100th Anniversary of Titanic Sinking

RMS Titanic Remembered

Events Around the World

Events across the world are marking the Centenary of the Titanic Sinking in the Atlantic.  The RMS Titanic was a British steamliner built by the White Star Line. For her time, she was the largest passenger steamship in the world. It employed the latest technology available at the time, and was thought to have been "unsinkable". Unfortunately, as you know, that wasn't the case.

The Titanic left Southampton, UK on April 10, 1912, with 2,200 passengers and crew onboard. This was the maiden voyage of this amazing new steamship. Four days after leaving Southampton, the Titanic collided with an iceberg and sank. Over 1500 people perished making it one of the most deadly peacetime disasters in history. The high casualty rate was later believed to be due to the insufficient number of lifeboats onboard, something that has been corrected in modern day cruise liners.

Belfast

Titanic Belfast - Opened March 31, 2012

Just in time for the Centenary of the Titanic sinking,  a large interactive exhibit, Titanic Belfast®, has opened in Northern Ireland.  It extends over nine galleries, complete with special effects, dark rides, full-scale reconstructions, and other interactive features for the visitor to explore everything about the Titanic.

Your visit starts with the conception in Belfast in the early 1900s, through her construction and launch, to her infamous maiden voyage and catastrophic demise.

The journey goes beyond the aftermath of the sinking, to the discovery of the wreck and continues into the present day with a live undersea exploration centre.  This will surely be a must-see attraction for years to come.

Harland and Wolff Shipyard - builder of the Titanic

For most of the century following the Titanic disaster, it was a taboo to mention the "T-word" in Belfast, Northern Ireland, site of the shipyard that built that ship and her two sister ships, Olympia and Britannic.  It was a reminder of the industrial failure that followed the disaster.

The cranes are silent now in the shipyard, as their focus shifted to servicing ships and marine infrastructure.  They are staying out of the spotlight on the anniversary of the Titanic.  The only involvement is sponsoring a requiem mass.  Some 16,000 people packed the Belfast slipways where the Titanic was built for a free, open-air concert Friday ahead of the 100th anniversary of the luxury liner’s sinking.

Observances in Belfast include a choral requiem at the Anglican St. Anne's Cathedral and a nationally televised concert at the city's Waterfront Hall on Saturday, where  thousands were expected to attend.

Southampton

Southampton, England was the departure port for the ill-fated Titanic.   The anniversary is being marked by an orchestra which will play composer Gavin Bryars' work "The Sinking of the Titanic".

About 600 of the Titanic's approximately 900 workers hailed from Southampton, a port city in England. More than 500 from the city died.

Maritime Museum, Southampton

The Maritime Museum, Southampton hosts a permanent exhibition featuring the story of Titanic’s crew.  Visitors can find out about the Titanic crew roles onboard and personal stories.  The Museum has collections of audio of crew member’s memories of the night Titanic struck the iceberg and the consequences for them and their families.  

At Sea in Atlantic

The MS Balmoral and Azamara Journey are enroute to the spot where Titanic sank (41°43'57"N, 49°56'49"W) where a memorial service will be held some 400 miles (640 kilometers) off the coast of Newfoundland.   Miles Morgan Travel offered two cruises, Anniversary Cruise from New York on the Journey, and  Memorial Cruise from Southampton on the Balmoral.

According to details released by Miles Morgan, at 2:20 a.m. ship's time on Sunday — 0547 GMT or 12:47 a.m. EDT — a minister will lead prayers, floral wreaths will be thrown into the sea and a shipboard band, which has been entertaining guests in the evenings during the cruise, will play "Nearer My God To Thee," the tune the Titanic's band kept up as the vessel went down.

In 1912 "ship's time" was determined by predicting when the sun would be at its highest point and making that moment midday. On some vessels the clocks were constantly updated.

It is an outdated practice but to ensure that the memorial is held at exactly the right time, the Balmoral's clocks have been put back to four hours and 27 minutes before BST. That means the ship is now effectively on Titanic time.

