44 secrets you never knew about the Titanic, which sank 112 years ago

Gabbi ShawApr 12, 2024, 20:02 IST

The Titanic.Roger Viollet/Getty Images

The Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, but the wreck was not found until September 1, 1985.
The story of the ship, its passengers, and life onboard still fascinates us today.

The sinking of the Titanic on April 15, 1912, has captivated people for 112 years. The stories of survivors, the various explanations as to why it sank, the decades-long search to find the wreck, and the multi-billion-dollar film released in 1997 have all contributed to its enduring place in pop culture.

On September 1, 1985, more than seven decades after the Titanic sank, its wreckage was found during a secret US Navy mission searching for two other missing vessels.

As technology advanced, companies started offering tourists the chance to dive 2.4 miles below the surface and see the wreck for themselves. In June 2023, a submersible, the Titan, with five people aboard, went missing two hours into its journey to the wreckage. The Coast Guard later confirmed the Titan had imploded, killing all five.

Keep scrolling to learn more about the Titanic, including how it was found, what it was like on board, and what secrets we've learned from the wreckage.

Actress Dorothy Gibson, who was aboard the Titanic and survived, starred in a film called "Saved From the Titanic," which was released just one month after the ship sank.

Gibson in "Saved from the Titanic."Eclair Film Company

Actress Dorothy Gibson, who was aboard the Titanic and survived, starred in a film called "Saved From the Titanic," which was released just one month after the ship sank.

A popular urban legend is that another survivor, Lawrence Beesley, tried to crash the filming of the 1958 film "A Night to Remember" because he wanted to symbolically go down with the ship.

Beesley and an unknown woman in the ship's gymnasium.Public domain

A popular urban legend is that another survivor, Lawrence Beesley, tried to crash the filming of the 1958 film "A Night to Remember" because he wanted to symbolically go down with the ship.

The 700 third-class passengers had to share two bathtubs.

The movie "Titanic" made third class seem like a real party.Twentieth Century Fox

One of the ship's musicians wasn't officially declared dead until 2000.

The ship's musicians as portrayed in the 1997 film "Titanic."Twentieth Century Fox

The ship's band played music right until the very end to try to calm passengers, just like in the 1997 movie.

Mr. J Wesley Woodward, a cellist in the Titanic's band.Universal Images Group/Getty Images

The ship's lookouts had to rely on their eyesight alone — the ship's binoculars were locked inside a cabinet that no one could find the key to.

The ship's lookouts had to rely on their eyesight alone.Photo 12/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

One theory is that the crew didn't spot the iceberg in time because they didn't have access to said binoculars.

Newspaper boy Ned Parfett sells copies of the Evening News telling of the Titanic maritime disaster, outside the White Star Line offices at Oceanic House in London.Topical Press Agency/Getty Images

At the memorial of Frederick Fleet, one of the lookouts, a prankster left a pair of binoculars with a note reading, "Sorry for bringing these 100 years too late."

Frederick Fleet.Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

The Titanic was plagued by tragedy from the start. Eight people died during the ship's construction.

The Titanic and its sister ship the Olympic under construction in Belfast, Northern Ireland.Wikimedia Commons

The richest man aboard was John Jacob Astor IV, who was widely believed to have been the richest man in the world at the time of his death.

John Jacob Astor IV.Bettmann/Getty Images

Multiple newspapers mistakenly reported that the crash caused no fatalities, including the Daily Mail, the Belfast Telegraph, and The World.

Reports were conflicting.Reuters/Lucas Jackson

A woman who survived the Titanic's sinking later survived the sinking of another ship: the Britannic.

Violet Jessop.Public domain

It is rumored that a few men dressed up as women to get a spot on a lifeboat.

The lifeboats are said to have been for women and children only.API/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images

Every single engineer aboard the Titanic perished — they all stayed behind to keep the ship's power running until the very end.

The memorial to the Titanic's engineers in Southampton, England.JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty Images

No city was more affected by the Titanic's sinking than Southampton, England, where the ship had departed from. In one school, half of the students lost their fathers.

