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

RMS Titanic facts - Ship illustration

Note: This article may feature affiliate links, and purchases made may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Find out more here.

Facebook
Pinterest
Twitter
Email
LinkedIn
Pocket
Reddit

Titanic facts & the people who were there

Over 100 years have passed since the shocking — and entirely avoidable — Titanic tragedy, and many of us remain fascinated with the many details and stories leading up to the events beginning just before midnight on April 14, 1912.

Here we’ve assembled some essential Titanic facts and stats about the ship, as well as those who traveled on her doomed maiden voyage.

Scroll on to see our large (and growing!) collection of articles and interviews from the moment the news broke — and beyond.

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.

PS: If you liked this article, please share it! You can also get our free newsletter, follow us on Facebook & Pinterest. Thanks for visiting and for supporting a small business! 🤩 

Facebook
Pinterest
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

You might also like...

The fun never ends:

Comments on this story

Leave a comment here!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.