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5 Haunting Facts About the Titanic
The Titanic, one of the worst peacetime maritime disasters, sunk over a century ago, yet people are still familiar with the story of the fateful night of April 14, 1912 today.
We immortalize the sinking in books, movies, and documentaries because a promising ship, once thought to be “unsinkable,” now lies at the bottom of the Atlantic, with many of the bodies of those who drowned never recovered.
No matter how much we try to make sense of this catastrophe, we are still enthralled and mystified by it.
The following are five haunting facts about the Titanic, further proof of how indelible the sinking still is over one hundred years later.
1. No human remains have been found in the wreckage
The site of the Titanic’s wreckage was first discovered over 70 years after the sinking, in 1985, when a submarine discovered the ship two miles below the ocean’s surface. Since then, over a dozen expeditions have continued to explore the rusting ship. Although many artifacts have been found, including luggage, silverware, and documents perfectly preserved in safes, no human remains have been discovered.
National Geographic Explorer Robert Ballard explains why in his talk at Nat Geo Live marking the 100th anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking. He describes how after the ship sunk, “[people] without live jackets came raining down …hundreds and hundreds … and landed all across the debris field of the Titanic.” After the fish got to the bodies, it was the sea’s turn. The deep sea, undersaturated in calcium carbonate dissolved all the human bones within a matter of five years.
The only thing that remains today, marking the over 1,500 lives lost on April 15, 1912, is pairs of shoes.
2. Many famous people almost sailed on the Titanic
Many famous people, who would become instrumental in making history years after the Titanic’s sinking, nearly booked passage on the ship or actually did, yet chose not to board.
Milton Snavely Hershey, the owner of the famous chocolate company of the same name, put a 10% deposit…
