# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Infographic, Data Visualization, Maps, Charts, Guides

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Did you know that Titanic burned more than 650 tons of coal every day, and that it cost $167 million in today's money to build the ship? Get the facts on one of history's most infamous maritime disasters with Titanic By the Numbers.

Source http://www.history.com/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Titanic By the Numbers [Infographic] - Data Visualization, Infographic,Information Graphic Design

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Did you know that Titanic burned more than 650 tons of coal every day, and that it cost $167 million in today's money to build the ship? Get the facts on one of history's most infamous maritime disasters with Titanic By the Numbers. Source http://www.history.com/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about the sinking of the Titanic including the construction of the unsinkable ship, the beginning of the voyage, hitting an iceberg, the ship sinks, survivors, and interesting facts. Educational article for students, schools, and teachers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Titanic Facts

Check out our Titanic facts for kids and learn a range of interesting information about this famous passenger liner.

Find out how big the Titanic was, where it sailed from, its intended destination, how many people died when it sunk and much more. Read on and enjoy our Titanic facts for kids.

The Titanic was built between 1909 and 1911.

It was 882 feet (269 metres) in length and 175 feet (53 metres) in height.

The Titanic had a crew of around 900 people.

The Titanic's engines were powered by pressurized steam from burning coal.

It was a luxury passenger liner that carried some of the world's richest people as well as others looking for a new life in North America.

The Titanic's intended course was from Southampton, England to New York City, USA.

It left Southampton on April 10, 1912 and stopped at destinations in France and Ireland before heading west towards New York.

It collided with an iceberg and sank on April 15, 1912.

While the Titanic carried over 2200 people, there were only enough life boats for around 1200 of them.

Over 1500 people died because of the sinking.

The remains of the Titanic wreck sit on the sea bed over 12400 feet (3780 metres) beneath the surface.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Titanic Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about the Titanic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Titanic Facts Check out our Titanic facts for kids and learn a range of interesting information about this famous passenger liner. Find out how big the Titanic was, where it sailed from, its intended destination, how many people died when it sunk and much more. Read on and enjoy our Titanic facts for kids.

# data[].attributes.body
Read stories of some of the survivors of the Titanic disaster

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
These unforgettable stories of Titanic survivors capture the bravery, horror, and grief of the disaster that left more than 1,500 people dead in the North Atlantic in April 1912.

Of the estimated 2,224 passengers and crew aboard the Titanic when it struck an iceberg and sank on April 15, 1912, some 1,500 died in the cold waters of the North Atlantic. A mere 700 people lived on. These are some of the most powerful stories of the Titanic survivors.

Titanic Survivors: The "Navratil Orphans"

A dramatic divorce and scandal brought the young Michel and Edmond Navratil to the bow of the Titanic in 1912.

They were accompanied on the voyage by their father, Michel Navratil Sr., who was still smarting from his recent separation from their mother, Marcelle Caretto.

Marcelle had won custody of the children, but she had allowed them to visit Michel over the Easter holiday. Michel, believing that his wife's infidelity made her an unsuitable guardian, decided to use that weekend to relocate with his children to the United States.

He bought second-class tickets on the Titanic and boarded the doomed ship, introducing himself to fellow passengers as the widower Louis M. Hoffman, a man traveling with his sons, Lolo and Momon.

On the night the Titanic struck the iceberg, Navratil was able to get the boys aboard a lifeboat - the very last lifeboat to leave the ship.

Michel Jr., though only three at the time, remembered that just before placing him in the boat, his father gave him a final message:

"My child, when your mother comes for you, as she surely will, tell her that I loved her dearly and still do. Tell her I expected her to follow us, so that we might all live happily together in the peace and freedom of the New World."

Those were Michel Navratil's last words. Though he died in the disaster, his sons survived. They spoke no English and might have been in serious trouble in New York, but a friendly French-speaking woman who also survived the wreck cared for them.

The publicity surrounding the Titanic's sinking was what saved them: their photographs appeared in newspapers around the world. Their mother, home in France with no idea where her sons had disappeared to, spotted their photo in the morning paper.

On May 16, more than a month after the ship sank, she reunited with her boys in New York, and all three returned to France.

