Some days will always live in infamy.
On December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese.
On April 18, 1906, San Francisco was destroyed by an earthquake.
And exactly 97 years ago today, on April 14, 1912, RMS Titanic struck an iceberg and sank in the chilly waters of the north Atlantic.
More than 1,500 lives were lost that day, as was the reputation of the White Star line, which was supposed to have built an unsinkable ship.
Around the world, dozens of places connected with Titanic will acknowledge today’s anniversary with celebrations, commemorations and exhibits that tell the story of the most famous ship in the world, which unfortunately never made it through her maiden journey.
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND
More than 100,000 people watched Titanic set off from Southampton on its inaugural trip to New York on April 5, 1912. A whopping 549 of those who died (one-third of the total) came from the city, the vast majority of which were crew members. So it’s no wonder that every year the town puts on quite a big show in commemoration of the tragedy.
This year will be extra-special because Milvina Dean, the last known survivor of the wreck, is scheduled to give a talk at Southampton University on April 17. Dean, who is now 97 years old, was a nine-week-old baby when her parents perished on Titanic.
In addition, the Southampton Tourist Guides Association will take visitors on the “Titanic Trail” walking tour from April 17 through 19. The walk passes by dozens of monuments and locations associated with the tragedy, including pre-voyage accommodation buildings where passengers and crew stayed before their departure, and a number of pubs that crew members drank in to ease the journey.
During the same weekend the Friends of Southampton Old Cemetery is offering a tour of the historic town graveyard, which contains graves of dozens of people with Titanic connections.
And as it has every year since 1912, St Mary’s Church in Southampton will hold a civic commemorative service at 11:45 a.m. on Sunday April 19 in honor of those who lost their lives.
Click here for an itinerary of events in Southampton.
BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND
It was 100 years ago this month that the Titanic’s construction began in the shipyards of Belfast, the city that is considered to be the ship’s official “birthplace.”
More than 10,000 workers from Harland and Wolff Ltd. spent three years laboring on the ship, which was the largest moving object in the world at the time. The company also built the famous ships Britannic and Olympic.
Titanic cost $7.5 million to build, which is equivalent to about $400 million in today’s dollars. The ship carried a $5 million insurance policy, a large portion of which was distributed to families of those who died in the wreck.
Between April 11 and 19 the city is hosting the annual Titanic Made in Belfast Festival, which features tours, lectures, dinners, and a special exhibition of photos and artifacts titled “Titanic: Designed and Built in Belfast.”
Guided bus and boat tours of the former shipyards give an idea of what Belfast was like at the turn of the century, and explain the significance of the shipbuilding industry to this proud city.
The museum exhibit is offered through the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum and includes hundreds of stunning black-and-white photos which show all phases of construction.
Click here for the full program of events: www.belfastcity.gov.uk/titanic
Click here for a preview of the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum exhibits: www.titanicinbelfast.com
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
The desert climate of Las Vegas seems an unlikely place to commemorate the victims of a maritime tragedy, but the Luxor Hotel is hosting an exhibition with more than 300 artifacts from Titanic.
The hugely popular exhibit, which was formerly housed at the Tropicana, opened in December 2008 and features more than 400 actual items from Titanic, including 20 never-before-seen artifacts such as gaming chips, passengers’ personal papers and a replica of a section of Titanic’s famed grand staircase.
Visitors can walk through recreations of the first and third-class cabins, which contain furnishings made by the original manufacturers, and learn about the history of the ship, from its construction all the way through to recent recovery efforts. The exhibit also includes a 15-ton piece of the ship’s hull, the largest artifact ever retrieved from Titanic.
Visitors who come to the Luxor today are encouraged to leave flowers at the memorial wall, which contains the names of all 2,200 passengers and crew.
For ticket prices and hours, visit www.luxor.com
CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS IN 2012
If can’t make it to any of the anniversary celebrations this year, don’t worry. Get your calendar out and start planning for 2012, the centenary of the Titanic disaster, when many organizations will be really laying on the celebrations.
Southampton plans to open a Titanic museum, where more than 4,000 artifacts that the city has gathered over the years will be put on display. Many of the items have been in storage for years and will be seeing the light of day for the first time in decades. The exhibit will also feature recordings of the recollections of 70 survivors.
Those interested in literally retracing the path of Titanic will be able to take a 10-day cruise that follows the fated ship’s exact itinerary – minus the sinking part. Passengers will sail on the Balmoral, which is owned by Fred Olsen Cruise Lines. Fittingly, the parent company of Fred Olsen is Harland and Wolff, the original builders of Titanic.
Port stops will be made at Cobh, Ireland (the ship’s last port of call) and Halifax, Nova Scotia, where more than 100 of those who died at sea are buried. On April 11 the ship will stop at the site where Titanic sank in order to conduct a special memorial ceremony.
The cruise departs from Southampton on April 8, 2012. It leaves port two days earlier than Titanic did, because the Balmoral does not go as fast as Titanic and needs additional time to make it to the North Atlantic in time for the anniversary.
Tickets for the cruise go on sale today and start at $3,800 per person.
For info on the cruise and to book tickets, click here:
www.titanicmemorialcruise.co.uk
By Karen Elowitt for PeterGreenberg.com.
Related links: Guardian, Telegraph
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