Halifax

Halifax, Nova Scotia, has a grim connection with the Titanic disaster.  The White Star Line chartered several ships to assist in recovery efforts following the sinking of the Titanic. Two Halifax-based ships, the MacKay-Bennett and the Minia, were part of that recovery fleet. The ships' crews recovered 328 bodies, with 209 being returned to Halifax. The badly damaged or deteriorated bodies were buried at sea. Of the 119 buried at sea, 60 were unidentified at the time and 49 remain unidentified today.

The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic has an extensive exhibit, Titanic: The Unsinkable Ship and Halifax, which was recently updated. The exhibit, recognized as the world's finest collection of wooden artifacts from the vessel, has 20 artifacts and dozens of photographs, including many that had never been published or displayed before. Two well known articles in the exhibit are the only intact Titanic deck chair and the shoes of the Titanic unknown child. Consult the museum's Research Page for more Titanic information.

Besides the exhibit at the museum, visitors to Halifax can also visit the graves of the Titanic victims buried there. 

• On April 14th, watch live webcast of
  Titanic Eve Night of the Bells
  from 9:30pm to 12:30am AST.
• On April 15, watch live webcast of
  Titanic Spiritual Ceremony
  from 3:00pm to 4:30pm AST.
• On April 14th, experience Titanic wireless messages in real time on Twitter
• Titanic events in Nova Scotia

Related Blog Articles:

Titanic's Unknown Child Identified 

Titanic: The Unsinkable Ship and Halifax

Retracing Titanic Cruise

Note:  Updated links on April 14, 2020 - some original links have been removed - since they were active only for the anniversary.  Click on the links to learn more about the Titanic.

Retracing Titanic Cruise

Titanic Memorial Cruise
Southampton
April 08, 2012

The MS Balmoral set sail Sunday from Southampton, England, loaded with 1,039 passengers, the same as the ill-fated RMS Titanic. Relatives of those who lost their lives, relatives of survivors, historians and journalists were among the passengers on this memorial cruise. Miles Morgan Travel offered two cruises, Anniversary Cruise from New York, and this one, Memorial Cruise from Southampton.

The two cruises were marketed with the slogan "Be part of a once in a life time historical event". The Memorial Cruise planned to sail past France and stop in Cobh, Ireland, before continuing it's Atlantic crossing. The captain planned to reach the Titanic's wreck site in the North Atlantic for a memorial ceremony to mark the moment the liner struck an iceberg on April 14, 100 years ago, where a memorial event will take place.

Doomed by Bad Luck?

The Memorial Cruise has had two delays thus far, and there is a feeling that it might be doomed by bad luck.  The first delay was caused by gales and 30ft waves just hours into its voyage as it crossed the Irish Sea after leaving Southampton on Sunday. After stopping in Cobh, Ireland, the MS Balmoral was heading out into the Atlantic when it had to change course back towards Ireland after BBC cameraman Timothy Rex fell 'seriously ill'. He was experiencing chest pains and it was thought he might have suffered a heart attack. Mr Rex, 56, was airlifted by coastguard to hospital when the ship reached the helicopter's range – 130 miles from land.

Passengers in Period Costumes     Courtesy AP

Reliving History

The Titanic hit an iceberg on April 14, 1912 and sank the following morning, claiming the lives of 1,517 passengers and crew.

During this historic voyage, passengers will gather for a memorial ceremony at 11.40 PM, the time the ship hit the iceberg, and again at 2.20 AM the following morning to mark the moment it sank. After visiting the wreck site, it will go to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where some of the Titanic's victims are buried, and then on to New York, the intended destination of RMS Titanic.

The Balmoral is operated by Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, whose parent company, Harland and Wolff, built the Titanic in Belfast.

