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| April 14-15, 1912 : Sinking of the Titanic | |
Nugget #1: During her maiden voyage, the Titanic struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic. The ship could have survived four flooded compartments – the iceberg ripped five. With links to eyewitness testimony, pictures (including the actual iceberg involved in the disaster) and many more primary sources, help your students understand what happened on April 14/15 (in 1912). Source: Carole D. Bos, Fatal Voyage : The Titanic courtesy of Awesome Stories.
Nugget #2: Within hours of the sinking of RMS Titanic on the night of April 14/15, 1912, the story of the ship, its victims and the disasters survivors was being written about. Since then, there has been a deluge of material on the tragedy, including numerous films and radio and television programmes. Today, a search on the internet brings up more than 1.5 million Titanic items. A subject search of the MSU Main Library catalog brings up 78.
Nugget #3: Culled from the national archives of England and the United States, these records provide a unique view of the tragedy, with documents ranging from the chilling SOS messages sent by the crippled ship to a detailed inventory of items lost by one wealthy passenger. In most cases, these papers surfaced during government inquiries launched in both countries following the ships sinking. Courtesy of The Titanic Files from the Smoking Gun.
Nugget #4: When the luxury liner Titanic sank in the North Atlantic on April 15, 1912, with more than 1,500 lives lost, the world was stunned! How could such a disaster happen in the modern era of unsinkable ships? To answer that perplexing question, Senator William Alden Smith of Michigan chaired Senate hearings held within days of the disaster. Senators and spectators heard dramatic testimony from the surviving passengers and crew. Smiths subcommittee issued a report on May 28th that led to significant reforms in international maritime safety. Source: U.S. Senate Art and History Page : Senate Committee Investigates the Titanic Disaster.
Nugget #5: Out of the 63 who boarded the Titanic on their way to Michigan, 36 died; 27 survived. Source : Holly Fournier, “A Titanic piece of family history; Troy woman recalls grandmother’s stories of the cold night and lifeboat drama”, Detroit News, April 13, 2012.
For more information, visit Titanic 100 Years : 1912-2012, courtesy of the Detroit Area Library Network.
More interesting trivia and stories from Titanic Universe
Titanic entry from History.com
“Titanic” Disaster [electronic resource] : hearings before the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Sixty-Second Congress, second session, on Apr. 19, 20, 22-27, 29, 30, May 1-4, 9, 16, 18, 25, 1912. United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Commerce.
Washington : [s.n.], 1912.