Michel Jr. would later recall the splendor of the Titanic and the childish sense of adventure he felt while getting into the lifeboat. Only when he grew older did he realize what had been at stake that night and how many had been left behind.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
12 Titanic Survivors Whose Stories Put A Face On The Tragedy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Of the estimated 2,224 passengers and crew aboard the Titanic when it struck an iceberg and sank on April 15, 1912, some 1,500 died in the cold waters of the North Atlantic. A mere 700 people lived on. These are some of the most powerful stories of the Titanic survivors.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Building of the RMS Titanic

The Titanic was the product of intense competition among rival shipping lines in the first half of the 20th century. In particular, the White Star Line found itself in a battle for steamship primacy with Cunard, a venerable British firm with two standout ships that ranked among the most sophisticated and luxurious of their time.

Cunard's Mauretania began service in 1907 and quickly set a speed record for the fastest average speed during a transatlantic crossing (23.69 knots or 27.26 mph), a title that it held for 22 years.

Cunard's other masterpiece, Lusitania, launched the same year and was lauded for its spectacular interiors. Lusitania met its tragic end on May 7, 1915, when a torpedo fired by a German U-boat sunk the ship, killing nearly 1,200 of the 1,959 people on board and precipitating the United States' entry into World War I.

Did you know? Passengers traveling first class on Titanic were roughly 44 percent more likely to survive than other passengers.

The same year that Cunard unveiled its two magnificent liners, J. Bruce Ismay, chief executive of White Star, discussed the construction of three large ships with William J. Pirrie, chairman of the shipbuilding company Harland and Wolff. Part of a new "Olympic" class of liners, each ship would measure 882 feet in length and 92.5 feet at their broadest point, making them the largest of their time.

In March 1909, work began in the massive Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Ireland, on the second of these three ocean liners, Titanic, and continued nonstop for two years.

On May 31, 1911, Titanic's immense hull-the largest movable manmade object in the world at the time-made its way down the slipways and into the River Lagan in Belfast. More than 100,000 people attended the launching, which took just over a minute and went off without a hitch.

The hull was immediately towed to a mammoth fitting-out dock where thousands of workers would spend most of the next year building the ship's decks, constructing her lavish interiors and installing the 29 giant boilers that would power her two main steam engines.

'Unsinkable' Titanic's Fatal Flaws

According to some hypotheses, Titanic was doomed from the start by a design that many lauded as state-of-the-art. The Olympic-class ships featured a double bottom and 15 watertight bulkhead compartments equipped with electric watertight doors that could be operated individually or simultaneously by a switch on the bridge.

It was these watertight bulkheads that inspired Shipbuilder magazine, in a special issue devoted to the Olympic liners, to deem them "practically unsinkable."

But the watertight compartment design contained a flaw that was a critical factor in Titanic's sinking: While the individual bulkheads were indeed watertight, the walls separating the bulkheads extended only a few feet above the water line, so water could pour from one compartment into another, especially if the ship began to list or pitch forward.

The second critical safety lapse that contributed to the loss of so many lives was the inadequate number of lifeboats carried on Titanic. A mere 16 boats, plus four Engelhardt "collapsibles," could accommodate just 1,178 people. Titanic could carry up to 2,435 passengers, and a crew of approximately 900 brought her capacity to more than 3,300 people.

As a result, even if the lifeboats were loaded to full capacity during an emergency evacuation, there were available seats for only one-third of those on board. While unthinkably inadequate by today's standards, Titanic's supply of lifeboats actually exceeded the British Board of Trade's requirements.

Passengers on the Titanic

Titanic created quite a stir when it departed for its maiden voyage from Southampton, England, on April 10, 1912. After stops in Cherbourg, France, and Queenstown (now known as Cobh), Ireland, the ship set sail for New York with 2,240 passengers and crew-or "souls," the expression then used in the shipping industry, usually in connection with a sinking-on board.

As befitting the first transatlantic crossing of the world's most celebrated ship, many of these souls were high-ranking officials, wealthy industrialists, dignitaries and celebrities. First and foremost was the White Star Line's managing director, J. Bruce Ismay, accompanied by Thomas Andrews, the ship's builder from Harland and Wolff.

Absent was financier J.P. Morgan, whose International Mercantile Marine shipping trust controlled the White Star Line and who had selected Ismay as a company officer. Morgan had planned to join his associates on Titanic but canceled at the last minute when some business matters delayed him.

