Titanic, the largest passenger steamship at its time, crashed into an iceberg and sank. This is an important moment in history that has led to many questions.
Captain Smith receives several ice warning messages that never reach the bridge. The first one comes from the ship Caronia stating icebergs and growlers were in the area.
1. April 11, 1912
The RMS titanic timeline collides with an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean. The ship sinks, killing 1,514 people in what is now known as one of the deadliest maritime disasters in history. The tragedy has inspired countless books, plays, and films, as well as ongoing research into the wreckage.
The Titanic sets sail from Southampton, England, on her maiden voyage to New York City. Crowds line the dock to see the massive ship set off, waving handkerchiefs and singing “Rule Britannia!”
Senior wireless operator Jack Phillips begins receiving warnings of icebergs from ships further out to sea. Lookout Frederick Fleet spots an iceberg in the ship’s path and gives the order to turn starboard. The ship is unable to avoid the iceberg, which strikes the starboard bow.
Two hours and 40 minutes after hitting the iceberg, the “unsinkable” Titanic begins to sink. Water fills the ship’s first six lifeboats. Captain Smith learns that the ship will stay afloat for only two hours and gives orders to make the first radio calls for help.
First Officer Lightoller prepares to lowered lifeboat Number 4, which is loaded with women and children. When Madeleine Astor asks if she may join the boat, Lightoller refuses, citing safety rules that stipulate women and children must board before men. Astor rebuffs him and steps away, but is later found in the water.
As Titanic slips under the waves, a stairway to the surface breaks off, and the stern rises for a moment above the water’s surface. Crew members begin lowering the collapsible lifeboats. Lifeboat No. 2 is lowered, carrying nine women and eight men. Water quickly fills the lifeboat and its occupants climb into it.
2. April 12, 1912
The Titanic sets sail from Southampton for her maiden voyage to New York. The ship is carrying more than 1,500 passengers and crew. It is the largest passenger steamship ever built. Her ill-fated sinking on April 15, 1912 has made her famous and a subject of numerous books, movies and other media.
At 9:40 pm the lookouts spot an iceberg dead ahead. Warnings are sent to the bridge but they are not acted upon in time. At 11:40 pm the iceberg collides with the Titanic. Five watertight compartments are compromised. The ship changes course but it is too late. Captain Smith orders that the lifeboats be loaded, women and children first.
The first lifeboat, number 7 on the starboard side, is lowered. It has only 28 people aboard, despite having room for 65. The other lifeboats are lowered well below capacity. This is due to fears that the davits would not hold a fully loaded boat and also because many passengers refuse to leave the ship, believing it is unsinkable. The first of eight emergency distress rockets are fired.
About 58 miles away, the Cunard liner RMS Carpathia hears a mayday call from the Titanic and begins to head toward the area. A number of ships in the area have been commandeered by White Star for cargo, including some that were stranded because of a coal strike. Some of these vessels have passengers who are being transferred to the Titanic. The Carpathia picks up 705 survivors and heads to New York City.
3. April 13, 1912
During her maiden voyage, Titanic collided with an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean, killing 1,514 people. This tragedy was the most severe maritime disaster of its time and remains one of the world’s most famous shipwreck stories. Titanic was the largest passenger ship afloat when it sank on April 15, 1912, less than three days into her journey from Southampton to New York City. The luxury liner was built by Belfast-based Harland and Wolff, the world’s leading shipbuilder at the time.
On the morning of April 13, Titanic passengers are acquainting themselves with the ship’s many public rooms and hallways when senior wireless operator Jack Phillips begins receiving iceberg warnings from other vessels. His first alert comes from the liner Empress of Britain, which spotted a cluster of icebergs and their growlers (smaller, harder to see but still dangerous) in an area about a day’s sailing away. Phillips does not pass the information to the bridge of the Titanic because he has been assigned a passenger telegram that he is required to handle by Marconi company rules.
