#TodayInHistory
The Titanic had been called unsinkable for many reasons, but one was that it had 16 watertight compartments to help keep it afloat. According to ship engineers, the Titanic could afford to flood four of those compartments and still sail. However, the iceberg flooded at least five of those compartments — ultimately dooming the ship.
While the flooding was taking place, many passengers were evacuated in lifeboats. Most of those evacuated were women and children, as it was tradition to prioritize them. There also were not enough lifeboats on the ship to accommodate all the people were on board.
Less than three hours after the Titanic struck the iceberg, the ship broke apart. More than 1,500 people were still on board at that time. It sank in the North Atlantic in the early hours of April 15.
The wreckage of the Titanic was not discovered until the summer of 1985. It led to multiple films about it, including the 1997 award-winning film by James Cameron.
Debate of What to Blame
Historians debate what is to blame for the Titanic sinking. From Edwardian hubris to the captain not heeding ice warnings to the actual construction and planning of the ship itself, the sinking of the Titanic remains one of the most famous sea disasters in history.
Edwardian hubris- the folly of man’s excessive pride—the arrogance that seeks to supplant God – the Greeks called it hubris. Titanic’s owners claimed that they’d built a ship that not even God could sink. That boast may sound blasphemous, but it was characteristic of the post-Edwardian era.
The 40-year period just prior to the Titanic’s maiden voyage had witnessed amazing technological advances: the electric light, the automobile, the telephone, and the airplane.
