The Sinking of the Titanic

The ship was supposed to be “unsinkable.” But on April 14, 1912, the unthinkable happened: The world’s largest and most luxurious ocean liner—Titanic—struck an iceberg in frigid waters in the dark of night.

What happened next seemed unbelievable to people at the time. In approximately two-and-a-half hours, the celebrated ship flooded with water, cracked in half, and sank miles to the ocean floor below.

Of the 2,200 passengers and crew onboard, only 705 survived. The rest suffered a terrifying and cold death in the Atlantic. Observers around the world were horrified and saddened by the tragedy, and many wanted answers.

What caused this incredible disaster to happen, and why did so many people have to die?

This work includes information about the steamship, from her building and construction, her crew and passengers, and her fate with an iceberg, to the effect this tragedy had on the shipping industry and the world.