RMS Titanic facts: Our ultimate guide to the 1912 disaster & those who survived it

RMS Titanic facts - Ship illustration

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Titanic facts that still shock us over 100 years later

It’s been more than a century since the RMS Titanic sank into the North Atlantic, and yet it still feels fresh in the public imagination. This wasn’t just any ship — the Titanic was supposed to be the biggest, safest and most luxurious liner ever built. But just four days into her maiden voyage in April 1912, she struck an iceberg and went down, taking more than 1,500 people with her. That night changed everything, and left behind a long list of hard numbers, haunting details and unanswered questions that still fascinate people today.

When Titanic launched, she was the largest moving object ever made by humans. Measuring almost 883 feet long and standing over 175 feet tall, she was a floating city. She could carry more than 3,500 people, including both passengers and crew. For the time, the ship was packed with state-of-the-art technology, including an advanced Marconi wireless system that sent out distress calls the night she sank. Despite all that innovation, though, Titanic only carried enough lifeboats for about half the people onboard.

After Titanic sank, executives insisted the ship was unsinkable (1912)

One of the more grim Titanic facts: Of the 2,218 people on the ship, only 703 survived. First-class passengers had the highest survival rate at 62%, while third-class passengers fared the worst, with only 25% making it out alive. Women and children were more likely to survive than men, especially among the crew, where 91% of the women lived, compared to just 21% of the men. These numbers made headlines across the world and sparked debates that led to changes in maritime safety laws soon after.

Before the disaster, Titanic had received multiple iceberg warnings on April 14, but they weren’t treated with urgency. At 11:40 pm, the ship struck the iceberg, tearing a long gash below the waterline. Within minutes, water began flooding the compartments, and by 2:20 am, the ship broke apart and disappeared beneath the surface. The nearby ship Carpathiamanaged to rescue the survivors who made it into lifeboats, but for most onboard, it was too late.

5 Heroic and heartbreaking stories of people who died on the Titanic (1912)

The tragedy kicked off a flurry of reporting. Some early newspaper accounts were filled with errors, and people crowded outside White Star Line offices, desperate for information. Over time, more accurate details came out, and survivors began to tell their stories. From gripping accounts of people who stayed calm to help others, to critiques of the ship’s officers and lack of preparation, the event remains one of the most closely examined maritime disasters in history.

Below, we’ve put together a large collection of rare photos, diagrams, survivor interviews and original newspaper clippings to help tell the story of Titanic from every angle. You can explore everything from the ship’s layout and interiors to firsthand accounts of what it was like during those terrifying final hours.

Titanic facts: The ship

Length: 882 feet 9 inches
Breadth: 92 feet
Height: 175 feet (funnels to keel)
Top speed: 23 knots (approximately 26 mph)

Rooms on the Titanic:

1st class staterooms: 416
2nd class staterooms: 162
3rd class staterooms: 262
Total number of staterooms: 840


Titanic facts: Timeline of events

April 10, 1912

12pm: Titanic launches on her maiden voyage

April 14

Throughout the day: Seven iceberg warnings received

11:40 pm: Iceberg struck the Titanic on the starboard side of her bow within moments of the lookout spotting it

11:50 pm: Water had risen 14 feet in the front part of the ship

April 15

12:05 am: Lifeboats were uncovered and passengers and crew started assembling on deck

12:25 am: The Carpathia — about 58 miles away — picked up the Titanic distress calls and turned to rescue passengers

2:05 am: The last lifeboat left the ship, leaving 1,500 people still aboard the rapidly sinking ship

2:20 am: The Titanic sunk fully into the sea

4:10 am: The Carpathia arrived on the scene and began boarding passengers from the lifeboats

8:50 am: With 703 survivors on board, the Carpathia set off for New York

April 18

9:00 pm: The Carpathia docked in New York

April 22 to May 15

Ships were sent to the site of the Titanic sinking, where they recovered 328 bodies

Titanic - Oil painting
Image created by Borojoint/Deposit Photos

Titanic facts: Passengers & crew

Titanic max capacity (including passengers and crew): 3,547

Total number on maiden journey: 2,218

Maximum number of passengers Titanic could carry: 2,566

Number of Titanic passengers on board: 1,300

Adult male: 776
Adult female: 412
Children: 112

1st class: 319
2nd class: 272
3rd class (steerage): 709

Number of Titanic crew on board: 918
Male: 896
Female: 22


Titanic facts: Casualties & survivors*

Titanic passenger deaths / survivors / survival rate:

812 / 488 / 37%

Adult male: 648 / 128 / 16%
Adult female: 108 / 304 / 72%
Children: 56 / 56 / 50%

1st class: 120 / 199 / 62%
2nd class: 155 / 117 / 43%
3rd class: (steerage): 537 / 172 / 25%

Titanic crew deaths / survivors / survival rate:

703 / 215 / 23%

Male: 701 / 195 / 21%
Female: 2 / 20 / 91%

Total deaths / survivors / survival rate:

1,523 / 703 / 32%

* Source: ICYouSee

What did the Titanic look like?

Before her maiden -- and final -- voyage, there was a lot of hype about the Titanic's unprecedented size, safety and lush accommodations. Here, we have some photos and diagrams that detail her special features as a luxury liner.

First reports of the Titanic sinking

Whose fault was the Titanic disaster?

Naturally, once the final number of how many people died on the Titanic was known, the world wanted to know how this disaster happened, how it could be avoided in the future, and who was at fault.

The perils of underwater ice

How did the great "unsinkable" Titanic sink so quickly? Contemporary mariner experts offered their speculations about the weather conditions (or lack thereof) that might have played a role in the disaster.

Those who died and those who survived

In addition to heartbreaking tales of courage from some of the casualties of the Titanic's sinking, we've also gathered a collection of Titanic survivor stories.

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