33 Facts to Discover About the RMS Titanic, Commemorating 33 Years Since the Discovery of the Ship’s Wreck Site
Following more than seven decades of planning and failed attempts, the wreck site of the RMS Titanic was discovered two and a half miles below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean on Sept. 1, 1985.
The long-anticipated finding of the ill-fated ocean liner’s resting place allowed researchers and enthusiasts alike the chance to better understand the happenings that led to the ship’s demise. Now, more than 300 artifacts, including a 15-ton section of the starboard hull, are on display at Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition at Luxor Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
33 Facts to Discover About the RMS Titanic
- The Titanic’s wreck site is located 963 miles northeast of New York and 453 miles southeast of the Newfoundland coastline.
- The Titanic lies 2.5 miles beneath the ocean surface, where the pressure is 6,000 pounds per square inch.
- The Titanic was 882 feet 9 inches long, 175 feet tall, and 92 feet 6 inches in breadth.
- The Titanic weighed 46,329 tons or 92,658,000 pounds.
- 2,228 – Number of passengers, including crew, aboard Titanic.
- 705 – Number of passengers who survived the sinking.
- 3 million – Number of rivets used to construct Titanic.
- Titanic’s top speed was 23 knots but maintained a service speed of 21 knots, the speed it held at impact with the iceberg.
- Investigative hearings following the tragedy led to many of today’s safety laws and regulations, including the requirement of searchlights, taking more southerly routes across the Atlantic Ocean, the dedication of a new radio frequency exclusive to ships carrying 50 people or more, and mandatory lifeboat drills on passenger ships.
- Titanic was equipped with 29 boilers across 6 boiler rooms.
- 600+ tons of coal were burned a day.
- For every single pound of coal burned, Titanic was powered to travel one foot.
- Titanic’s kitchens were prepared to serve more than 62,000 meals and equipped with 19 ovens, ranges, cooktops and roasters.
- The first-class dinner menu on the fateful night of April 14 was filet mignon Lili, roast duckling, cold asparagus vinaigrette, and peaches in chartreuse jelly.
- Titanic had four parlor suites aboard, which included a sitting room, two bedrooms, two wardrobe rooms, and one bathroom with lavatory.
- The design of Titanic’s first-class lounge was inspired by the Palace of Versailles.
- Linoleum was the popular flooring choice of the era and adorned many of the first-class quarters’ floors.
- Captain Edward John Smith planned to retire in 1911 but was convinced by White Star Line to stay to oversee Titanic’s first transatlantic crossing.
- A first-class ticket for a parlor suite aboard Titanic cost $2,500 which would be approximately $57,200 today. The most expensive rooms were valued at more than $103,000 in today’s currency.
- A third-class ticket on Titanic cost $40, which is approximately $900 in today’s currency.
- First-class passengers had the luxury of paying for their leisure while on board and would purchase tickets to use the ship’s swimming pool, squash court, and more.
- Among the many found personal belongings on display at Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition in Las Vegas are 90+ year old perfume samples which guests can still savor a scent from.
- Titanic’s steel is currently being consumed by destructive bacteria.
- 5,500 – Number of artifacts that have been recovered from the Titanic wreck site by RMS Titanic, Inc.
- Most paper or textile goods recovered from the wreck site that are on display at Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition were found in leather goods, which act as a virtual time capsule thanks to the leather treating processes used in the early 1900s.
- Titanic set sail with 20,000 bottles of beer, 1,500 bottles of wine, and 8,000 cigars aboard for use by first-class passengers. An unopened bottle of champagne from the wreck site is on display at Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition in Las Vegas.
- Among many other cargo items, aboard Titanic was 3 cases of tennis balls, 2 barrels of mercury, 2 cases of olive oil, 12 cases of ostrich plumes, 2 cases of grandfather clocks, a marmalade machine, a Renault automobile, and more.
- Many passengers aboard Titanic traveled with their own china and utensils, some of which are on display at Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition in Las Vegas.
- Although only the first-class suites and rooms had running water, the ship’s tap water was not suitable for drinking. Stewards would bring filled decanters etched with the White Star flag. The quality of the glassware indicated the class it was to serve.
- The first-class dining saloon could accommodate 500 passengers, while the second could accommodate 400.
- The last remaining survivor of the Titanic’s sinking, Millvina Dean died on May 31, 2009 at age 97. She was 2 months old at the time of the tragedy.
- 300+ – Number of artifacts on display at Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition at Luxor Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
- 20 million+ – Number of guests who have visited Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition on display around the world.