25 Mind-Blowing Facts About the Titanic

17th March, 2023

There are so many fascinating facts about the Titanic. An important part in the history of tourism, the Titanic was an engineering marvel and there are many fascinating facts about the Titanic….

The sinking of the Titanic was a horrible tragedy that claimed the lives of over 1500 plus passengers. Hence, it’s no wonder that even after a century, the tale of the sinking ship continues to astonish people worldwide.

But you know what’s interesting? Although the ship took away most of the secrets with its sinking, there are still lesser-known thrilling facts about the Titanic. Be it the luxurious architecture of the liner or the controversies surrounding the sinking; there are a lot of mysteries you should know about. 

If you’re interested in learning about the biggest shipwreck in history, fasten your seatbelts as I’m about to reveal 25 fascinating facts about the Titanic.

25 Mind-Blowing Facts About the Titanic

The S.S. Titanic was the largest ship built in the early 19th Century, and it set sail for its maiden voyage on April 10, 1912, from Southampton, England. The liner was described as unsinkable and the best of its times. However, little did the people know that the awe-striking ship would be destroyed by an iceberg on the fourth day of its maiden voyage, i.e., April 14, 1912.

Just under four days, the unsinkable ship drowned deep under the Atlantic. Here I’ve outlined 25 facts about the S.S. titanic relating to its wreck, glorious architecture, and controversies. 

Let’s begin with it.

#1 Largest Liner Ever

The Titanic was 882 feet in length – one of the largest liners of its time. Moreover, the ship was 28 meters wide, consisting of restaurants, pools, and 1000+ rooms divided into three categories; first, second, and third class. 

In addition, the designers felt that the liner should have four exhaust stacks. However, only three stacks supported the Titanic, and the fourth was for ventilation and the ship’s aesthetics. 

In today’s time, the largest cruise ship is the Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas, extending to over 1200 feet in length. You can learn more about this in my article on cruise tourism.

#2 An Extensive Construction Time 

It took almost two years (precisely 26 months) for the engineers to complete the marvellous ship. In fact, the crew utilised over three million iron and steel rivets to form the ship’s hull. Furthermore, the ship’s anchor alone weighed 30,000 pounds, and over 20 horses were used to transport it to the dock. 

Here’s another interesting fact: the entire construction cost was slightly over $7.5 million, equivalent to $183.4 million today. 

#3 Place of Luxury for the First Class

The S.S. Titanic was nothing less than a lavish treat for the rich people. The first class passengers had access to an exclusive heated swimming pool, Turkish and electric baths, majestic dining hall with exquisite courses, and parlor suites. 

That’s not all! First-class passengers received an exclusive music book consisting of 352 songs. Musicians boarding the ship had to memorise the songs and sing at the passengers’ request. 

However, everything came at a cost and first-class passengers were expected to pay over $1000 for their suites.

#4 Remains Were Discovered After Decades

Initially, the ship sank and became deserted deep into the sea. There were no sightings or reports of the ship until 1985, when a military group led by Robert Ballard encountered the ship’s remnants. Although the group’s initial task was to find nuclear submarines in the Atlantic using robotic devices, luckily, they stumbled upon the Titanic’s leftovers.

However, the ship’s ruins lie nearly 2.5 miles underneath the ocean, and there is a 2000 feet gap between the bow and the stern (yes, the ship broke into two parts). 

However, much of the ship remains unexplored to this date.

#5 People Died Even Before the Titanic Set Sail

During the extensive construction period, the crew faced over 218 minor and 28 serious accidents and eight unfortunate deaths. The causes of these deaths were horrible injuries resulting from falling off the ship or its surrounding staging. 

A fifteen-year-old boy, Samuel Joseph Scott, was among these people who died after falling from a ladder that cracked his skull. Similarly, just before the Titanic set sail, a 43-year-old shipwright, James Dobbin, died after being hit by the timber that fell during the ship’s transportation to the dock. 