The wealthiest passenger was John Jacob Astor IV, heir to the Astor family fortune, who had made waves a year earlier by marrying 18-year-old Madeleine Talmadge Force, a young woman 29 years his junior, shortly after divorcing his first wife.

Other notable passengers included the elderly owner of Macy's, Isidor Straus, and his wife Ida; industrialist Benjamin Guggenheim, accompanied by his mistress, valet and chauffeur; and widow and heiress Margaret "Molly" Brown, who would earn her nickname " The Unsinkable Molly Brown " by helping to maintain calm and order while the lifeboats were being loaded and boosting the spirits of her fellow survivors.

The employees attending to this collection of First Class luminaries were mostly traveling Second Class, along with academics, tourists, journalists and others who would enjoy a level of service and accommodations equivalent to First Class on most other ships.

But by far the largest group of passengers was in Third Class: more than 700, exceeding the other two levels combined. Some had paid less than $20 to make the crossing. It was Third Class that was the major source of profit for shipping lines like White Star, and Titanic was designed to offer these passengers accommodations and amenities superior to those found in Third Class on any other ship of that era.

Titanic Sets Sail

Titanic's departure from Southampton on April 10 was not without some oddities. A small coal fire was discovered in one of her bunkers-an alarming but not uncommon occurrence on steamships of the day. Stokers hosed down the smoldering coal and shoveled it aside to reach the base of the blaze.

After assessing the situation, the captain and chief engineer concluded that it was unlikely it had caused any damage that could affect the hull structure, and the stokers were ordered to continue controlling the fire at sea.

According to a theory put forth by a small number of Titanic experts, the fire became uncontrollable after the ship left Southampton, forcing the crew to attempt a full-speed crossing; moving at such a fast pace, they were unable to avoid the fatal collision with the iceberg.

Another unsettling event took place when Titanic left the Southampton dock. As she got underway, she narrowly escaped a collision with the America Line's S.S. New York. Superstitious Titanic buffs sometimes point to this as the worst kind of omen for a ship departing on her maiden voyage.

The Titanic Strikes an Iceberg

On April 14, after four days of uneventful sailing, Titanic received sporadic reports of ice from other ships, but she was sailing on calm seas under a moonless, clear sky.

At about 11:30 p.m., a lookout saw an iceberg coming out of a slight haze dead ahead, then rang the warning bell and telephoned the bridge. The engines were quickly reversed and the ship was turned sharply-instead of making direct impact, Titanic seemed to graze along the side of the berg, sprinkling ice fragments on the forward deck.

Sensing no collision, the lookouts were relieved. They had no idea that the iceberg had a jagged underwater spur, which slashed a 300-foot gash in the hull below the ship's waterline.

By the time the captain toured the damaged area with Harland and Wolff's Thomas Andrews, five compartments were already filling with seawater, and the bow of the doomed ship was alarmingly pitched downward, allowing seawater to pour from one bulkhead into the neighboring compartment.

Andrews did a quick calculation and estimated that Titanic might remain afloat for an hour and a half, perhaps slightly more. At that point the captain, who had already instructed his wireless operator to call for help, ordered the lifeboats to be loaded.

Titanic's Lifeboats

A little more than an hour after contact with the iceberg, a largely disorganized and haphazard evacuation began with the lowering of the first lifeboat. The craft was designed to hold 65 people; it left with only 28 aboard.

Tragically, this was to be the norm: During the confusion and chaos during the precious hours before Titanic plunged into the sea, nearly every lifeboat would be launched woefully under-filled, some with only a handful of passengers.

In compliance with the law of the sea, women and children boarded the boats first; only when there were no women or children nearby were men permitted to board. Yet many of the victims were in fact women and children, the result of disorderly procedures that failed to get them to the boats in the first place.

Exceeding Andrews' prediction, Titanic stubbornly stayed afloat for close to three hours. Those hours witnessed acts of craven cowardice and extraordinary bravery.

Hundreds of human dramas unfolded between the order to load the lifeboats and the ship's final plunge: Men saw off wives and children, families were separated in the confusion and selfless individuals gave up their spots to remain with loved ones or allow a more vulnerable passenger to escape. In the end, 706 people survived the sinking of the Titanic.

