The liner struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic late on 14 April and sank in the early hours of 15 April. Around 1,500 of the roughly 2,224 people aboard died, most from cold-water immersion.
Lifeboats had capacity for only about 1,178 people, and several launched partly empty. Ice warnings had been received, and the ship was travelling at high speed through a known ice field.
The disaster produced the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), lifeboat-for-all requirements, 24-hour radio watch and the International Ice Patrol — a foundational moment in modern transport safety regulation.
Why this event still matters
Historical incidents shape the rules that protect people today — building codes, evacuation policy, warning systems and inspection regimes almost always trace back to a specific disaster. Studying Sinking of the RMS Titanic alongside current events is how preparedness improves.
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