At noon, Titanic begins sailing to meet the iceberg warnings she is getting from other ships. Captain Smith cancels a crew muster and lifeboat drill that were scheduled to start that afternoon to accommodate passengers’ needs.
At 1:40 p.m., Rose and her mother Ruth leave their lunch table to go to the stern of the ship. This is when they meet Jack and Fabrizio, two first-class passengers who invite them to dinner in their cabin the following evening. The couples become fast friends and go to the ship’s gym where they spend time together.
4. April 14, 1912
The largest and most luxurious ocean liner ever built, Titanic, leaves Southampton on its maiden voyage to New York. At the time, it was believed to be nearly unsinkable because of its massive size and a system of watertight compartments and doors. But on the evening of April 14, the ship strikes an iceberg and sinks. This was one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history, killing more than 1,500 people.
At around 11 pm, Rose and her mother Ruth were sitting at a table in first class. Jack and Fabrizio were also in the room and introduced themselves to Rose. She was very happy and became enamored of Jack. She later tried to kill herself but was rescued by Cal. She then stayed with him and his family in her suite.
Throughout the day, Titanic received several wireless messages from other ships that warned of icebergs near their position. However, the captain was not notified of these and continued to speed the ship straight for its destination.
About five hours before midnight, the lookout Frederick Fleet heard a signal over the ship’s whistle and called the bridge. Sixth Officer Moody responded and gave the order to change course. This should have put the Titanic in an area of the gulf stream that would have been free from icebergs, but in fact it put the ship on a collision course with a large ice field.
The collision occurred at about 23:40 ship’s time. A few minutes later, the lookout spotted an iceberg ahead of the ship. It was a huge, four-story berg that jutted out of the water. First Officer Murdoch closed the watertight doors and informed Captain Smith of the accident.
5. April 15, 1912
The RMS Titanic collided with an iceberg on its maiden voyage to New York. The ship sank in the North Atlantic Ocean, killing 1,514 people. This timeline details as much as we know about the event, from its start in a Belfast shipyard through its final moments at the bottom of the ocean.
The Cunard liner Caronia sends an ice warning to the Titanic at 10:28 AM ship’s time. Captain Edward Smith orders the lifeboats to be lowered. In compliance with maritime law, women and children board first. Men are permitted to board only if space remains after the women and children have been taken off. In the chaos, hundreds of human dramas unfold: husbands see off their wives and children, families are separated, and selfless individuals give up their places in the lifeboats to remain with loved ones or to help others escape.
After descending from the bridge, Second Officer Charles Lightoller closes the doors to the “watertight” compartments. He also rings the bell three times to signal that an iceberg is ahead.
Several more collisions with icebergs occur before the Titanic strikes one for real. Its bow scrapes along the iceberg, and water begins to pour into at least five of the ship’s compartments. The stern plunges into the water and lifts up for a few moments before sinking again.
Two hours and forty minutes after hitting the iceberg, the Titanic sinks to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Thousands of people died in the disaster, including many from Mississippi. The tragic event led to the establishment of an international organization to alert ships of icebergs and new rules for lifeboat safety on vessels at sea.
Titanic Timeline Conclusion
The Titanic’s tragic maiden voyage in 1912 was marked by opulence, disaster, and heroism. As the “unsinkable” ship met its fate with an iceberg, over 1,500 lives were lost. The disaster led to sweeping changes in maritime safety regulations and remains a poignant reminder of human vulnerability in the face of nature.
FAQs:
- How many people survived the Titanic sinking? Out of the approximately 2,224 passengers and crew on board, around 710 people survived the Titanic sinking. The majority of survivors were women and children due to the “women and children first” protocol followed during the evacuation.
Did the Titanic’s design flaws contribute to its sinking? Yes, the Titanic had design flaws that contributed to its sinking. The ship lacked enough lifeboats to accommodate all passengers and crew, which severely hindered evacuation efforts. Additionally, the lack of a watertight bulkhead system allowed water to flood multiple compartments, causing the vessel to sink more quickly