Titanic Sinks

The ship's most illustrious passengers each responded to the circumstances with conduct that has become an integral part of the Titanic legend. Ismay, the White Star managing director, helped load some of the boats and later stepped onto a collapsible as it was being lowered. Although no women or children were in the vicinity when he abandoned ship, he would never live down the ignominy of surviving the disaster while so many others perished.

Thomas Andrews, Titanic's chief designer, was last seen in the First Class smoking room, staring blankly at a painting of a ship on the wall. Astor deposited his wife Madeleine into a lifeboat and, remarking that she was pregnant, asked if he could accompany her; refused entry, he managed to kiss her goodbye just before the boat was lowered away.

Although offered a seat on account of his age, Isidor Straus refused any special consideration, and his wife Ida would not leave her husband behind. The couple retired to their cabin and perished together.

Benjamin Guggenheim and his valet returned to their rooms and changed into formal evening dress; emerging onto the deck, he famously declared, "We are dressed in our best and are prepared to go down like gentlemen."

Molly Brown helped load the boats and finally was forced into one of the last to leave. She implored its crewmen to turn back for survivors, but they refused, fearing they would be swamped by desperate people trying to escape the icy seas.

Titanic, nearly perpendicular and with many of her lights still aglow, finally dove beneath the ocean's surface at about 2:20 a.m. on April 15, 1912. Throughout the morning, Cunard's Carpathia, after receiving Titanic's distress call at midnight and steaming at full speed while dodging ice floes all night, rounded up all of the lifeboats. They contained only 706 survivors.

Aftermath of the Titanic Catastrophe

At least five separate boards of inquiry on both sides of the Atlantic conducted comprehensive hearings on Titanic's sinking, interviewing dozens of witnesses and consulting with many maritime experts. Every conceivable subject was investigated, from the conduct of the officers and crew to the construction of the ship. Titanic conspiracy theories abounded.

While it has always been assumed that the ship sank as a result of the gash that caused the bulkhead compartments to flood, various other theories have emerged over the decades, including that the ship's steel plates were too brittle for the near-freezing Atlantic waters, that the impact caused rivets to pop and that the expansion joints failed, among others.

Technological aspects of the catastrophe aside, Titanic's demise has taken on a deeper, almost mythic, meaning in popular culture. Many view the tragedy as a morality play about the dangers of human hubris: Titanic's creators believed they had built an unsinkable ship that could not be defeated by the laws of nature.

This same overconfidence explains the electrifying impact Titanic's sinking had on the public when she was lost. There was widespread disbelief that the ship could not possibly have sunk, and, due to the era's slow and unreliable means of communication, misinformation abounded. Newspapers initially reported that the ship had collided with an iceberg but remained afloat and was being towed to port with everyone on board.

It took many hours for accurate accounts to become widely available, and even then people had trouble accepting that this paragon of modern technology could sink on her maiden voyage, taking more than 1,500 souls with her.

The ship historian John Maxtone-Graham has compared Titanic's story to the Challenger space shuttle disaster of 1986. In that case, the world reeled at the notion that one of the most sophisticated inventions ever created could explode into oblivion along with its crew. Both tragedies triggered a sudden collapse in confidence, revealing that we remain subject to human frailties and error, despite our hubris and a belief in technological infallibility.

Titanic Wreck

Efforts to locate the wreck of Titanic began soon after it sank. But technical limitations-as well as the vastness of the North Atlantic search area-made finding it extremely difficult.

Finally, in 1985, a joint U.S.-French expedition located the wreck of the RMS Titanic. The doomed ship was discovered about 400 miles east of Newfoundland in the North Atlantic, some 13,000 feet below the surface.

Subsequent explorations have found that the wreck is in relatively good condition, with many objects on the ship-jewelry, furniture, shoes, machinery and other items-are still intact.

Since its discovery, the wreck has been explored numerous times by manned and unmanned submersibles-including the submersible Titan, which imploded during what would have been its third dive to the wreck in June 2023.

Fact Check

We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Titanic was a luxury British steamship that sank in the early hours of April 15, 1912 after striking an iceberg, leading to the deaths of more than 1,500 passengers and crew. Read about the timeline of its sinking, the many lives lost and those who survived.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Based On Your Income, Would You Have Survived the Titanic Disaster?