#6 Freezing Temperature at the Atlantic

A ship, was close by when the Titanic sank. The ship’s captain measured the temperature roughly freezing at 28 degrees Fahrenheit at night – a temperature capable of freezing human organs in under 45 minutes.

#7 Unattended Iceberg Warnings

The warnings about a high-peak iceberg were communicated to the ship, but they never reached the control room since the radio operators were asleep. 

Furthermore, it’s estimated that the iceberg was 50-100 feet above the water and was about 200-400 feet long. The captain, however, mistook a 300-foot crack in the ship’s hull for insignificant grazing on the ship’s top. 

Hence, it was unfortunately too late when the engineers reached the strike’s site since the water had filled over five compartments by that time.  

#8 The Chief Baker Survived the Longest in the Atlantic

One of the fascinating facts about the titanic wreck was that while everyone froze to death within 15 minutes of being in the water, the chief baker, Charles Joughin, stood there for over two hours.

Fortunately, he was rescued by another ship but what kept him alive for so long was the insane amount of whiskey consumption that helped his body maintain its warmth in the freezing Atlantic water. 

#9 A Novella Prediction Came True

One of the most interesting facts about the Titanic wreck is that an author predicted the Titanic tale 14 years earlier. Unbelievable, right?

Morgan Robertson wrote the novella futility in 1898, and the story centered around a fictional ship, Titan. Furthermore, the ship was the same size as the Titanic, and Titan also sank in April due to an iceberg. What’s more? Titan was also described as unsinkable and had very few lifeboats. 

After the incident, people accused the author of being a psychic.

#10 A Royal Mail Ship (RMS)

Another of the most interesting facts about the Titanic is that it was a Royal Mail Ship and was officially responsible for delivering mail for the British postal service. 

Hence, there was a sea post office on Decks F and G of the Titanic, and five clerks were responsible for managing 3400 sacks of email. Furthermore, the clerks tried to move the mail to the upper deck when the emergency alarm for the sinking started going off.

#11 Musicians Sang Till Their Last Breath

As depicted in the 1997 Titanic movie, the musicians, in reality, sang for nearly two hours until the Titanic vanished deep into the Atlantic. In the movie, the song “Nearer, My God, to Thee,” was played, and it’s believed to be the last song sung by the musicians in real life. 

#12 A Lifeboat Drill Was Called Off

The ship only had one lifeboat drill before it set sailing. Although another drill was scheduled on April 14, it was called off for unknown reasons. It’s believed that the crew overlooked the necessity of lifeboats since they considered the glorious Titanic unsinkable. This is one of the saddest facts about the Titanic.

#13 It was a Matter of Seconds

The iceberg was spotted at 1130 pm on April 14. Although the warning bell rang quickly, it was too late; the iceberg had already hit the ship. It’s reported that only 37 seconds passed from the time the iceberg was spotted until the ship collided with the iceberg. 

Historians say that the low response time may be due to the atmospheric conditions on that night, which camouflaged the iceberg.

#14 The Lucky Escape

Some notable people planned to board the Titanic for its maiden voyage, but they couldn’t due to business commitments. One famous example is Milton Hershey, the famous Hershey chocolate bar inventor. 

He wrote a $300 precedent to book a stateroom in the RMS Titanic, but his business took off, and he, along with his wife, missed boarding the ship. 

#15 The Shortage of Lifeboats

The grand Titanic was able to carry 64 lifeboats. However, since the crew considered it unsinkable, they overlooked the idea of reserving more lifeboats, and the ship only had 20 of them.

Forget about shortage of lifeboats, the most unusual facts about the Titanic was that the existing lifeboats were also not filled to the max capacity. For instance, the first lifeboat launched carried only 28 individuals, though it could carry 65 passengers. 

Had the lifeboats been filled to the maximum capacity, 450 more individuals would have been saved.

#16 Few Hundreds of Bodies Were Recovered

On April 17, a commercial cable repair ship, CS Mackay-Bennet, was sent to Nova Scotia to recover bodies from the Atlantic.

