Titanic

The Titanic was a British transatlantic passenger liner operated by the White Star Line. It was the second of the company’s Olympic-class ships, built by Harland and Wolff in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Launched in 1911 and entering service in 1912, it carried about 2,224 people on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City. The vessel was designed to be among the largest and most luxurious liners of its era, with extensive accommodations and safety features for its time.

On the night of 14–15 April 1912, the Titanic struck an iceberg during its first transatlantic crossing. The collision damaged multiple hull compartments, and the ship began to founder. It sank in about two and a half hours in the North Atlantic, roughly 370 miles (about 600 kilometers) south of Newfoundland. Lifeboats were insufficient for all aboard; 20 were launched, leaving many people stranded in the icy water. About 1,500 lives were lost and roughly 700 survived. The rescue came when the RMS Carpathia arrived several hours after the sinking.

The wreck was located on 1 September 1985 by a joint French-American expedition led by Robert Ballard. It lies at a depth of about 12,000 to 13,000 feet (3,700 to 4,000 meters) on the seabed, with the bow and stern sections separated and gradually deteriorating due to deep-sea conditions. Artifacts recovered from the site have been preserved and displayed, and the site is protected as a maritime memorial.

The disaster prompted changes in international maritime safety rules, including lifeboat requirements and continuous radio watches. It remains a major subject of historical research, public memory, and popular culture.