with great fanfare.
All seemed to be going according to plan, until the radio operator began receiving more ominous ice warnings from other liners.
On the night of April 14, 1912 as the Titanic was steaming 370 miles southeast of Newfoundland in the North Atlantic, disaster struck. The collision with the iceberg cased too much damage for the watertight compartments and emergency pumps to handle. In less than three hours, the ship would be underwater standing its passengers in scattered lifeboats and in the freezing water. by the time help arrived the next morning by the RMS Carpathia, a Cunard liner in the area, many of the passengers had already frozen to death.
As a result of the tragedy, many maritime laws that were adopted are still in use today.
The Titanic wreck can be found at the following coordinates: 41°43′32″N 49°56′49″W visit the Shipwrecks page on greatoceanliners.com to see the location on a map.
RMS Titanic Ship Facts
Tonnage:
46,329
Length:
882' - 9"
Beam:
92' - 6"
Draft:
34' - 7"
Number of Decks:
10
Cruising Speed:
21 Knots (24 mph or 39 km/hr)
Max Speed:
23 Knots (28mph or 44km/h)
Line:
Shipyard:
Port of Registry:
Liverpool
Maiden Voyage:
April 10, 1912
Years in Service:
1912
Current Status:
Shipwreck in the North Atlantic
RMS Titanic
RMS Titanic Frequently Asked Questions
What was the RMS Titanic?
The RMS Titanic was a British passenger liner owned by the White Star Line, built by Harland and Wolff in Belfast. She was the second of three Olympic-class ships, after the Olympic and before the Britannic. At 46,329 gross tons she was the largest ship in the world when she entered service.
When was the Titanic built and launched?
The Titanic was launched on 31 May 1911 at Belfast and completed in March 1912. Sea trials took place on 2 April 1912. She left Southampton on her maiden voyage on 10 April 1912.
How big was the Titanic?
She was 882 ft 9 in (269.1 m) long, with a beam of 92 ft 6 in (28.2 m) and a gross tonnage of 46,329. She had four funnels, but only three were functional; the fourth was a dummy that added ventilation and balance to her profile.
How fast was the Titanic?
Her service speed was about 21 knots (24 mph, 39 km/h). Her estimated top speed was 23 to 24 knots. Her power came from two triple-expansion steam engines plus a low-pressure turbine, producing about 46,000 horsepower in total.
How many people could the Titanic carry?
She could carry roughly 2,400 passengers across First, Second and Third Class, plus a crew of about 900. About 2,200 people were aboard on the night she sank. Sources give slightly different capacity figures.
What route was the Titanic taking?
She was sailing from Southampton to New York City, with calls at Cherbourg, France, and Queenstown (now Cobh), Ireland. She left Southampton on 10 April 1912.
How did the Titanic sink?
She struck an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. on 14 April 1912, about 370 miles southeast of Newfoundland. The glancing blow opened six of her sixteen watertight compartments to the sea. She was designed to stay afloat with four flooded. She broke apart and sank at 2:20 a.m. on 15 April, about two hours and forty minutes after the collision.
How many lifeboats were on the Titanic?
There were 20 lifeboats with a capacity of 1,178 people.
How many people died on the Titanic?
About 1,500 people died. Estimates range from 1,490 to 1,635, depending on how passengers and crew are counted. About 710 survivors were rescued by the Cunard liner Carpathia.
Why were there not enough lifeboats on the Titanic?
She carried 20 lifeboats with room for 1,178 people, less than half of those aboard. The lifeboat rules of the time were based on a ship’s tonnage, not on the number of people aboard, and the Titanic met them. Many boats also left under-filled. After the disaster, inquiries recommended lifeboats for everyone aboard, and many of their recommendations were built into the 1914 international safety convention (SOLAS).
Why didn’t the Californian rescue the Titanic?
The Californian was the nearest ship, but her only wireless operator had switched off his set about ten minutes before the collision, so he missed the distress calls. Her crew saw rockets in the distance but did not act on them. The Carpathia heard the call and raced to the scene, picking up the first lifeboat around 4:10 a.m.
Where is the Titanic wreck, and who found it?
The wreck lies in the North Atlantic at a depth of about 3,800 m (12,500 ft). A joint French and American expedition led by Jean-Louis Michel (IFREMER) and Robert Ballard (Woods Hole) found it on 1 September 1985. The ship broke in two, and the bow and stern lie about 600 m apart.
What changed after the Titanic sank?
The 1914 SOLAS convention came out of the disaster, as did the International Ice Patrol, a treaty signed on 30 January 1914. Passenger ships also had to keep their radios staffed around the clock. SOLAS continues to govern maritime safety today.
Last edited: October 2026