World Maritime Day 2012

The World Maritime Day theme for 2012 is “IMO: One hundred years after the Titanic”, which will focus on the Organization’s roots and safety of life at sea. We had planned to write about this closer to the anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, but with the activities of this weekend in Italy, thought that it would be a good time to share the progress that has been made by the International Maritime Community since that tragic day  nearly100 years ago.  This article will highlight changes that were implemented as a result of the Titanic sinking.  Undoubtedly, there will be lessens learned from the Costa Concordia accident, and the next SOLAS Convention will perhaps recommend additional safety changes. SOLAS Convention

One of the consequences of the sinking, in 1912, of the Titanic, in which more than 1,500 people lost their lives,  was the adoption, two years later, of the first International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (the SOLAS Convention).

The 1914 version of the Convention was gradually superseded, respectively, by SOLAS 1929, SOLAS 1948, SOLAS 1960 (the first adopted under the auspices of IMO, then known as IMCO) and SOLAS 1974.  SOLAS 1974 is still in force today, amended and updated many times.

Changes since Titanic Sinking

Ice patrol    (Graphic - changes in safety since the Titanic)

In the first SOLAS 1914, after the Titanic disaster, ice patrols in the north Atlantic were set up and continue to be a SOLAS requirement. 

Speed of navigation around ice

The Commission into the Titanic ruled the loss was due to collision with an iceberg brought about by
excessive speed at which she was being navigated. Under SOLAS, when ice is reported on or near his course the master of every ship at night is bound to proceed at a moderate speed or alter course.

Public address system

There was no public address system on the Titanic and news filtered to the passengers slowly, adding to the disorder and confusion. Under SOLAS, all passenger ships must be fitted with a public address system. 

Training of crew in lifeboat drill

The crew of the Titanic lacked training in loading and lowering the lifeboats and few knew which boat they were assigned to. Lifeboats were not filled to capacity because senior officers did not know the boats had been tested and were strong enough. Under SOLAS, every crew member must participate in regular practice drills and have easy access to training manuals.

Lifeboat design

Some people died from hypothermia in the Titanic lifeboats because they were open and gave no protection against the cold. Under SOLAS, lifeboats must be fully or partially enclosed. On passenger ships, partially enclosed lifeboats can be used as they are easier to get into, but they must have a collapsible roof to fold across.

Number of lifeboats

The Titanic did not have enough lifeboats for all passengers. Under SOLAS, passenger ships must carry enough lifeboats (some of which can be substituted by life rafts for all passengers, plus life rafts for 25%.

Immersion suits

The sea temperature when the Titanic sank was below freezing point and many people died in the water from hypothermia. Under SOLAS, a specific number of immersion suits must be carried on both passenger and cargo ships, mainly for the crews of rescue boats.

Location

The land station at Cape Race, Newfoundland and ships other than the Carpathia and the Californian heard the Titanic distress call but the airwaves were crackling and the Titanic’s position was misinterpreted. With EPIRBs and global positioning systems, the position of a ship in distress can be automatically sent.

Distress watch

The Californian was less than 20 miles away but the radio officer had gone off duty when the distress messages were sent. Under SOLAS, every ship while at sea must maintain a continuous watch on the distress and safety frequencies.

Distress alert

The Titanic used radio which had a limited range of 200 nautical miles. Ships can now communicate globally via satellites.

Helicopters and rescue planes

Unavailable in 1912, helicopters and rescue planes are now used to locate, search for and rescue survivors.

Lifeboat drill

No lifeboat drill was held on the Titanic. Under SOLAS chapter III an ‘abandon ship’ and fire drill must take place weekly on all passenger ships.  (This is usually held before sailing, but must be completed within 24 hours of embarkation).

Evacuation chutes

Passengers on the Titanic jumped from windows and doorways into the lifeboats as they were lowered, often injuring themselves or other passengers New emergency evacuation chutes are both safer and quicker.


IMPROVING SAFETY AT SEA

It has always been recognized that the best way of improving safety at sea is by developing international regulations that are followed by all shipping nations and from the mid-19th century onwards a number of such treaties were adopted. Several countries proposed that a permanent international body should be established to promote maritime safety more effectively, but it was not until the establishment of the United Nations itself that these hopes were realized.  Read more about IMO's history.