# data[].attributes.body
Titanic Facts - CNN

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
April 10, 1912 - The Titanic sets sail on its maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York.

April 14-15, 1912 - The luxury liner hits an iceberg in the North Atlantic around midnight and sinks in less than three hours.

Approximately 1,500 people died and nearly 700 survived out of about 2,220 passengers and crew.

The estimated cost of construction was $7.5 million (over $400 million today).

At the time, the RMS Titanic was the largest passenger ship afloat.

The ship's length was 882 feet, 9 inches, and it weighed 46,328 tons. Its top speed was 23 knots.

The wreckage is located about 350 miles off the southeast coast of Newfoundland.

What was the cause?
In April 1912, there were about 300 icebergs in the North Atlantic shipping lanes, the most seen in the route between Europe and North America in 50 years.

The abundance of icebergs that year would also be something the Titanic's experienced captain, Edward Smith, would not have predicted. He'd been sailing the North Atlantic for 26 years and had not reduced the Titanic's speed despite receiving warnings of bergs ahead of his ship.

The iceberg punctured five of 16 supposedly watertight compartments designed to hold water in case of a breach to the hull.

Investigations at the time blamed Captain Edward Smith for going too fast in dangerous waters, initial inspections that had been done too quickly, insufficient room in the lifeboats for all passengers, and a nearby ship's failure to help, according to Britannica.com.

Many maritime safety reforms were implemented as a result of the findings of the investigations.

Victims and Survivors:
There were 324 1st class passengers aboard. 201 survived.

There were 277 2nd class passengers aboard. 118 survived.

There were 708 3rd class passengers aboard. 181 survived.

There were 885 crew members aboard. 212 survived.

There were 13 postmen and musicians on board. None of them survived.

Captain Smith went down with the ship, and his body was never recovered.

Frederick Fleet, one of the crew members who first alerted Captain Smith to the iceberg, was rescued and survived.

Notable Passengers:
- The "Unsinkable" Margaret (Molly) Brown - wife of a silver mine manager, helped command a lifeboat and nursed injured survivors of the Titanic.
- J. Bruce Ismay, managing director of the International Mercantile Marine and one of the Titanic's owners.
- Henry S. Harper, of the firm Harper & Bros.

Died -
- Colonel John Jacob Astor, member of the Astor family.
- Isidor Straus, merchant and banker, co-owner of Macy's.
- Benjamin Guggenheim, member of the Guggenheim family.
- George D. Widener, son of P.A.B. Widener, Philadelphia businessman.
- Washington Roebling, whose uncle was a builder of the Brooklyn Bridge.
- Charles Melville Hays, general manager of the Grand Trunk Railway.
- William Thomas Stead, famous journalist and publicist.
- Jacques Futrelle, journalist.
- Henry Birkhardt Harris, theatrical manager.
- Major Archibald Butt, military aide to President Taft and President Roosevelt.
- Francis Davis Millet, American painter.

(local time, based on the location of the ship.)
March 31, 1909 - Construction begins, as a design collaboration between William Pirrie's firm Harland and Wolff and J. Bruce Ismay's White Star Line, in Belfast, Ireland, and takes three years to complete.

April 10, 1912, 12 p.m. - The RMS Titanic sets sail from Southampton, England, on its maiden voyage, with approximately 2,220 passengers and crew.

April 10, 1912, 6:30 p.m. - Arrival in Cherbourg, France.

April 10, 1912, 8:10 p.m. - Leaves Cherbourg.

April 11, 1912, 11:30 a.m. - Arrival in Queenstown, Ireland.

April 11, 1912, 1:30 p.m. - Leaves Queenstown, raising anchor for the last time.

April 14, 1912, 11:40 p.m. - The Titanic hits an iceberg.

April 15, 1912, 12:40 a.m. - Captain Edward Smith gives the order to uncover the lifeboats and evacuate women and children.

April 15, 1912, 12:20 a.m. - The RMS Carpathia receives distress calls and heads to the site to help. It arrives at 3:30 a.m.

April 15, 1912, 12:45 a.m. - The first lifeboat is launched with 28 people on board out of a capacity of 65.

April 15, 1912, 2:20 a.m. - The Titanic sinks in less than three hours.

April 15, 1912, 8:50 a.m. - The Carpathia leaves for New York with 705 Titanic survivors onboard. It arrives April 18.

