What if the Titanic hadn't sunk?
What if the Titanic hadn't sunk?
Learn more about what could have happened if the Titanic hadn't sunk.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Transcript
What if the Titanic hadn't sunk?
The RMS Titanic was a British luxury passenger liner that sank on April 14–15, 1912, during its maiden voyage.
When the Titanic hit an iceberg on its journey from Southampton, England, to New York City, gashes created in the ship’s hull caused it to take on water.
It’s estimated that the crash killed about 1,500 of the ship’s approximately 2,200 passengers and crew members.
But what if the Titanic didn’t sink?
Unfortunately, a successful Titanic might not have meant the preservation of more lives in the long run.
The massive casualties of the ship’s passengers were caused less by the collision with the iceberg itself than the fact that the Titanic didn’t have enough lifeboats to carry all its passengers to safety; in fact, it only had 20.
The tragedy of the Titanic sparked new international regulations requiring ships to carry enough lifeboats to hold every crewmate and passenger.
If the Titanic hadn’t sunk, it would likely have taken another similar disaster to put that lifesaving policy into effect.
Besides: even if the Titanic’s maiden voyage had been successful, its life as a passenger ship would likely have been interrupted in about two more years.
The outbreak of World War I in 1914 meant that the Titanic, like its sister ships the Britannic and the Olympic, would probably have been requisitioned for the war effort.
What else would have happened if the Titanic hadn't sunk?
The RMS Titanic was a British luxury passenger liner that sank on April 14–15, 1912, during its maiden voyage.
When the Titanic hit an iceberg on its journey from Southampton, England, to New York City, gashes created in the ship’s hull caused it to take on water.
It’s estimated that the crash killed about 1,500 of the ship’s approximately 2,200 passengers and crew members.
But what if the Titanic didn’t sink?
Unfortunately, a successful Titanic might not have meant the preservation of more lives in the long run.
The massive casualties of the ship’s passengers were caused less by the collision with the iceberg itself than the fact that the Titanic didn’t have enough lifeboats to carry all its passengers to safety; in fact, it only had 20.
The tragedy of the Titanic sparked new international regulations requiring ships to carry enough lifeboats to hold every crewmate and passenger.
If the Titanic hadn’t sunk, it would likely have taken another similar disaster to put that lifesaving policy into effect.
Besides: even if the Titanic’s maiden voyage had been successful, its life as a passenger ship would likely have been interrupted in about two more years.
The outbreak of World War I in 1914 meant that the Titanic, like its sister ships the Britannic and the Olympic, would probably have been requisitioned for the war effort.
What else would have happened if the Titanic hadn't sunk?