These fascinating facts unveil many perspectives of the Titanic, a ship known across the world.
The Titanic has become a topic of great interest over the years through memorials, museums, movies, and wreckage dives.
If you thought you knew everything about the ship once deemed “practically unsinkable,” then look at these 100 incredible facts, which will blow your mind.
The Titanic’s legacy today – interesting information
- There are now Titanic museums and experiences in Ireland and all over the world, perhaps the most famous of which are the Titanic Museum Belfast, Titanic Experience Cobh, and The Titanic Museum Attraction in Missouri, USA.
- 1,517 died when the Titanic sank. This means there were 705 survivors out of 2,208 people on board. However, according to information in the Titanic Museum Belfast, the exact number could never really be known.
- Millvina Dean was the youngest passenger on board the Titanic in 1912 and the last-living survivor. She passed away in May 2009 at 97 years old.
- To this day, there are many commonly believed myths and legends surrounding the Titanic.
- The disaster has inspired numerous movies, including the 1997 blockbuster hit starring Leonard DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, as well as books, plays, and more.
- There are now companies that offer tours of the wreckage of the Titanic, 12,500 ft (3,800 m) below sea level. In June 2023, one OceanGate submersible imploded, killing all five passengers on its way down to the wreck.
100. The largest ship – small compared to today’s ships
The Titanic was the world’s largest ship afloat at its launch, measuring 2,691m (882ft).
99. Construction − a two-year build
Construction began in 1909 and finished in 1911, taking over 26 months (about two years) to build.
98. Cost − a big budget for its time
Believe it or not, the cost to build The Titanic was around $7.5 million, almost $190 million in today’s money.
97. Shipyard − Belfast born
If you didn’t already know, one of the most interesting facts about The Titanic is that it was built at the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast.
96. Facilities − the lap of luxury
The Titanic was a luxurious ship and featured a host of amenities onboard, such as a barber shop, gymnasium, a squash court, a Turkish bath and ten decks.
95. Unsinkable − not quite what was said
While many believe that The Titanic was deemed “unsinkable”, the truth is that the ship was deemed “practically unsinkable” by those who built the ship.
94. First swimming pool − an upgrade for ocean liners
While it has many great luxuries, one of the most interesting facts about the Titanic is that it featured the first-ever swimming pool onboard a ship.
93. Lifeboats − an overlooked factor
The “practically unsinkable” ship only had enough lifeboats to save half of the people on board, and it carried 2,224 passengers on crew on its maiden voyage.
92. RMS Titanic − Royal Mail Steamer
Did you ever wonder why it was called the RMS Titanic? The ship carried mail, and the RMS stood for Royal Mail Steamer.
91. Third Class cabins − good but not great
The cheaper third-class cabins onboard The Titanic were of a much better standard than those of other liners at the time.
90. Sister ships − Olympic and Brittanic
The Titanic had two sister ships, Olympic, which launched in 1910 and Britannic in 1914.
89. Wreck Site − a discovery of 1985
A joint French/USA expedition discovered the Titanic wreck site, almost 4km (2.5 miles) below the Atlantic Ocean.
88. Iceberg warnings − it wasn’t taken seriously
One of the craziest facts about The Titanic is that the ship received several iceberg warnings before its fatal collision.
87. RMS Carpathia − to the rescue
The RMS Carpathia picked up the first lifeboat from The Titanic when disaster struck, saving over 700 lives.
86. Death toll − a staggering number
It is said that 1517 people perished when The Titanic sank in the Atlantic, while 705 survived.
85. Titanic Museums − where the tragedy is told
There is a famous Titanic Museum in Belfast and The Titanic Experience in Cork, where it last docked before it sank.
84. Last-living survivor – a two-month-old passenger
Millvina Dean was the youngest passenger on board The Titanic and became the last living survivor, having passed away at age 97 in 2009.
83. Submarine tours – a tragic event of 2023
Believe it or not, one of the craziest facts about The Titanic is that tour companies are taking passengers to the wreckage, and in June 2023, a submarine sent by Ocean Gate imploded, killing all five onboard.
82. Fake funnels − purely aesthetic
Did you know that one of the four funnels on The Titanic was fake and was installed purely for aesthetic reasons? It was turned into a ventilation shaft for the onboard kitchen.
81. Titanic Museum Belfast − a fascinating fact
A fascinating fact about The Titanic Museum in Belfast is that the museum’s capacity is the same as the ship would have had, which is 3,547 people/passengers.
