Karl Johan Johansson was born 9 September 1880 in the Dome parish of Gothenburg, Gothenburgs and Bohus County, Sweden. His parents were Johan Niklas, a seaman born 28 September 1852 at Myckleby, Lunna, Orust, and Karolina (née Petersdotter; b. 24 January 1859 at Bokenäs, Göteborgs and Bohus County) Olsson. His parents had married 5 October 1880, i. e. a month after Karl's birth.   His siblings were Davida Nicolina, b. 15 October 1883, d. 1890, Albin Reinhold, b. 20 January 1885, d. 1886, Paula Sabina, b. 12 September 1888, d. 1890, Axel Leonard, b. 16 March 1891, Davida Serafia, b. 18 January 1894, and Fritz Torvald, b. 23 March 1899.  They lived at Iretorpet, Skörbo, Myckleby, Lunna, Orust.

Karl Johan Johansson had emigrated to USA (probably Duluth, Minnesota), in April 1903, where he had become a stucco worker.

He returned to Orust, Sweden in 1911 and was engaged with his childhood friend and sweetheart Berta Elizabeth Olsson from Hällebord in Myckleby parish. They were meant to travel in the autumn of 1912 but his friends Oscar Olsson and Samuel Niklasson persuaded him to make the trip earlier instead. It was decided that Berta should follow on Olympic in the autumn as originally planned.

Johansson boarded the Titanic with his friends at Southampton. He died in the sinking, his body, if recovered, was never identified.

As for so many others, Berta's live was shattered by the announcement of her fiancé's death. She later married a widower and they moved to her parents home in Hällebord, where she died in 1948. Karl Johan's father Johan later had two pictures of Titanic and Olympic hanging over his bed with a portrait of his son hanging between them.

The Mansion House Fund paid 875.52 Kr (£48) to the parents. 1826 Kr (£100) damage claims paid to parents, 22 August 1914.