When you hear Titanic, you might think of the 1997 romantic film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Some of us might forget that the movie is based on the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912, one of the deadliest sinkings of a single ship.
And while many of us have learned about it from the movie, there are some Titanic historical facts you may not know about. Want to learn more about this disaster through some interesting facts? We have you covered.
6. Just Recently Discovered
The sinking of the RMS Titanic was huge. Even to this day it’s constantly talked about and referenced. But even though everyone knew that the ship sank, and had an idea of where it happened, it still took about 73 years to find the wreckage.
The Titanic sunk in 1912, but it wasn’t until 1985 by a joint American-French expedition, led by Dr. Robert Ballard, that the ship was found over two miles below the ocean’s surface. The ship was only found by an unmanned submersible called Argo. Interestingly enough, later it was revealed that the finding of the Titanic was actually just a front for a Cold War mission.
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5. The Night’s Conditions
There are a lot of stories and theories about the Titanic. With every major disaster in history, some ideas make you think. And some of the most interesting Titanic historical facts you may not know, there’s a lot of talk about the night’s condition that caused so much chaos.
For one, many believe the full moon that night might have increased the ship’s chance of sinking. The idea came from two physicists from Texas State University, and they believe the sun and moon lined up in such a way that their combined gravity led to a cycle of unusually high and low tides.
Another theory thinks that an unusual optical phenomenon also explains why the Titanic struck the iceberg and received no assistance from a nearby ship. The phenomenon was an extraordinary bending of light that caused mirages, which was recorded by several ships in the area, preventing the Titanic from seeing the iceberg in time.
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3. The Engineers Sacrifices
A truly heartbreaking fact is that many of the crew went down with the ship. There are many horrible Titanic historical facts you may not know, but one that stands out amongst the rest is the engineers who made huge sacrifices.
As the ship was sinking, the engineers in the ship stayed on board and in the engine room to keep the power going so that everyone else had a chance to navigate the ship and make it out alive. It also allowed the wireless radio system to keep sending distress calls in the hope of rescue.
Their bravery and sacrifice helped more than 700 people, even though it cost them their lives. A memorial is located in Liverpool to commemorate their sacrifice.
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3. Saved by Alcohol
A quick break from the heavy facts, this is one of the best Titanic historical facts you may not know that is quite funny. One person who survived the sinking of the Titanic was Charles Joughin, an acclaimed chef most known for his baking.
As the ship was sinking, Joughin and his fellow chefs and bakers assisted in evacuation, but in between that, he would enjoy a drink of whiskey, most likely to calm his nerves and warm himself from the chill. As the ship finally sank, Joughin one of the few remaining at the tip of the ship, was finally submerged.
But while others were shouting, he was calmly treading water, in which he did so for over two hours until he found an overturned boat that he could use. Mind you the water is around 28 degrees Fahrenheit, which is below freezing.
But the fact that he survived was from the amount of whiskey he consumed during the whole process, which diluted blood vessels and prevented hypothermia. Also, the psychological effects that kept him from feeling the cold, as well as any response of panic. Essentially, the whiskey saved him.
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2. The Brave Musicians
Talk about a haunting fact. One of the many Titanic historical facts you probably didn’t know is that musicians played for two hours as the ship was sinking — it took the Titanic two hours and forty minutes to completely sink.
While this was portrayed in the movie, it’s hard to know what’s real and fictionalized, but it’s confirmed that the musicians did keep playing in hopes of calming passengers. The ship had eight musicians on board who played during teatime, Sunday services, after-dinner concerts, and more.
The band, led by Wallace Hartley, started to play in the first-class lounge and then later moved to the forward half of the board deck.
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1. The Lifeboats
Number one for Titanic historical facts you may not know might make you angry. There were so many who lost their lives during the sinking, but unfortunately many died needlessly. The ship carried 20 lifeboats, although it could have carried more, and most were not filled to capacity.
There are several reasons behind why this happened, but most say that it was the apprehensions of the lifeboat’s ability to hold weight. That, and the regulation that women and children are to go first, caused many boats to leave the ship before the men could be included. Unfortunately, that caused more deaths than what could have been prevented.