80. A book may have predicted the disaster − the wreck of the Titanic
Crazy enough, fourteen years before the sinking of The Titanic, a book by Morgan Roberston told the fictional story of an ocean liner which collided with an iceberg. Eeerie or coincidental?
79. Unknown passengers − a tragic situation
Some of the ship’s passengers who perished in the sinking remain unknown, and many unidentified bodies have been buried in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
78. A drunk survivor − survival by whiskey
One man, Charles Joughin, survived the sinking by drinking all the whiskey he could find, to prepare for the cold water.
77. The famous violin − an icon of the sinking
The violin, made famous by Wallace Hartley, was found in a woman’s attic, despite many thinking it had been lost at sea for years.
76. Interior inspiration − five-star luxury
The Titanic was so luxurious and aesthetically pleasing because designers took inspiration from The Ritz Hotel.
75. The Dorothy Gibson movie − it was a flop
Actress Dorothy Gibson, who survived the sinking, starred in a movie called Saved from The Titanic, released just one month after the disaster.
74. Third-Class passengers − two baths to share
One of the craziest facts about The Titanic is that the third-class passengers had to share two bathtubs onboard the ship. The 700-1000 people had better comforts than other ships, but it was still tough.
73. The musicians − a legacy of heroes
The onboard musicians played music until the very end of the disaster to calm the people.
This act deemed them heroes during a fatal event. As such, the depiction of this in the 1997 movie was accurate.
72. The lookouts − the naked eye
One startling thing to know is that the ship’s lookouts had to rely solely on their eyesight since the key to the cabinet where the binoculars were held could not be found.
71. The cabinet key − binoculars were crucial
One of the craziest things is that the key to the cabinet in which the binoculars were kept was sold for $130,000, and this key could well have been the reason for the disaster in the first place.
70. Disaster from the start − death from construction
Even during the ship’s construction in Belfast, eight people died, which led theorists to wonder if the ship was doomed from the beginning.
69. The richest man − on his honeymoon
John Jacob Astor was the wealthiest man aboard The Titanic, and at the time of his death, it was said that he was the wealthiest man in the world.
68. Newspaper headlines − British newspapers gave false hope
Did you know that some of the first newspapers in the UK to report on the sinking gave families false hope by stating that no lives were lost, while American newspapers were more accurate?
67. Women and children − a cunning escape
As many of us have heard, lifeboats prioritised women and children first when The Titanic sank, but did you know that many men dressed up as women to try and make their great escape?
66. The heroic engineers − stayed until the end
The Titanics lights didn’t go out until the very end because all the ship’s engineers remained onboard to keep the ship lit up.
They also kept the radio running to send distress signals. All members of the engineering staff perished.
65. A double survivor − lucky or unlucky?
One of the survivors of The Titanic, stewardess and nurse Violet Jessop, not only survived The Titanic, but she went on to survive the sinking of The Brittanica in 1916.
64. The Titanic orphans – kidnapped by their father
Amidst a tumultuous relationship with his wife, Michel Navratil took his two sons aboard the Titanic under false names without the knowledge of their mother.
The Navratil Brothers were the only two children from the ship to have been rescued without parents or guardians.
63. The Guggenheim quote − dressed in his best
The “We are dressed in our best and are prepared to go down as gentlemen” quote by Benjamin Guggenheim in the Titanic movie was not purely for cinematic purposes; it was true.
62. Honeymoon couples − a cause for celebration
While many escaped to the New World to start a better life, at least 13 couples celebrated their honeymoon onboard.
61. The 1997 hit movie − a considerable budget
The cost to produce the hit movie Titanic, created in 1997, was more than the cost to build the real-life ship.
60. SS California − a missed opportunity
Believe it or not, the SS California had to chance to rescue passengers since it was close to The Titanic, but due to many bad judgements, including the radio being shut off.
59. 73 years − discovered in 1985
Yes, this is how many years it took for the world’s largest ship to be found after it had sunk to the bottom of the Atlantic.
58. The wreck’s vanishing − a newfound bacteria
It is astonishing to know that scientists predict that the entire wreck from The Titanic could vanish by 2030, thanks to bacteria eating it away.
57. An appalling tragedy − death by class
Of all the deaths from this Atlantic disaster, only four were women from the first class, while 89 third-class women and 387 third-class men perished.
