The Titanic sank in 1912 after hitting an iceberg in the North Atlantic.
The British passenger liner struck the iceberg late on 14 April 1912 and sank in the early hours of 15 April during its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. More than 1,500 people died, making the disaster one of the deadliest peacetime maritime tragedies.
Titanic was operated by the White Star Line and was one of three Olympic-class ocean liners. Its size and luxury attracted global attention, while the disaster exposed serious weaknesses in lifeboat capacity, emergency planning and radio communication practices.
The wreck was discovered on the seabed in 1985 by a joint American-French expedition led by Robert Ballard and Jean-Louis Michel. It lies about 3,800 metres below the surface. The sinking prompted major changes to maritime safety rules, including the creation of the International Ice Patrol.