April and May 1912 - Separate American and British investigations and official inquiries take place.

September 1, 1985 - Scientists from Woods Hole Deep Submergence LAB (DSL) in Massachusetts, led by Dr. Robert Ballard, and IFREMER, the French Institute Francais de Recherche pour l'Exploitation des Mers, led by Jean Jarry locate the wreckage of Titanic.

July 13, 1986 - Dr. Robert Ballard and his crew use the manned deep-ocean research submersible Alvin (DSV-2) to explore the wreckage. The Alvin is accompanied by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) named Jason Jr. to conduct photographic surveys and further inspections.

2004 - Guernsey's auctions off memorabilia and a few artifacts that had been passed down through the families of survivors from the ship, including an original menu that goes for about $100,000.

May 31, 2009 - The last known survivor, Millvina Dean, dies at age 97.

March 31, 2012 - The world's largest Titanic attraction opens in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where the ship was built.

April 8-20, 2012 - The 100th anniversary of Titanic's only voyage. The MS Balmoral traces the ship's route from Southampton to New York and holds a memorial service on April 15 above the wreck.

March 2015 - A letter said to have been written by a mother and daughter once aboard the Titanic is displayed at the Titanic's Belfast center in Ireland. The letter was purchased at auction by a couple who then loaned the letter to be displayed at the world's largest Titanic exhibition for the next five years.

September 30, 2015 - The last known first-class lunch menu from the Titanic is sold at auction to a private collector for $88,000. Also auctioned: a printed ticket from a weighing chair located in the ship's Turkish baths, which sold for $11,000, and a letter to the man who was alleged to have paid off the lifeboat's crew, which sold for $7,500.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
April 10, 1912 - The Titanic sets sail on its maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York. April 14-15, 1912 - The luxury liner hits an iceberg in the North Atlantic around midnight and sinks in less than three hours. Approximately 1,500 people died and nearly 700 survived out of about 2,220 passengers and crew.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Titanic facts for kids | History | National Geographic Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn about the most famous ship in history with our twenty Titanic facts. How big was the Titanic? Where did she sink? How many people died on the Titanic?

# data[].attributes.body
Hard copy of article #2

# data[].attributes.headline
4.  Titanic survival based on gender, age, and social class

# data[].attributes.subject
4.  Titanic survival based on gender, age, and social class

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Titanic

Over 100 years after the sinking of the RMS Titanic, we're all familiar with the significance of this event. The sinking in 1912 represents one of the biggest maritime disasters in our history.

Even back then, the Titanic became instant news and has since been the subject of much fascination. The grandeur of the boat, the idea that it was "unsinkable," and the pure scale of the disaster have captured the hearts and minds of people ever since.

Yet the Titanic disaster also represents a concrete and extreme demonstration of how social class (wealth and status) impacts health. Meaning: the richer the first class passengers were, the more likely they were to survive over the poor people in the lower class sections.

Although we'd like to believe that this equation is a relic of days gone by, it is unfortunately not the case. Wealth is still the greatest predictor of life expectancy.

Social Class and Survival

Only 37% of Titanic's passengers survived. Yet 63% of first class passengers survived, 42% of second class, and just 24% of third class. Put another way, passengers traveling in first class were 40% more likely to survive and passengers in second class were 16% more likely to survive than those traveling in third class.

Ship Structure and Survival Rate

Why were first class passengers more likely to survive than second or third class passengers?

Many factors contributed to first class passengers having a better chance of getting off the Titanic alive, but by far the greatest was the physical structure of the ship itself.

The Titanic had 11 decks, eight of which were used by passengers. The top deck had all of the boat's first class amenities, such as a promenade, restaurants, a gymnasium, a squash court, a swimming pool, a cafés, and a reading room. Most importantly, this top deck also held all of the ship's lifeboats.

The next level down was the first class passenger cabins. As the deck levels descended, so did the class of the passengers, with most third class passengers and crew occupying a deck that was five levels lower than the first class passengers. Passengers from lower classes were not allowed on to certain parts of the ship, including the top deck where the lifeboats were.

When the Titanic hit the iceberg, first class passengers were physically closer to the lifeboats than their second and third class counterparts, giving them quicker access to these life-saving devices. In fact, the poorer the passenger, the farther away they were from the lifeboats.

