description RMS Titanic Overview
Operated by the White Star Line, RMS Titanic was a British passenger liner and among the largest ships afloat when it began its maiden voyage. It struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic late on April 14, 1912, and sank in the early hours of April 15. Approximately 1,500 passengers and crew died. Too few lifeboats for everyone aboard contributed to the loss of life, alongside problems in their deployment and evacuation.
The disaster helped drive changes in maritime safety, including the first International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea in 1914. A joint French-American expedition discovered the wreck in 1985, with Jean-Louis Michel and Robert Ballard leading the search effort. The separated bow and stern make it a major subject for maritime archaeology. Its significance connects passenger-ship engineering with the practical limits of safety arrangements aboard an ocean liner.
help RMS Titanic FAQ
Why did Titanic sink after hitting an iceberg?
The collision opened several adjacent compartments along the starboard side to the sea. Titanic could remain afloat with a limited number flooded, but water spilled progressively over the compartment bulkheads.
Why were there not enough lifeboats for everyone aboard Titanic?
Titanic carried 20 lifeboats, enough for only about half the people aboard at full capacity. The arrangement still met the outdated British regulations then based largely on a ship's tonnage rather than its passenger capacity.
Where is the Titanic wreck now?
The wreck lies in the North Atlantic at a depth of about 3,800 meters. Robert Ballard and Jean-Louis Michel led the expedition that located it in 1985.
Did Titanic break in half before reaching the seabed?
Survivor accounts differed, but the discovered wreck confirmed that the ship separated into bow and stern sections. The two major pieces rest hundreds of meters apart within a large debris field.
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