56. Unknown child − Sidney Leslie Goodwin
Of the 300 recovered bodies, one that became known as Unknown Child was buried in Halifax, Canada, and wasn’t identified until 100 years later as Sidney Leslie Goodwin.
55. Japanese survivor − a coward in Japan
One of the craziest facts about the Titanic is that Masabumi Hosono, the only Japanese person onboard, survived, yet he was hailed a coward in Japan for not going down with the ship.
54. The last drill − it could have changed everything
On 14 April 1912, The Titanic was due to have its usual lifeboat drill, as it did every Sunday up until then, yet it was cancelled by the captain for reasons unknown.
53. The ‘just missed it’ club – the lucky few
These lucky passengers deemed the ‘Just missed it Club’ had bought tickets and never boarded, including Milton Hersheys, who founded Hershey’s Chocolate.
52. The captain − his last journey at sea
Interestingly, Captain Smith was due to retire after this journey, yet he died aboard the ship.
51. Chinese passengers – The Six
Known as “The Six”, Chinese passengers taken to the US were denied entry due to an anti-immigration act and were sent to Cuba on another ship.
50. Onboard newspaper − keeping the guests informed
The ship’s newspaper, The Atlantic Bulletin, was printed daily.
49. Lifeboat 7 − a shocking statistic
The first lifeboat to be launched from the Titanic was Lifeboat 7, which left the ship with only 28 people on board, despite having a capacity of 65.
48. Essential snacks – a crucial piece of information
The lifeboats on the Titanic were equipped with tins of crackers and water, but the survivors did not know about them.
47. Titanic dogs – furry passengers onboard
Of the twelve dogs onboard the ship, only two survived.
46. Titanic 2 – will it or will it not?
Surprisingly, an Australian billionaire is building a Titanic replica due to set sail in the coming years.
45. Morse code − a form of communication
The Titanic’s wireless operators transmitted and received messages using Morse code, a standard communication method.
44. Deaths − icy waters
After the Titanic sank, most people died of cardiac arrest within 15–30 minutes.
43. The culprit – a floating disaster
The iceberg that sank the Titanic came from a glacier in Greenland.
42. Warnings − one of the most interesting facts
During the four-day journey, the Titanic received six Iceberg warnings.
41. The Millionaires Captain – a well-known man
Captain Edward John Smith was well known amongst celebrities and was called ‘The Millionaires Captain’.
40. A little help − a crazy fact
The Titanic was so giant it needed 20 tons of lubricant to be launched.
39. £7 meals − third class offerings
A £7 meal ticket for third class got you hearty offerings of meat, potatoes, vegetables and dessert.
38. Atlantic icebergs – an unlucky time
In April 1912, ocean liners encountered more icebergs than expected in the North Atlantic.
37. Onboard fun – an unbelievable situation
Believe it or not, an iceball formed from the iceberg was used to play football since passengers were not concerned about the collision until much later.
36. Royal Mail – RMS Titanic
The cruise liner carried as many as nine million pieces of mail for delivery to New York.
35. British inquiry witness – an investigation
Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton testified at the British government’s inquiry into the sinking.
34. Footage of the wreck – taken by a robot
When discovered, over 60,000 photos and hours of video were captured from the wreckage.
33. Light bulbs – an incredible number
Astonishingly, there were at least 10,000 light bulbs used on The Titanic.
32. Drinking water onboard – keeping guests hydrated
Passengers consumed 14,000 gallons (about 52995.74 L) of drinking water per 24 hours.
31. Tough escape – a tragic situation
Third-class passengers had obstacles when trying to escape, such as locked gates, which caused chaos.
30. Lack of knowledge – no safety briefings
Neither the crew nor the passengers had any safety briefing before setting sail, causing havoc upon evacuation.
29. No speed reduction – an astonishing fact
Despite being in an area known for icebergs, the ship’s speed was not reduced when it should have been.
28. Captain Arthur Rostron – a well-deserved award
The Carpathia’s captain, Arthur Rostron, was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal by the United States Congress for his efforts in rescuing the Titanic survivors.
27. Titanic 1997 – the most famous Titanic movie
The Titanic movie, directed by James Cameron, was released in 1997 and became a massive hit, winning 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
26. Love story – a heartfelt moment
Macey’s owners, Ida and Isidor Straus, perished together when Ida refused to leave without her husband and gave her place on the lifeboat to her maid.
25. New York – an emotional welcome
Upon Carpathia’s arrival in New York, 40,000 people came to meet the 700-plus survivors.
