Remembering the Titanic

One of the Greatest Maritime Tragedies in History

Photo: Black and white image of the Titanic ship.

The R.M.S. Titanic departed from Southampton, England, for the first and only time on April 10th, 1912. The Titanic had nine decks with separate areas for first-class, second-class, and third-class passengers. There were close to 2,200 people aboard for the ship's maiden voyage.

Photograph by F. G. O. Stuart

On April 10, 1912, the R.M.S. Titanic left its port in Southampton, England, and began the transatlantic journey to New York City in the United States. Considered unsinkable, Titanic served as a luxury ocean liner for over 2,000 passengers and crew. On April 15, Titanic sank in just over two and a half hours after colliding with an iceberg.

More than one hundred years later, National Geographic Education marks the anniversary of one of the greatest maritime tragedies in history. From Titanic’s construction in Belfast, Ireland, to its discovery under icy waters by National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Robert Ballard and oceanographer Jean-Louis Michel in 1985, the Titanic has long captivated the public mind. Use this collection of multimedia education resources to contextualize the anniversary for your students.

Videos

Spark student interest in the story of the Titanic with these videos

Heroes of the Titanic

Every one of the Titanic's engineers stayed at their post trying to save lives as the ship went down.
Undercover History: Titanic

National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Robert Ballard tells the real story behind his 1985 co-discovery of the Titanic.
Save the Titanic

The National Geographic Channel commemorates the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic with “Save the Titanic with Bob Ballard."
The Ship that Belfast Built

Unna, from the Belfast Titanic Society, shares the untold story behind the building of the Titanic.
Robert Ballard: Titanic

Robert Ballard discusses the current condition of Titanic and his hopes and plans for preserving this piece of history.

National Geographic Explorer

Learn more about one of the people National Geographic funds to explore the world

Dr. Robert Ballard is an ocean explorer who has discovered shipwrecks (including the R.M.S. Titanic!) as well as the weird world of hydrothermal vents.

Games and Interactives

Engage students with these games and interactives on the Titanic

Explore the Titanic with this interactive featuring the art of Ken Marschall

Explore sonar imagery of the wreck site, and zoom in on individual pieces of the ship.

Building Titanic: An Interactive Timeline

Witness the Titanic come to life in the shipyards of Belfast with this interactive timeline.

Maps

Explore the geography of the story of the Titanic with these maps

Investigate the ocean conditions in the area where the Titanic sank.

Chart the Titanic's story on this large-scale map that you can download, print, and assemble.

Nonfiction Reading

Use these articles to learn more about the great unsinkable ship

Sinking of the Titanic

Use these maps, illustrations, and downloadable poster to learn why the Titanic sank and the conditions of the water where it sank.
The R.M.S. Titanic

The R.M.S. Titanic: One of History's Greatest Nautical Tragedies.
Titanic Losses

The "Unsinkable Molly Brown" itemizes what, exactly, went down with the ship.
Iceberg

Icebergs are large chunks of ice that break off from glaciers
Ice Sheet

An ice sheet is a type of glacier that covers a very large area
Arctic

The Arctic is the northernmost region of the Earth
All About the Ocean

The ocean covers 70 percent of the Earth's surface.
bathymetry

Bathymetry is the measurement of the depth of water in oceans, rivers, or lakes. Bathymetric maps look a lot like topographic maps, which use lines to show the shape and elevation of land features.
Icebergs in the North Atlantic Ocean

Icebergs regularly break off from glaciers in the Arctic and make their way south to the North Atlantic Ocean, where they can come into contact with ships. The number of icebergs found in the North Atlantic Ocean changes from year to year.