The RMS Titanic, a British luxury ship, sank on her maiden voyage after hitting an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean in 1912. It took three years to be constructed and cost a whopping $7.5 million. The Titanic was built in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This was one of the first ships to have a telephone system and electric lights in all rooms, with four elevators, a heated swimming pool, a gym, two libraries and two barber shops. The sinking of the ship, which led to over 1500 fatalities, inspired the famous James Cameron film “Titanic’ in 1997.
The ship had 16 watertight compartments designed to keep it afloat if damaged. This led to the belief that the ship was unsinkable. However, only four days into its maiden voyage, the Titanic struck an iceberg near Newfoundland, Canada. The collision damaged the ship and its watertight compartments. With a limited number of lifeboats, many passengers could not escape the ship. Only hours after the collision, the Titanic sunk, taking about 1,500 passengers with her.
The fate of the Titanic led to new international agreements to prevent future disasters, such as the creation of an International Ice Patrol that would alert ships of icebergs. In addition, the first International Convention of Safety of Life at Sea created new lifeboat regulations to protect the safety of passengers.
Credit : National Geographic Society
Picture Credit : Google
