LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – It’s been 100 years since the RMS Titanic embarked on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York, only to sink under cold Atlantic waters on April 15, after striking an iceberg.
Of the 2,223 passengers and crew aboard, only 706 survived that memorable night, but the story of the ocean liner deemed unsinkable has fascinated the world ever since.
“It was one of the first truly international stories with news breaking almost as it was happening with the wireless connection they had with other ships,” said Alexandra Klingelhofer, curator of “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition,” which has toured the world .
“It became a focal point for the entire world and of course it represented the world with its multi-national passengers and crew,” Klingelhofer told Reuters.
The upcoming days will see a slew of commemorative events in the U.S. media, television specials and the release in 3D of the 1997 blockbuster movie “Titanic” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Following is information on the film and some of the numerous TV shows and books:
FILM
– “Titanic 3-D” now in movie theaters. Filmmaker Jim Cameron oversaw the 3-D transfer during a two-year, painstaking process that cost a reported $18 million to complete.
– 4-CD Collector’s Anniversary Edition soundtrack of the film, featuring a fully re-mastered score, a disc of period music and a compilation of songs from the era.
TELEVISION
– “Titanic” airing April 14th-15th on ABC, is a four-part miniseries written by “Downton Abbey” creator Julian Fellowes following events from the perspective of various characters.
– “A Night to Remember” airing April 14th on TCM, is the Golden Globe-winning 1958 classic chronicling the disaster.
– “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition” on display in various U.S. cities as well as Singapore. Items on view include the ship’s bell, the steering wheel hub, the compass and much more.
– The History Channel has created a daily Twitter account for the Titanic, re-imagining its voyage through tweets. @HistoryChannel #Titanic.
– “Secrets of the Titanic” a 1986 documentary chronicling Robert Ballard’s search for and discovery of the wreck, airing April 15th on National Geographic Channel.
– “Rebuilding Titanic” on the construction of the iconic ship, airing April 15th on National Geographic Channel
– “Titanic: The Final Word with James Cameron” airing April 8th-16th on National Geographic Channel follows the filmmaker as he reviews footage collected over his 30 dives to the wreck.
– “Titanic: Ballard’s Secret Mission” delves into how Robert Ballard, discoverer of the wreck in 1985, used his robotic sub to check on a pair of nuclear subs missing from the U.S. fleet during the Cold War. Airing on April 7 on National Geographic Channel.
– “Save the Titanic with Bob Ballard” airing April 9th-16th on National Geographic Channel follows Ballard as he tries to protect the ship’s final resting place.
– “Titanic at 100: Mystery Solved” uses experts and engineers to determine how the ship broke apart and sank to the bottom of the Atlantic, airing April 15th on the History Channel
– “Titanic’s Final Mystery” airing April 5th – 15th on the Smithsonian Channel attempts to answer two questions: why did the Titanic hit the iceberg and why didn’t the California, the closest ship in the area, answer her distress signal.
– “The Real Story: Titanic” airing several times on the Smithsonian Channel between April 5th – 15th, compares the facts surrounding the disaster with their portrayal in the film, “Titanic.”
– “Saving the Titanic” airing April 6th – 14th on PBS is a historical drama looking at the disaster from the perspective of the engineering crew who fought to keep the ship afloat.
– “The Titanic with Len Goodman” airing April 10th – 14th on PBS follows Goodman on an exploration of the impact of the tragedy on families of victims and the men who built Titanic.
– “NOVA: Why Ships Sink” airing April 18th on PBS features marine engineers and safety experts examining ill-fated cruises like the Titanic and the Concordia.
– “Titanic’s Achilles Heel” on H2 airing April 12th pieces together the event through a series of dives, photos and eyewitness accounts.
– “Nazi Titanic” airing April 14th on H2 is a look at Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels documentary based on the sinking of the ship.
– “Titanic’s Final Moments: Missing Pieces” looks at two pristine pieces of the hull that may change our understanding of how the ship came apart. Airing on H2 on April 12th.
BOOKS
– “Titanic, First Accounts” is a compendium of survivor accounts, newspaper articles and testimonies.
– “Wreck and Sinking of the Titanic” was quickly written in the aftermath of the tragedy. Edited by Marshall Everett, it is being reissued with archival photos and new illustrations.
– “Shadow of the Titanic” by Andrew Wilson charts the difficulties facing survivors in the years after the ordeal.
– “TITANIC: The Tragedy That Shook the World,” by the editors of LIFE at Time Home Entertainment Inc, includes photos and stories of the ship and many of those characters that have kept the public enthralled since the sinking.
(Reporting by Jordan Riefe; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Bob Tourtellotte)