Titanic's Unknown Child Identified

Shoes of Unknown Child from Titanic

Shoes Keep Mystery Alive

The RMS Titanic,a British steamliner built by the White Star Line, left Southampton, UK on April 10, 1912, with 2,200 passengers and crew onboard. This maiden voyage would be her last voyage, as it sunk in the wee hours of April 15th after hitting an iceberg.   The lives of 1,497 of the 2,209 onbaord perished making it one of the most deadly peacetime disasters in history.

Two Halifax-based ships, the MacKay-Bennett and the Minia, were part of a recovery fleet. The ships' crews recovered 328 bodies, with 209 being returned to Halifax. The badly damaged or deteriorated bodies were buried at sea. Of the 119 buried at sea, 60 were unidentified at the time and 49 remain unidentified today. 

A child, believed to have been around 2 years old at the time, was recovered by the MacKay-Bennett.   The unidentified child was buried in a Halifax cemetery where the crew of the Mackay-Bennett had a headstone dedicated to the "unknown child" placed over his grave.

An article describing the genetic analysis, that led to the final identification of the unknown child's remains, is scheduled to be published in the June 2011 issue of the journal Forensic Science International: Genetics and is already available online. 
 
According to that article, researchers say the unknown child was 19-month-old Sidney Leslie Goodwin, from England who was traveling with his parents, Frederick and Augusta, and five siblings on the ill-fated Titanic.

The shoes above, which can be seen in the Halifax Maritime Museum of the Atlantic's extensive exhibit Titanic: The Unsinkable Ship and Halifax,   played a role in keeping the quest for the child's identity alive.  Those shoes caused the researchers to question the previous identification.  The unknown child was incorrectly identified twice before, but researchers believe they have now conclusively determined the child was Goodwin

Thanks to DNA evidence, researchers are confident that they have finally identified the unknown child.   

Read the entire story on Live Science website:
Titanic's Unknown Child Given New, Final Identity

If you are interested in the history of the Titanic, be sure to visit the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic when you visit Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.   Next year marks the centennial of the sinking of the Titanic.   I'd suspect that there will be special attention called to the historic event, so be sure to stay tuned as we bring you updates.

Titanic: The Unsinkable Ship and Halifax

TITANIC - Halifax Connection

The RMS Titanic was a British steamliner built by the White Star Line. For her time, she was the largest passenger steamship in the world. It employed the latest technology available at the time and was thought to have been "unsinkable". Unfortunately, as you know, that wasn't the case.

The Titanic left Southampton, UK on April 10, 1912, with 2,200 passengers and crew onboard. This was the maiden voyage of this amazing new steamship. Four days after leaving Southampton, the Titanic collided with an iceberg and sank. Over 1500 people perished making it one of the most deadly peacetime disasters in history. The high casualty rate was later believed to be due to the insufficient number of lifeboats onboard, something that has been corrected in modern day cruise liners.

The White Star Line chartered several ships to assist in recovery efforts following the sinking of the Titanic. Two Halifax-based ships, the MacKay-Bennett and the Minia, were part of that recovery fleet. The ships' crews recovered 328 bodies, with 209 being returned to Halifax. The badly damaged or deteriorated bodies were buried at sea. Of the 119 buried at sea, 60 were unidentified at the time and 49 remain unidentified today. The last survivor of the Titanic sinking, Millvina Dean, died on May 31, 2009, at a nursing home near Southampton, England (not far from where her and her family boarded the ill-fated ship) at the age of 97.

The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic has an extensive exhibit, Titanic: The Unsinkable Ship and Halifax, which was recently updated. The exhibit has 20 artifacts and dozens of photographs, including many that had never been published or displayed before. Two well known articles in the exhibit are the only intact Titanic deck chair and the shoes of the Titanic unknown child. Consult the museum's Research Page for more Titanic information.

Besides the exhibit at the museum, visitors to Halifax can also visit the graves of the Titanic victims buried there. Read more

It is possible to walk to the Maritime Musuem from the pier. It is just along the boardwalk. There is a Visitor Information Centre right next door to the museum, where you can obtain maps and other information about local attractions. Watch our Cruise Vacations pages for more photos from our cruise.