The Titanic was a luxury liner owned by the British White Star Line that was commissioned to travel between Europe and North America. The liner was constructed at Harland and Wolff's facilities in Belfast and was among the largest items in motion that existed at that time. The Titanic measured approximately 882 feet long and was capable of carrying more than 2200 passengers and crew. The White Star Line marketed the Titanic as the most luxurious and modern way to cross the Atlantic, and boasted about its "modern conveniences" such as a swimming pool, squash court, gymnasium, and electric elevator.

The Titanic began its first journey (maiden voyage) from Southampton, England, on April 10th, 1912. It traveled through Cherbourg, France; Queenstown, Ireland (Cobh), and finally headed west into the Atlantic Ocean towards New York City. There were wealthy individuals aboard who were traveling to their new homes in America, along with immigrants looking to begin new lives in America, engineers, musicians, and other crew members responsible for keeping the ship running smoothly. These different types of passengers provided a unique snapshot of society in 1912.

On the night of April 14, 1912, just before midnight, the Titanic collided with an ice berg in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. The impact damaged the right side of the ship beneath the water line. Water leaked into multiple watertight compartments, and since the Titanic's hull design did not provide for the compartmentalization to prevent flooding when more than four compartments filled with water, it became apparent shortly after midnight that the Titanic was going to sink. Crew members attempted to launch all available lifeboats to save those on board. However, due to previous lifeboat capacity regulations that relied upon a ship's tonnage instead of how many passengers or crew were on board, many lifeboats were only partially loaded during this process.

By early morning on April 15, 1912, the Titanic had broken apart and sunk. As many as 1500 people lost their lives in what is still considered one of the deadliest maritime tragedies in peace-time. Approximately eight hours after the Titanic sank, the R.M.S. Carpathia pulled up alongside the wreckage site and saved approximately 700 survivors who were stranded in the life boats.

News of the disaster rapidly spread throughout the world and caused widespread grief, shock, and concern internationally. News organizations around the globe reported extensively on the events surrounding the sinking of the Titanic. The names and experiences of individual passengers also contributed to a greater collective remembrance of the tragedy.

As a result of the sinking of the Titanic, official investigations took place in both Britain and America. The investigations identified several contributing factors including excessive speed, inadequate communication, limited use of lifeboats, and poor safety preparations. Maritime regulation changes resulted from these findings. For example, ships are now required to have sufficient numbers of lifeboats to accommodate all persons on board a given ship. Radio watch procedures were improved as well as methods for detecting icebergs in the North Atlantic.

It wasn't until 1985 that Robert Ballard and Jean-Louis Michel located the remains of the Titanic at the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean, nearly thirteen thousand five hundred feet underwater. Since then, extensive research and documentation regarding the Titanic has been conducted. Additionally, continued interest in this event has produced museums, books, films, and memorial tributes to ensure its legacy will be remembered for years to come worldwide.