At 11.40 pm on the night of 14 April 1912, RMS Titanic struck the iceberg that would lead to her sinking 3 hours later, and taking 1,503 bodies down with her.
Here are ten things you may not know about Titanic:
1. A Cancelled Lifeboat Drill
On the very day that RMS Titanic struck the iceberg, a lifeboat drill was planned, but was was cancelled for unknown reasons. Many believe that more lives could have been saved if the drill had taken place.
2. Half Full Lifeboats
Not only weren't there enough lifeboats on board to carry all 2,200 passengers, but many of the lifeboats were launched half empty. In fact, the first lifeboat carried only 28 people, despite having the capacity to hold 65.
3. Dog Survivors
Of the twelve dogs on board the Titanic, three survived - a pekingese and two pomeranians.
4. Iceberg Warnings
Titanic received 6 official warnings about potentially dangerous icebergs during her voyage.
5. An Optical Illusion
Some believe that an optical illusion, specifically light refraction, could have caused the crew not to see the iceberg until the very last minute.
6. No Binoculars
The key to unlock the binoculars for Titanic's lookouts was lost, preventing lookout crew from using them to search for potential hazards - such as icebergs.
7. Most Expensive Ticket
The most expensive ticket sold on the Titanic was a $4,350 First Class ticket - the equivalent of $69,600 today.
8. Musicians
As seen in the 1997 film Titanic the ship's musicians played on the first class deck as it sank. They played for two hours and five minutes, with none surviving.
9. Baker Survivor
Titanic's chief baker Charles Joughin survived the Titanic despite being in the icy waters for at least two hours. He claims he was able to tread water for so long because he was drunk on whisky.
10. Bodies Recovered
Out of the 1,503 victims of the Titanic, only 340 bodies were recovered, and 119 of these were unidentifiable.
