When did the Titanic sink? Remembering the sinking of the ship on memorial day of disaster - and key facts

Respects are being paid to the 1,500 souls who perished following the sinking of the Titanic in the North Atlantic Ocean.

April 15 marks the anniversary of the tragedy which occurred on the enormous passenger liner’s maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City.

The events of the epic disaster are best known to many of us via James Cameron’s 1997 Oscar winner which blended historical and fictional elements.

But what exactly happened to the Titanic and when was it sunk?

When did the Titanic sink?

The Titanic set off from Southampton on it’s maiden voyage on April 10, 1912, just over a week after its completion.

It would sink five days later into its voyage on April 15. The ship made contact with an iceberg at twenty minutes to midnight on April 14.

The sinking itself lasted approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes.

Where did the ship sink?

The cruise liner sank approximately 370 miles southeast of the coast of Newfoundland in Canada during its journey to New York City.

After setting sail form England the ship called at Cherbourg in France and Queenstown – now Cobh – in Ireland before making its journey towards the United States.

How many lives were lost?

Titanic had an estimated 2,224 passengers and crew on board at the time of its sinking.

Of those on board it is estimated that between 1,490 and 1,635 perished.

White Star Line, the ship’s operator, retrieved 328 bodies, 119 of which were buried at sea, while the remaining 209 were taken to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Victims included some of the world’s wealthiest people at the time, as well as emigrants from Europe seeking a new life in the United States.

What happened?

On April 14, Titanic hit an iceberg at 11.40pm causing the hull plates on the starboard side of the ship to buckle inwards, opening five of the ship’s 16 watertight compartments.

Following the collision passengers and crew members were evacuated to lifeboats, some of which were only partially full, with a disproportionate number of men left on board due to the prioritisation of women and children.

At 2.20am the ship was broken apart, before foundering and sinking, with approximately 1,000 souls on board. The HMS Carpathia rescued an estimated 710 passengers and crew members.

Where can I watch Titanic?

James Cameron’s 1997 film Titanic is currently available to watch on Amazon Prime.