Many people are interested in the sinking of the RMS Titanic. There have been many explorations looking for the remains until they were finally found on September 1, 1985.
It was discovered by a joint American-French expedition led by Dr. Robert Ballard and Jean-Louis Michel. The team located that big shipwreck about 370 miles (600 km) southeast of Newfoundland. It sat on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean at a depth of around 12,500 feet (3,800 meters).
Anyway. There have been books, TV shows, movies, and more. It is one of the most famous tragedies in maritime history. And because some of the stories about the Titanic victims and survivors, this ship has reached legendary status.
We all remember that the Titanic set sail on its maiden voyage in 1912. And then it sank. So. Who would survive that disastrous day?
They had no idea as they stood at the rail, waving to the crowds. When that ship pulled away from the dock, little did its more than 2,000 passengers and crew members know they were going on a journey that would end in catastrophe. Just four days later.
Here is a thing to note, before we go any further. Exactly who was responsible for christening the Titanic? Well. Let me tell you. It wasn’t christened at all. When it was launched on May 31, 1911, in Belfast, Ireland (then part of the United Kingdom), the White Star Line chose not to have a champagne bottle smashed against the hull. I’m thinking that was a huge mistake. I mean, we know how things turned out.
Anyway, back to the topic at hand.
Who survived and who perished?
The facts. The survival rate for female passengers was significantly higher than that of male passengers. According to historical data, approximately 74 percent of female passengers survived, while only around 20 percent of male passengers survived.
That whole “women and children first” thing panned out. The women were more likely to have priority access to lifeboats.
Also. Social class played a significant role in determining survival rates aboard the Titanic. While some individuals from all classes managed to survive, the overwhelming majority of deaths were from the lower classes. The privileged survived.
About 62 percent of first-class passengers survived.
About 43 percent of second-class passengers survived.
Only about 26 percent of third-class passengers survived.
Only about 24 percent of the crew members survived.
More than 1,500 people died in the maritime disaster, while about 700 survived.
Some were famous. But the last one to die? That was Millvina.
Yes. At two months old, Millvina Dean was the youngest survivor. She was also the longest-living survivor. She died in 2009.
Dean, her older brother, and her parents were third-class passengers. The British family made plans to emigrate to Wichita, Kansas. Dean’s father was going to co-own a tobacco shop with relatives. The best laid plans.
Of course, their lives changed. Although Dean, her mother, and brother were some of the first third-class passengers to board the lifeboats, Dean’s father lost his life, and his body was never found.
The mother chucked the original plan. She decided to return to England with her two small children. Throughout her life, Dean became a media fixture in England. And so it goes.
One big disaster. But 700 lives went on.
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“To live through a disaster is to carry its echoes forever.”
— Sebastian Junger
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“In great catastrophes, it is the common people who suffer the most.”
— Thucydides
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“Survival is not so much about the body, but rather it is about the triumph of the human spirit.”
— Dan Brown
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