A crowd awaits the return of survivors of the Titanic disaster in Southampton, April 1912.Topical Press Agency/Getty Images

The Navratil brothers were known as the "Titanic orphans." They were the only two children from the ship to be rescued without a parent or guardian.

Michel (left) and Edmond (right) Navratil.Universal History Archive/Getty Images

One of the most beloved quotes from the 1997 film is based on a true story.

"We are dressed in our best and are prepared to go down as gentlemen."Twentieth Century Fox

There were at least 13 couples celebrating their honeymoon on the Titanic.

John Jacob Astor IV and his new wife, Madeleine, were on their honeymoon.George Rinhart/Corbis/Getty Images

A novella called "Futility" which was published 14 years before the Titanic set sail seemed to have predicted the disaster.

The crew of the Titanic waiting at Portsmouth Town Hall.Topical Press Agency/Getty Images

The SS Californian is known for having been near the Titanic when it sank, but not coming to its aid until it was too late. Three years after the Titanic, the Californian sank too.

The officers of the SS Californian in May 1912.Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Getty Images

The SS Californian is known for having been near the Titanic when it sank, but not coming to its aid until it was too late. Three years after the Titanic, the Californian sank too.

Only one woman actually went down with the ship and survived, Rhoda Mary Abott.

Two lifeboats approaching the Carpathia.Universal History Archive/Getty Images

One of the ship's cooks, Charles Joughin, was able to survive much longer in the cold water than others because of the copious amounts of whiskey he had drank.

Joughin was also portrayed in Comedy Central's "Drunk History."Comedy Central

Joughin had had a busy night. The last dinner served on the Titanic (to first-class passengers) was a whopping 10 courses.

Restaurant scene in "Titanic."Paramount Pictures

The 1997 movie ended up costing more to produce than it cost to build the Titanic, which was the largest and most luxurious ship at the time, even when adjusted for inflation.

An artist's rendering of the ship sinking.Universal History Archive/Getty Images

The 1997 movie ended up costing more to produce than it cost to build the Titanic, which was the largest and most luxurious ship at the time, even when adjusted for inflation.

And though it was the biggest ship in the world at the time, it still took 73 years to find its wreckage. It was discovered in the midst of a secret Cold War Navy mission.

Artifacts recovered from the wreck site of the RMS Titanic.John Lamparski/WireImage/Getty Images

And though it was the biggest ship in the world at the time, it still took 73 years to find its wreckage. It was discovered in the midst of a secret Cold War Navy mission.

When the wreck was found, it finally confirmed reports that the ship had, in fact, broken in two. This was a long-disputed issue.

Remnants of the Titanic.AP Photo

The whole wreck could be gone by 2030.

Professor Robert Ballard, professor of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island, points to his footage of the wreck of the Titanic.AP/Peter Morrison

During one of the expeditions to view the wreckage, a bowler hat was discovered inside a passenger's closet, right where he left it.

People can explore the wreckage in a variety of ways, like this Panorama exhibition in Leipzig.Jens Schlueter/Getty Images

While many people believed the Titanic was unsinkable, not everyone did. A passenger, Charles Melville Hays, predicted an "appalling disaster." He perished in the water.

Charles Melville Hays.Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

While many people believed the Titanic was unsinkable, not everyone did. A passenger, Charles Melville Hays, predicted an "appalling disaster." He perished in the water.

And an appalling disaster it was. Over 1,500 people died — though only four of those were women from the first class.

The Titanic's first-class lounge.Universal Images Group/Getty Images

One of those four women was Ann Elizabeth Isham, who perished because she refused to leave her dog behind.

Dogs of the Titanic, including (reportedly) Isham's dog on the far right.Public domain

Of the 1,500-plus who perished, only 300 bodies were recovered. One was called the "Unknown Child" and wasn't identified until almost 100 years later.

