History & Culture
Titanic Disaster
The Titanic disaster was the 1912 sinking of a passenger liner after it struck an iceberg during its maiden Atlantic voyage.
The Titanic disaster was the sinking of the British passenger liner RMS Titanic during its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. The ship struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic late on April 14, 1912, and sank in the early hours of April 15. More than 2,200 passengers and crew were aboard, and approximately 1,500 people died.
Titanic carried 20 lifeboats with space for about 1,178 people, far fewer than the number aboard. The Cunard liner Carpathia rescued 706 survivors from lifeboats. Investigations by the United States Senate and the British government examined the collision, ice warnings, lifeboat capacity, evacuation, and emergency response, helping drive later maritime safety reforms.
Quick facts
- Titanic departed Southampton on April 10, 1912, on its maiden voyage to New York.
- The ship struck an iceberg at about 11:40 p.m. on April 14 and sank less than three hours later.
- More than 2,200 passengers and crew were aboard, and approximately 1,500 people died.
- Titanic carried 20 lifeboats with a combined capacity of about 1,178 people.
- Carpathia rescued 706 survivors from Titanic's lifeboats on April 15, 1912.
A surprising fact
The wreck was not located until September 1, 1985, when an American-French expedition found it beneath more than 12,400 feet of water.