Navigating the ship's many levels was also somewhat challenging, so the passengers lower down had a harder time finding their way to the top. Since second and third class passengers were not allowed onto the first class areas of the ship (where the lifeboats were), they did not know where they were and were unable to find them as easily.

Case in Point

To illustrate how class can impact the neighborhoods in which people live, take a look at two adjacent suburbs near Boston, Massachusetts, one significantly richer than the other.

Newton is about 25 percent bigger than Waltham, both in terms of population and land mass. Yet Newton has 250% more grocery stores as Waltham (5 versus 2), and boasts two Whole Foods Markets, whereas Waltham has none.

Waltham, on the other hand, has almost twice as many national fast food chains as Newton: Newton has 2.4 fast food chains per 50,000 people whereas Waltham has almost 6 fast food chains per 50,000 people. Note that this chart only looked at three of the major U.S. fast food chains.

Why this difference? Both cities are about the same distance from Boston. The major difference is that Newton is a wealthier community.

This example isn't even that extreme-Waltham is a relatively wealthy community located about the same distance from a major city. Even so, residents of the wealthier community have much greater access to healthier options than their neighbors living in the less well-off neighborhood. Imagine the differences we would see if we compared the most affluent areas with the lowest income neighborhoods.

Access to healthy food is just an example. The same analysis could be done for multiple factors that impact health, such as the availability of open green spaces to walk or bike in, safer streets, or the availability of alcohol.

What Does This Have to Do With Class?

While it may not be as blatant as sunning oneself on the upper decks, class today still greatly influences health outcomes. In fact, wealth is the strongest predictor of health and life expectancy in the United States, with wealthier Americans living an average of 4.5 years longer than poorer Americans. At the extreme, affluent Caucasian women are expected to live 14 years longer than poor African American men.

It is well known that wealthier people have access to better healthcare options and can more easily afford related healthcare costs, such as co-payments, transportation to and from care and appointments, and optional or elective tests and procedures.

But access to healthcare is only one piece of the puzzle.

Just like those passengers on the Titanic, wealthier Americans today have more ready access to physical environments (neighborhoods) that are health-promoting.

Take access to healthy foods as an example. Wealthier neighborhoods have higher numbers of grocery stores selling fresh fruits and vegetables, health food stores, and farmer's markets. Low-income neighborhoods boast more convenience stores, which have very limited fresh food options, and more fast food restaurants.

Studies make it clear that access to fresh fruits and vegetables improves diets and related health outcomes (for example, obesity and diabetes), but little has been done to change access in low-income neighborhoods, and people living in those communities continue to suffer the health consequences.

Have Things Changed?

While the Titanic disaster seems like a phenomenon unique to another era, many of the same problems that led to the scale of that disaster, especially for the poor, continue to exist today.

On the Titanic, poor people were literally trapped on a sinking ship. Wealthy passengers had easy access to fresh air, dining options, and other health-promoting amenities, while poor people were trapped below deck far away from those amenities and, importantly, from lifeboats that could literally save their lives.

Today, wealthier Americans live in safer communities that boast healthier food options and safer streets, making it easier for them to make healthy decisions about diet and exercise. Indeed, social class continues to play an important role in the health and well-being of all Americans.
This content reflects the personal opinions of the author. It is accurate and true to the best of the author's knowledge and should not be substituted for impartial fact or advice in legal, political, or personal matters.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Titanic 100 Years Later: Social Class and Survival

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The story of the Titanic is an important lesson about social class discrimination and the influence of wealth on health and survival. Here's how the physical structure of the ship impacted passengers' chances of survival, and how social class continues to play a significant role in people's health.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
WHEN the Titanic sank beneath the waves, men famously stood back from the boats and women and children fled to safety first.

But a new study suggests the chivalrous rule of "women and children first" rarely happens - and may only have happened on the Titanic because the captain threatened to shoot men who tried to get into the lifeboats.

Analysis of 18 maritime disasters in which 15,000 people died showed only 17.8 per cent of the women survived versus 34.5 per cent of the men. Of the Titanic's passengers, 70 per cent of the women were saved but just 20 per cent of the men.

The idea of saving "women and children first" has been described as "the unwritten law of the sea".