Coins, toys, and flowers decorate the tombstone of Sidney Leslie Goodwin, a 19-month-old English boy, who died during the sinking of the RMS Titanic.ROGERIO BARBOSA/AFP/Getty Images

The last remaining survivor passed away in 2009 — she was just 2 months old when the ship sank.

Millvina Dean.NANCY PALMIERI/AP

One of the most famous survivors was the "Unsinkable" Molly Brown. She later ran for US Senate.

Margaret "Molly" Brown.DeAgostini/Getty Images

Of the about 700 survivors, only one was Japanese. When he returned home, he was ridiculed and ostracized for not going down with the ship.

Masabumi Hosono (second from left), and his handwritten account of the sinking of the ship.AP/Atsushi Tsukada

A lifeboat drill that was supposed to take place the day of the sinking was canceled by the ship's captain.

The lifeboats aboard the Titanic.Hulton Archive/Getty Images

While it's impossible to know for sure, a ship spotted this iceberg with a streak of red paint going along its side soon after the crash. This is believed to be the iceberg that sank the ship.

The iceberg that's believed to have sank Titanic.Public domain

While it's impossible to know for sure, a ship spotted this iceberg with a streak of red paint going along its side soon after the crash. This is believed to be the iceberg that sank the ship.

The hangar used to build the Titanic is now a filming location — HBO's hit show "Game of Thrones" shot there.

Titanic Studios.Charles McQuillan/Getty Images

The ship's profile, which features four smokestacks, makes it one of the most recognizable ships in history. But the fourth smokestack served no purpose, other than aesthetics.

The fourth smokestack has no smoke coming out of it.Topical Press Agency/Getty Images

The ship's profile, which features four smokestacks, makes it one of the most recognizable ships in history. But the fourth smokestack served no purpose, other than aesthetics.

A lucky few bought tickets but never boarded the ship, such as Milton Hershey, J.P. Morgan, and Guglielmo Marconi.

Milton Hershey founded Hershey's.Bettman/Getty Images

The ship was reportedly carrying 15,000 bottles of beer, 1,000 bottles of wine, 850 bottles of liquor, and 8,000 cigars.

Café Parisien on board the RMS Titanic.Universal Images Group/Getty Images

James Cameron's "Titanic" isn't the only movie about the ship. A Nazi propaganda film was shot depicting the events from a German perspective.

The movie's poster.Deutsche Filmvertriebs GmbH (DFV)

Captain Edward Smith really did go down with the ship, though it's unclear what his final moments were actually like.

Purser Hugh Walter McElroy and Captain Edward J. Smith aboard the Titanic during the run from Southampton to Queenstown, England, on April 1, 1912.Ralph White/CORBIS/Corbis/Getty Images

Mysteries are still being solved to this day. Six Chinese passengers survived the sinking but were unable to get off the Carpathia and enter the US. Instead, they were sent to Cuba and seemingly vanished — until recently.

James Cameron speaking about Fang Lang.LostPensivos Films 2020

Mysteries are still being solved to this day. Six Chinese passengers survived the sinking but were unable to get off the Carpathia and enter the US. Instead, they were sent to Cuba and seemingly vanished — until recently.

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44 secrets you never knew about the Titanic, which sank 112 years ago

Actress Dorothy Gibson, who was aboard the Titanic and survived, starred in a film called "Saved From the Titanic," which was released just one month after the ship sank.

A popular urban legend is that another survivor, Lawrence Beesley, tried to crash the filming of the 1958 film "A Night to Remember" because he wanted to symbolically go down with the ship.

The 700 third-class passengers had to share two bathtubs.

One of the ship's musicians wasn't officially declared dead until 2000.

The ship's band played music right until the very end to try to calm passengers, just like in the 1997 movie.

The ship's lookouts had to rely on their eyesight alone — the ship's binoculars were locked inside a cabinet that no one could find the key to.

One theory is that the crew didn't spot the iceberg in time because they didn't have access to said binoculars.

At the memorial of Frederick Fleet, one of the lookouts, a prankster left a pair of binoculars with a note reading, "Sorry for bringing these 100 years too late."

