10 Most Amazing Facts About the Titanic You Never Knew

The Titanic. The name itself conjures images of unmatched luxury, unthinkable tragedy, and an enduring fascination that transcends generations. Pretty much everyone on the planet has heard of the Titanic and her tragic story. If you didn’t learn it in school, you probably will have seen the film with Leonardo DiCaprio in it. Known as the ‘ship that couldn’t sink, it promptly went and sank on its maiden voyage. This was not only pretty darn embarrassing but also a real tragedy with many lives lost to the sea.

Behind the blockbuster movie, there’s a treasure trove of fascinating facts about the Titanic waiting to be discovered. From the opulence of its interiors to the unfortunate events that led to its sinking, every fragment of this story unfolds like an enthralling saga, captivating readers worldwide. These intriguing details give a whole new perspective to the Titanic. Additionally illuminating its historical significance and providing a deeper understanding of this tragic event.

Naturally there are many well-known Titanic facts but here are ten that you might not know:

10 – Film Made After 5-Days

One of the most high-profile survivors of the Titanic disaster was the silent film star Dorothy Gibson. A contemporary of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. She had a stellar reputation when she boarded the Titanic to sail to New York. Although many people died when the ship sank, Gibson was one of the people who survived. What did raise many eyebrows was that she made a film about the disaster a mere five days afterwards, prompting many to accuse her of exploiting the story for her own gains.

09 – Was The Captain The Right Choice?

The captain who presided over the Titanic’s fateful journey was Edward Smith. He had worked for the White Star line who owned the Titanic for 28 years and was a well-respected veteran of many voyages. What many don’t know is that he was only used to sailing steam ships and not the kind of ship that the Titanic’s was, with its fancy new technology. This lead many to believe that he was the wrong choice. And not able to handle the Titanic as needed when trouble loomed.

08 – Ships That Didn’t Help

An enduring mystery of the Titanic story is the mystery of the ships in the area who ignored their distress calls or signals. Many don’t know that the SS Californian was only about ten miles away when the Titanic sent up distress flares. It is recorded that they saw them, but the captain of the Californian did not think anything of it! This was nothing compared to the schooner Samson which was even closer and could have helped to rescue survivors. Many believe this boat was engaged in illegal seal hunting which is why it did nothing to make itself known.

07 – Dogs Were Saved

Among the human life that was saved when the Titanic sunk, not many people know that some dogs were too. It is reported that 12 dogs were registered as passengers when the ship originally sailed. Three of these were shown to be rescued from the sinking liner. This was two Pomeranians and Pekinese – it seems the owners managed to smuggle them into lifeboats to get them out.

06 – Lightoller Was The Real Hero?

Anyone who has seen the James Cameron film will see Leonardo DiCaprio’s character Jack as the hero of the hour. In real life, it was actually 2nd officer Charles Lightoller. Taking charge of an overturned life raft, he successful looked after 30 passengers and got them to safety. It is therefore no surprise to lean that he later served his country with distinction in both WWI and WWII.

05 – Conditions Were Poor

One aspect of the Titanic film that Cameron nails is the appalling conditions that the lower-class passengers had to endure. There was rampant overcrowding and not enough facilities to accommodate them all. Perhaps the worst was the bath situation. The 700 3rd class passengers had to share two baths between them, one for men and one for women. You would have to book in early when you fancied a soak, that’s for sure!

04 – Was The Titanic A Big Deal At All?

Another surprising fact is that back when it first sailed, the Titanic wasn’t that big a deal. Although the subsequent disaster has changed that now, more people were interested in sister ship The Olympic. When the Titanic sailed, no press were present and no footage was taken of her setting off. After the tragedy, news outlets needed footage to show and so used pictures taken off the Olympics voyage instead.

03 – Family Billed For Dead Relatives Expenses

The most famous legend of the Titanic is that of the on-board band refusing to leave and playing on as the ship sunk. What is not as well-known is that the family of one band member was sent a bill after his watery demise. The company that employed the band billed the dead man’s family for the cost of his band uniform that had sank with him!

02 – The Nazis Had Their Own Version Of The Story

Not many people know but the Nazis released their very own film version of the Titanic story. Called ‘Nazi Titanic’, it was shown to German audiences as part of the massive propaganda push of the time in the country. The Nazi version cast J Bruce Ismay, owner of the White Star Line, as a stupid Jew whose need for publicity made him the cause of the disaster. As you would expect, it stars a German captain as the hero who could have saved the ship. But for the interference of Ismay’s character!

01 – Missing Key Sinks Ships

It sounds crazy, but it may be one small, missing key that sank The Titanic. Shortly before the ship sailed, 2nd Officer David Blair was replaced on the crew by Henry Wilde. The problem was that Blair forgot to give Wilde the key to the cabinet that had the lookout’s binoculars inside. Only realizing after setting sail, it meant the lookouts had no access to binoculars that could have helped them see the iceberg that hit the ship in advance.

The Titanic’s story is one steeped in luxury, ambition, human error, and a heartbreaking tragedy. Every element of the ship, every survivor, every lost soul contributes to the broader narrative that forms the Titanic’s history. As you dive deeper into the fascinating facts about the Titanic, you’ll find that it’s not just about a ship that sank; it’s a complex tapestry woven from the threads of historical significance, human ambition, and poignant memories.

Delving Into the Titanic By Numbers:

Numbers can be enlightening, especially when they speak of monumental events in history. The Titanic, for instance, is not merely a tale of a grand ship that met with an unfortunate fate; it’s a narrative expressed through astonishing figures.

The Titanic, deemed ‘unsinkable’, was an unprecedented marvel of engineering at the time. It measured a massive 882 feet in length and stood 104 feet tall from its base to the top of the bridge. It weighed about 52,310 tons, and its construction used around three million rivets. Talk about magnificence!

On its ill-fated maiden voyage, the Titanic was carrying an estimated 2,224 passengers and crew. Only about 706 people survived the tragedy, making the loss of life tremendous and heartbreaking. Additionally, there were only 20 lifeboats onboard, sufficient for just half of the total passengers.

The ship was designed to be a haven of luxury, with amenities that would put modern hotels to shame. From the four grand staircases, a swimming pool, gymnasium, to a squash court, the Titanic was indeed a floating palace. It even had its own onboard newspaper – the Atlantic Daily Bulletin.

Unveiling these figures adds depth to the Titanic story. Additionally portraying the grandeur of the ship and the magnitude of the tragedy!