RMS Titanic
Shockwaves reverberated around the World when news filtered through that 'Titanic' had struck an Iceberg on her maiden voyage to New York and plunged to her doom with over 1,500 souls onboard on April 15th 1912. Built between 1909-1911 for the White Star Line at the Harland and Wolff Shipyard in Belfast, Ireland, Titanic was the largest and most luxurious Ship ever built.
Designed primarily as a passenger liner, Titanic also carried a large amount of cargo. Her designation as a Royal Mail Ship (RMS)  indicated that She also carried mail for the UK and US Post Office.
Titanic carried some of the wealthiest people in the World (in First Class) as well as hundreds of emigrants (in Third Class) from the UK and Ireland hoping to make a new life for themselves in America.
Cheering crowds saw Her off from Southampton and She picked up further passengers in France and Ireland before heading across the Atlantic to New York.
On the night of April 14th/15th Titanic was 350 miles off the Coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
When the warning of an Iceberg immediately ahead was received from the Look out at 11.40 pm it was already too late. The First Officer on the Bridge gave the order for the Ship to alter course and for the engines to be reversed but Titanic struck the Iceberg on her Starboard side.
The order to lower the Lifeboats was given as Titanic began to fill with water but the passengers and crew were unprepared for this eventuality.
Thought 'unsinkable' at the time, Titanic had only 20 Lifeboats onboard.
This was more than was legally required for her size, but was only enough for around half the people onboard if each Lifeboat was full.
Two hours after striking the Iceberg Titanic's bow dipped below the water and her stern rose near vertical before plunging over two miles straight down to the bottom of the Atlantic.