The Titanic was plagued by tragedy from the start. Eight people died during the ship's construction.

The richest man aboard was John Jacob Astor IV, who was widely believed to have been the richest man in the world at the time of his death.

Multiple newspapers mistakenly reported that the crash caused no fatalities, including the Daily Mail, the Belfast Telegraph, and The World.

A woman who survived the Titanic's sinking later survived the sinking of another ship: the Britannic.

It is rumored that a few men dressed up as women to get a spot on a lifeboat.

Every single engineer aboard the Titanic perished — they all stayed behind to keep the ship's power running until the very end.

No city was more affected by the Titanic's sinking than Southampton, England, where the ship had departed from. In one school, half of the students lost their fathers.

The Navratil brothers were known as the "Titanic orphans." They were the only two children from the ship to be rescued without a parent or guardian.

One of the most beloved quotes from the 1997 film is based on a true story.

There were at least 13 couples celebrating their honeymoon on the Titanic.

A novella called "Futility" which was published 14 years before the Titanic set sail seemed to have predicted the disaster.

The SS Californian is known for having been near the Titanic when it sank, but not coming to its aid until it was too late. Three years after the Titanic, the Californian sank too.

Only one woman actually went down with the ship and survived, Rhoda Mary Abott.

One of the ship's cooks, Charles Joughin, was able to survive much longer in the cold water than others because of the copious amounts of whiskey he had drank.

Joughin had had a busy night. The last dinner served on the Titanic (to first-class passengers) was a whopping 10 courses.

The 1997 movie ended up costing more to produce than it cost to build the Titanic, which was the largest and most luxurious ship at the time, even when adjusted for inflation.

And though it was the biggest ship in the world at the time, it still took 73 years to find its wreckage. It was discovered in the midst of a secret Cold War Navy mission.

When the wreck was found, it finally confirmed reports that the ship had, in fact, broken in two. This was a long-disputed issue.

The whole wreck could be gone by 2030.

During one of the expeditions to view the wreckage, a bowler hat was discovered inside a passenger's closet, right where he left it.

While many people believed the Titanic was unsinkable, not everyone did. A passenger, Charles Melville Hays, predicted an "appalling disaster." He perished in the water.

And an appalling disaster it was. Over 1,500 people died — though only four of those were women from the first class.

One of those four women was Ann Elizabeth Isham, who perished because she refused to leave her dog behind.

Of the 1,500-plus who perished, only 300 bodies were recovered. One was called the "Unknown Child" and wasn't identified until almost 100 years later.

The last remaining survivor passed away in 2009 — she was just 2 months old when the ship sank.

One of the most famous survivors was the "Unsinkable" Molly Brown. She later ran for US Senate.

Of the about 700 survivors, only one was Japanese. When he returned home, he was ridiculed and ostracized for not going down with the ship.

A lifeboat drill that was supposed to take place the day of the sinking was canceled by the ship's captain.

While it's impossible to know for sure, a ship spotted this iceberg with a streak of red paint going along its side soon after the crash. This is believed to be the iceberg that sank the ship.

The hangar used to build the Titanic is now a filming location — HBO's hit show "Game of Thrones" shot there.

The ship's profile, which features four smokestacks, makes it one of the most recognizable ships in history. But the fourth smokestack served no purpose, other than aesthetics.

A lucky few bought tickets but never boarded the ship, such as Milton Hershey, J.P. Morgan, and Guglielmo Marconi.

The ship was reportedly carrying 15,000 bottles of beer, 1,000 bottles of wine, 850 bottles of liquor, and 8,000 cigars.

James Cameron's "Titanic" isn't the only movie about the ship. A Nazi propaganda film was shot depicting the events from a German perspective.

Captain Edward Smith really did go down with the ship, though it's unclear what his final moments were actually like.

Mysteries are still being solved to this day. Six Chinese passengers survived the sinking but were unable to get off the Carpathia and enter the US. Instead, they were sent to Cuba and seemingly vanished — until recently.