However, only 306 bodies were recovered from the freezing Atlantic, and the rescuers took some to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Of the 306 bodies, 119 were severely damaged, and it was impossible to take them back to the shore. Hence, they were buried in the sea. This is another one of the really sad facts about the Titanic.

#17 The Missing Binoculars

The ship’s lookouts, Frederick Fleet and Reginald Lee didn’t have access to the binoculars room. It’s reported that the ship’s second officer was replaced at the last minute, and he forgot to hand over the keys to the binoculars locker. 

#18 The Last Royal Dinner

The last dinner served to the first class passengers consisted of ten mouthwatering meal courses from the Ritz restaurant. The feast featured meals, including oysters, salmon, roast duckling, lamb, and lobster.

Simply put, it was a grand feast – the last one, though. 

#19 Affluent Passengers Boarded The Liner

The total wealth of the first class passengers amassed a whopping $500 million. Furthermore, the richest person onboard was John Jacob Astor IV, with a net worth of $87 million, equivalent to $2 billion today. 

Although other ships rescued around 700 passengers, 60% of the rescued were first-class guests. However, one of the astounding facts about the Titanic wreck is that despite all the wealth, John Jacob couldn’t survive since women and children were given priority for the lifeboats. 

#20 The Third Class Passengers Club

Most passengers belonged to the third-class level and were bunked in the 164-bed dormitory on Deck G.

Surprisingly, there were only two bathtubs for 706 third-class passengers. 

Fortunately, these third-class passengers were paying a low cost ranging from 3-8 pounds to stay on the majestic Titanic.

#21 A Legend Never Forgotten

Even after a century, the tale of the sinking ship has been kept alive through documentaries and films. Till now, at least 11 films have been made, and the 1997 successful movie by James Cameron takes away all the limelight. 

Although the 1997 movie is based on the love story of the famous Jack and Rose, the storyline’s portrayal is unique and encapsulates the audience.

#22 Titanic Drowned in Almost Three Hours

The ship broke into two parts and sank at a fast pace. It’s reported that the bow sank at 35 mph, while the stern sank deep in the sea at 50 mph. Within an estimated 2 hours and 40 minutes, the once unsinkable liner vanished from the Atlantic like it never existed. 

 #23 The S.S. Titanic Packed Enormous Supplies

One of the fascinating facts about the Titanic was that there were over 20,000 beers, 1,500 wine bottles, and nearly 8000 cigars, all exclusively for the first class passengers. Not only that but there were some 40,000 fresh eggs, 75000 pounds of fresh meat, 25000 pounds of poultry, etc.

Moreover, passengers drank over 14000 gallons of water (precisely 224,000 cups) daily. Simply put, vast amounts of stocks washed away with the sinking. 

#24 Heaps of Coals Fuelled the Ship

The gigantic Titanic weighed over 46,000 tons. Hence, it’s no surprise that the liner utilised around 825 tons of coal daily that powered the ship’s boiler, enabling the Titanic to propel itself in the sea. 

#25 The Mighty Titanic Will Vanish Soon 

Much of the ship is undiscovered to this day, and it’s expected that it’ll never see the light of day. But why? A rust-eating bacteria, Halomonas titanicae, is slowly eating the entire wreckage. So, what remains of the once glorious Titanic at the bottom will vanish soon.

Facts About the Titanic- further reading

It’s safe to say the Titanic was a small city of its own, which perished forever deep into the ocean. Fortunately, these facts about the Titanic are still alive, which tell us about the largest and most dangerous shipwreck ever occurring on Earth. 

I hope my list of 25 intriguing facts about the Titanic helped you learn more about this fascinating yet lost liner. If you’ve liked my list, give a read to the following exciting blog posts that reveal tips and facts for tourists. 

• 50 best jobs that allow you to travel the world
• The fascinating history of tourism
• 99 Exciting jobs in travel and tourism- the ultimate travel job list!
• What is a Travel Influencer? How to become a Travel Influencer

Do you have any interesting facts about the Titanic? Share them below!