But the analysis of maritime disasters suggests that women and children are often left to last - and that even on the Titanic, the "chivalry" was helped by the fact the captain threatened to shoot men who got into the lifeboats before women.

Economists Mikael Elinder and Oscar Erixon of Uppsala University analysed 18 of the world's most famous maritime disasters from 1852 to 2011.

"The evacuation of the Titanic serves as the prime example of chivalry at sea," the researchers said. "Men stood back, while women and children were given priority to board the lifeboats."

But they said when it comes to sinking ships it appears as if it is every man for himself.

Originally published as Woman and children first - at gunpoint

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
WHEN the Titanic sank beneath the waves, men famously stood back from the boats and women and children fled to safety first. But a new study suggests the chivalrous rule of "women and children first" rarely happens - and may only have happened on the Titanic because the captain threatened to shoot men who tried to get into the lifeboats.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Everyday life

Belfast had a mix of rich and poor households. While the rich lived in large detached houses in areas like the Malone Road, poorer people lived on narrow streets of terraced houses, mainly around the industrial areas.

These red-bricked houses were filled with large families including parents, grandparents and children, so there wouldn't have been much space to yourself!

Most children would have had to share a bedroom with their siblings or other family members and there wouldn't have been a bathroom, just an outhouse in the back yard.

Children would have played games like kick-can, marbles and football together at school and out on the streets in front of their houses. Once they started working, people would have been able to use their wages to go to the cinema or to a music hall.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What was life like for Belfast families in 1910?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Belfast had a mix of rich and poor households. While the rich lived in large detached houses in areas like the Malone Road, poorer people lived on narrow streets of terraced houses, mainly around the industrial areas. These red-bricked houses were filled with large families including parents, grandparents and children, so there wouldn't have been much space to yourself!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The launch of Titanic in May 1911 was the peak of Belfast's golden age of shipbuilding. Titanic was the largest man-made object ever to have taken to the seas.

Harland and Wolff employed thousands of men, with over 15,000 working on Titanic. Many jobs involved working with steel including welders, riveters, platers and plumbers. Carpenters worked with wood to design things like cabinets and staircases, while architects designed the ship in their offices.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The launch of Titanic in May 1911 was the peak of Belfast's golden age of shipbuilding. Titanic was the largest man-made object ever to have taken to the seas. Harland and Wolff employed thousands of men, with over 15,000 working on Titanic. Many jobs involved working with steel including welders, riveters, platers and plumbers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
First class
First class on board Titanic was the ultimate in luxury. It included veranda cafes, a smoking room, restaurant, a dining saloon and a reading and writing room. The facilities on Titanic far surpassed those of rival ships of that time.
The first class passengers really dined in style. The dining room was the largest ever seen on a ship and a live orchestra played background music. The furniture and panelling was carved in fine detail in oak, mahogany and sycamore.

The more energetic passengers could play deck games, such as shuffleboard, and use the gym, squash courts and swimming pool on board. Games such as chess and backgammon could be played on the deck.

Titanic had 39 private suites located at the top of the ship. They had 2 large bedrooms, 2 walk-in wardrobes and a bathroom. There was also a spacious living with room for guests. Suites cost up to £870 which is the equivalent of £79,000 today!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
First class on board Titanic was the ultimate in luxury. It included veranda cafes, a smoking room, restaurant, a dining saloon and a reading and writing room. The facilities on Titanic far surpassed those of rival ships of that time. The first class passengers really dined in style.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Titanic was the biggest and most luxurious passenger ship of its time. It was 269 metres long, 28 metres wide and more than 53 meters tall, which is the same height as Nelson's Column in London and Belfast City Hall.

It had ten decks, three engines and its furnaces burnt through over 600 tonnes of coal. 175 'firemen' shovelled the coal by hand and worked in shifts 24 hours a day. Although Titanic had four funnels, only three were functional - the fourth one was just for show.

Titanic's full title was RMS Titanic as it was a Royal Mail ship carrying nearly 3500 sacks of mail including all sorts of letters and packages.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Titanic was the biggest and most luxurious passenger ship of its time. It was 269 metres long, 28 metres wide and more than 53 meters tall, which is the same height as Nelson's Column in London and Belfast City Hall. It had ten decks, three engines and its furnaces burnt through over 600 tonnes of coal.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
On the Titanic_ Defined by What They Wore vocabulary