Titanic Quiz

The RMS Titanic was a British ocean liner that sank on April 15, 1912, after striking an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean during its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City. Of the estimated 2,224 passengers and crew aboard, more than 1,500 died - One of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history. The tragedy has fascinated the world for over a century, inspiring books, films, exhibitions, and ongoing deep-sea exploration of the wreck.

The Ship and the Disaster

The Titanic was operated by the White Star Line and was one of three Olympic-class ocean liners. At the time of her launch in 1911, she was the largest ship ever built - 882 feet long and 46,328 gross tons. The ship was considered virtually unsinkable due to her compartmentalized hull, but the iceberg opened a 300-foot gash along the starboard side, flooding six of her 16 compartments. The ship sank in approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes. There were not enough lifeboats for all passengers - The ship carried 20 lifeboats with capacity for 1,178 people. Maritime history includes many disasters that prompted major safety reforms.

James Cameron's Titanic (1997) starred Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson and Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater in a fictional love story set against the historical disaster. The film won 11 Academy Awards (including Best Picture and Best Director) and grossed over $2.2 billion, becoming the first film to reach that milestone. The wreck was discovered in 1985 by explorer Robert Ballard, lying in two pieces at 12,500 feet below the ocean's surface. James Cameron's films - Titanic and Avatar - Have each held the record for highest-grossing film in history.