The RMS Titanic is a phenomenon that has enrapt a worldwide audience from the day it set sail in 1912 to the present day. On April 10, 1912, the ship started its voyage from the White Star Dock in Southampton, England to New York carrying over 2,000 passengers, including officers, crew, first class, second class, and third class. Roughly four days into the voyage, the crew aboard the Titanic received warnings of an approaching iceberg. However, the ship was traveling at a speed that was too fast to allow for a turn in time. 

The ship was hit on its side, causing it to fill up with water at an overwhelming rate. Less than three hours after it was struck, the Titanic started its descent into the water. Over 1,500 people jumped off the boat and died of hypothermia, while others drowned with it. The rest of the passengers (mostly first class) had boarded the few available lifeboats that the ship was equipped with and fortunately survived.

Studying the Titanic and developing conspiracies about the wreck has held Titanic– fanatics in a chokehold since the wreckage of the ship was originally found in 1985. To scientists’ and fans’ surprise, recently on February 15, new footage of the Titanic at rest in the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean has surfaced. The ship lays about 13,000 feet below the surface and is about 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. The extreme depths made it very difficult for scientists to obtain clear footage of the remains for a very long time. However, people are shocked to discover that never-before-seen images and video from the 1986 exploration have been released.

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution released more than 80 minutes worth of footage captured in a three-person submersible in July of 1986, which was the first time that people laid eyes on the ship since it reached the ocean floor. Shots include the ship’s bow, the deck, the chief officer’s cabin, and the engine room. From this, many objects, such as chests and light fixtures from the ship’s remains can be observed in their preserved states on the ocean floor. 

While the structure and mechanics of the ship is what draws much attention, many people become fascinated with the Titanic because of the Academy Award-winning film, Titanic. The movie allows viewers to get a glimpse into the events that occurred before and after the ship sunk through the relationship of fictional lovers Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (Kate Winslet). Originally released in 1997, the film celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. In order to commemorate the movie and the impact it has had on people, a remastered version was re-released in theaters. This new and improved version was released in theaters beginning February 10, 2023 for a limited time only, so go see it before it’s too late!

Whether it is the movie or mechanics of the ship that drew you into the enchantment of the Titanic, the ship’s history and fascination extends to the initial creation all the way to current sea transportation.