24. The speed − 23 knots per hour
Twenty-three knots are equivalent to about 42 km (26 mph). Today, the average cruise ship’s speed is 20 knots, and Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas has a top speed of 25 knots.
23. The goods − a staggering number
There were 20,000 bottles of beer, 1,500 bottles of wine and 8,000 cigars onboard, all of which were available for first-class patrons.
22. The damage – it was overlooked
While the captain thought he had grazed the iceberg, it caused a 300-foot hole in the hull of the boat
21. Lifeboat numbers − one of the biggest problems
The Titanic could carry 64 lifeboats, but it only carried 20 instead.
20. The crew − a predominantly male crew
Only 23 of the 908 crew onboard The Titanic were female.
19. The lunch menu − a valuable keepsake
The original last first-class lunch menu from The Titanic was bought for $88,000 in 2015.
18. An incredible size – hard to believe
The ship’s main anchor weighed 16 tonnes, and twenty horses were needed to transport it for two miles.
17. The launch – a gripping audience
One hundred thousand people watched the ship launch on 31 May 1911, when it first entered the water.
16. Too late – a big mistake
The first lifeboat was released over an hour after the Titanic hit the iceberg.
15. The search − a secret mission
Robert Ballard admitted that the search for The Titanic was a cover during a secret Cold War Navy mission.
14. Artefacts − an astonishing number
Over 5,500 artefacts were recovered from the Titanic wreck site.
13. New rules − a cause for change
After the Titanic sank, the first International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea was held in 1913.
12. Expensive losses − valuable artefacts beneath the sea
The most expensive item of cargo that went down with the Titanic was a painting called La Circassienne au Bain by Merry-Joseph Blondel.
11. Statistics − shocking figures
Around 97% of the 144 female first-class passengers were rescued, while 32.57% of their 175 male counterparts were saved.
10. A woman and her dog − a sinking sacrifice
Ann Elizabeth Isham reportedly jumped out of a lifeboat once she realised she couldn’t take her Great Dane.
While her body was never recovered, there were reports of seeing a woman floating in the water with her arms wrapped around a large dog.
9. The collision − it was too late
It’s reported that only 37 seconds passed from the time the iceberg was spotted until the ship collided with the iceberg.
8. Freezing temperatures − an unthinkable death
A ship which was close by measured the water’s temperature, which was roughly freezing at 28 degrees Fahrenheit at night – a temperature capable of freezing human organs in under 45 minutes
7. Distress signal − SOS
One of the biggest myths and legends about the Titanic is that it was the first ship to use the SOS distress signal because of the sinking. However, it was actually the fourth ship to use it, which replaced the CQD distress signal.
6. The lifeboats − not filled to capacity
As we know, there were not enough lifeboats for everyone, but the lifeboats that were filled were shockingly not filled.
5. The wreckage – an attraction
The wreck of the Titanic was visited by humans for the first time in 2000 when a team of divers descended to the site in a specially designed submersible.
4. The last supper − only the best
The last dinner served onboard was a ten-course meal to the first-class passengers with all the finest gourmet dishes.
3. The sinking − a quick disaster
Believe it or not, the sinking of the world’s largest ship at the time took just three hours and broke into two parts on the way down.
2. The weight − a huge vessel of its time
The Titanic weighed over 46,000 tons, and it is no surprise that the ship utilised around 825 tons of coal daily, which powered its boiler, enabling the Titanic to propel itself into the sea.
1. Poor design − its biggest failure
As well as having non-airtight bulkheads, the ship’s steel fell brittle to the catastrophe and caused the ship to sink 24 times faster than expected.
So, there you have 100 crazy and interesting facts about The Titanic; which surprised you most?
Your questions answered about the Titanic
If you still have questions, we have you covered! In this section, we’ve compiled some of our readers’ most frequently asked questions and popular questions that have been asked online about this topic.
How many died on the Titanic?
1,517 lives were lost with the sinking of the Titanic. However, exact numbers can never truly be known.
Did anyone in the water survive Titanic?
The figures aren’t clear on how many people were rescued from the water, but suggestions range between 40 and 80.
Are there still Titanic survivors alive?
No. The last-surviving passenger of the vessel, Millvina Dean, died aged 97 in May 2009.
MORE IB4UD ARTICLES ON THE TITANIC:
10 most commonly believed myths and legends about the Titanic
10 mistakes that caused the sinking of the Titanic
