The RMS Titanic, hailed as “unsinkable,” was the largest ship ever built when it departed Southampton, England, on April 10, 1912, bound for New York City with more than 2,200 people aboard.
On April 14, the luxury liner struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic, causing fatal damage below the waterline, flooding several of the ship’s supposedly “watertight” compartments. However, the design was flawed ? if too many compartments flooded, the water would spill over the top of the internal walls and into the next section. And so, the ship’s bow began to sink.
A major factor in the high death toll was the lack of lifeboats. Titanic carried enough for roughly half the passengers, and the chaotic evacuation left many boats partially filled. By early April 15, the ship sank completely, leaving 706 survivors.
The disaster reshaped maritime safety, prompting the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, which set stricter rules for lifeboats, radio communication, and 24-hour radio watches. The Titanic remains a stark reminder of human fallibility.
Nancy Ahmed Dagba For The Junior Times junior/1757053649/1613367831
1. When and where did the Titanic depart, and where was it bound for?
2. What caused the Titanic to sink, despite being called “unsinkable”?
3. How did the ship’s watertight compartments fail during the accident?
4. What role did the lack of lifeboats play in the high death toll?
1. Why do you think the Titanic was called “unsinkable,” and how did that affect people’s perception of safety?
2. How could better planning or design have reduced the number of deaths?
3. How did the disaster influence maritime safety rules worldwide?
4. How might the Titanic tragedy be relevant to safety practices today?
The RMS Titanic, hailed as “unsinkable,” was the largest ship ever built when it departed Southampton, England, on April 10, 1912, bound for New York City with more than 2,200 people aboard.
