April 14, 2012, marks the centennial since the HMS Titanic
hit an iceberg and sank in the Atlantic Ocean. Everything about the Titanic and
its journey was big. Its biggest promise — one few stopped to question — was
that it was an unsinkable ship.
On April 10, 1912, the Titanic left Southampton, England, to
travel west across the Atlantic Ocean and reach New York City on the other
side. It carried 2,435 passengers and 892 crew members. But arrogance on the
part of the White Star Line and lax maritime safety regulations of the time,
ensured most on board never reached the US. To add deck space, designers of the
ship had a second row of lifeboats removed. That left only 20 lifeboats — not
nearly enough for all who were on board.
When the ship struck an iceberg 600 kilometres off the coast
of Newfoundland and sank, its once awe-inspiring size and capacity became a
hindrance. Women, children and some men were ushered into lifeboats that had no
hope of holding every person on the ship. More than 1,700 people were still on
the Titanic when it broke apart and slipped into the frigid North Atlantic.
Anyone who fell into the water would have died within minutes because of
hypothermia.
When the news reached Europe and North America — that the
mammoth unsinkable ship had indeed sunk — the headlines in newspaper were
big too. An estimated 700 people survived but more than 1,500 died.
Titanic
photographs still haunt 100 years after disaster.
How did the Titanic sink? According to an article in the
National Post, experts who have
advised both National Geographic and the History Channel for their 100-year
anniversary documentary programs offer their views. The following represents
the best estimations science and history can currently make as to what happened
in the moments immediately before and after the Titanic disappeared beneath the
surface.
As the world remembers the tragedy of the Titanic,
CBC News looks
back at some of the stories and legends of the doomed ocean liner. From the
ship's comforts and luxuries to the personalities on board, there is no
shortage of anecdotes and details about the Titanic. The
Maritime
Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, Nova Scotia, has a permanent connection
to the sinking of Titanic. In commemoration of the 100th anniversary, visitors
can see many exhibits, programs and special events.
Obstacle No. 3 was The Love — Until World War II, the income
tax was levied only on the rich. But wartime spending meant the government
needed money, and ordinary folks are now asked to pay. The government needed
Donald Duck. In a movie from 1943, Donald Duck
marches around his house, listening to the radio and filling out his tax form.
Occupation: actor. Dependents: three (Huey, Dewey and Louie). This wartime
patriotic motivation campaign worked. Maybe we didn't love the income tax. But
we paid it. [Copyright 2012 National Public Radio]
