1912 - Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage

The Titanic was at this time the largest ocean liner ever created. In the image above, passengers crowd the docks of Southampton before taking a journey across the Atlantic on the fateful voyage.

On April 14th, after four days of uneventful sailing, Titanic received sporadic reports of ice from other ships, but she was sailing on calm seas under a moonless, clear sky. At about 11:30 p.m., a lookout saw an iceberg coming out of a slight haze dead ahead, then rang the warning bell and telephoned the bridge. The engines were quickly reversed and the ship was turned sharply—instead of making direct impact, Titanic seemed to graze along the side of the berg, sprinkling ice fragments on the forward deck.

The rest is well-known - the doomed ship sank, taking more than 1,500 souls to a watery grave. In the three hours it took to sink, there were acts of craven cowardice and extraordinary bravery. Hundreds of human dramas unfolded between the order to load the lifeboats and the ship’s final plunge: Men saw off wives and children, families were separated in the confusion and selfless individuals gave up their spots to remain with loved ones or allow a more vulnerable passenger to escape.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HISTORICAL EVENTS in 1912 at History0x