The Titanic was a British ship that set sail from Southampton, England and was expected to arrive in New York City, United States. The luxury ship's fresh paint smell wafted through the air. As reported, the Titanic struck an iceberg and slowly sank into the sea over a period of 2 hours and 40 minutes. The Titanic's sinking is notable since the Titanic was the largest passenger ship afloat in the sea. With 2,223 souls aboard the maiden voyage and a limited amount of lifeboats, panic ensued as water flooded the boat.
Even to this day, Leonardo DiCaprio is considered a god in the movie industry for his role as Jack Dawson in Titanic. His selfless act of deciding to freeze in the North Atlantic to save his lover is one of the most impactful acts of heroism we've seen in a film. Unquestionably, the Titanic movie is a classic and one of Director James Cameron's finest motion pictures. Yet, the movie doesn't show all the facts about the Titanic; you'll have to read on to find out about those. Including movie differences, unknown facts, and rare photos, these are 25 things about the real Titanic we never saw in the movie.
25 The Sinking Of The Titanic Was Less Dramatic Than The Movie
The actual event of Titanic's sinking was harrowing but slightly less dramatic than the move made it seem. The RMS Titanic sank on April 14th, 1912. Instead of doing a dramatic nosedive like in the movie, the boat most likely sank on an incline. There's a good chance the part in the movie where the Titanic split into two, and two guys fell through the middle didn't happen.
Simulations such as the one contained on National Geographic's YouTube channel provide a better representation of what would actually have happened during the Titanic's sinking. The movie's version of the Titanic's sinking was altered for dramatic effect. The Oscar-winning film is fun to watch, but not realistic.
24 Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater Are Not Found On Any Titanic Passenger List
In the movie, this scene was a romantic moment in which Jack and Rose kissed for the first time. It was also the last moment that the Titanic saw daylight. Later that day's night, the Titanic struck an iceberg; an event that would lead to the filming of one of the highest-grossing movies of all time. Their chemistry was like few other movie couples.
Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater, however, are not based on real people.
They have a fictional story in a movie that is based on a true story. You won't find Jack and Rose, like many other of the movie's characters on any passenger list.
23 The Iceberg May Have Not Been Solely Responsible For The Titanic's Sinking
Alternative theories could explain what actually caused the Titanic's sinking. One of the top theories suggests that the Titanic's sinking was related to a coal fire. The website of smithsonianmag.com hypothesizes that coal could have damaged the Titanic's structure.
The combination of a weakened structure and the collision of an iceberg may have led to the Titanic's sinking.
Several of the ship engine's workers claim that a coal fire was the cause of the shipwreck. Watertight compartments were supposed to prevent the Titanic from sinking. Until proven, a coal fire is not responsible for the Titanic's sinking. We may never know what caused the Titanic's sinking. For now, we can say it was an iceberg.
22 Ocean Water That Flooded In The Titanic Would Have Been Murkey
The Titanic movie gives audience members the impression that water flooding inside the Titanic is icy cold (even if it was understated), but it doesn't seem like it's murky salty ocean water.
In real life, the water that flooded into the main hall and corridors of the Titanic would be mixed with sea plants such as algae and seagrasses and maybe fish like Atlantic Cod or Atlantic Herring.
Not once did any character from Titanic complain about the taste of salt water or mud, but it would have been mean if James Cameron told his cast to swim through ocean water.
21 The Water Was Much Too Cold For Survival (Even For Rose)
While the fictional tale of Director James Cameron's blockbuster classic artfully tells the story of how the Titanic sunk (compared to most shipwreck tales), there are differences.
First of all, Jack and Rose would never have made it off the ship because of how long they were in contact with near-freezing flooding water.
Jack and Rose were in the water for about 30 minutes before going outside where Jack let Rose lie on the floating door. Besides, Rose's thin dress and life jacket were not enough to keep her warm, and she would have frozen alive even with the door/raft.
20 Flashlights Never Existed When The "Real" Titanic Set Sail
The evacuation of the Titanic was a panicked and hurried effort, and it may have been more difficult than it was portrayed in the movie. In multiple scenes, 5th Officer Harold Lowe guides a flashlight to aid the evacuation. According to the website of bestlifeonline.com, flashlights were not used by the crewman of the Titanic.
They were only recently invented and weren't used by most people of the time.
Since the Titanic struck an iceberg just before midnight and sank soon after, it would have been much darker than the movie. It's unsettling, but lifeboats would have extinguished their lights to hide from swimmers.
19 Upper-Class Women Wouldn't Have Worn That Much Makeup
Many upper-class women wore a ton jewelry, but at the time in Britain, it was not common for women to wear a lot of makeup. Makeup would have been applied to a minimum unlike what we see in the Titanic movie. Of course, it's a movie, and actors and actresses would wear makeup before being filmed.
The amount of lipstick worn by Rose DeWitt Bukater and other makeup worn by people from the movie is not an accurate representation of the real event. Makeup is necessary for the movie, but it's worth noting that the film has been glamourized, to an extent.
18 It Would Have Been Next To Impossible For Jack And Rose To Meet Each Other
For Jack and Rose to meet each other on the Titanic would have been improbable since they were both from different classes on the ship. First-class passengers are separated from third-class and other passengers. The class-system in Britain was far more important and recognized than it is today.
The only way Jack and Rose could have met was during the evacuation, but it seems unlikely that would ever happen.
We love James Cameron's shipwreck tale and it is a movie that cannot be replaced. Nevertheless, to say Jack and Rose could meet and fall in love is ridiculous.
17 It Was One Shilling For Entry To The Titanic's First-Class Gymnasium
The Titanic's gym may not have had the Bowflex Max Trainer M5 or the Life Fitness 95Ti Treadmill, but it did have most of the equipment you would need for a vigorous workout. While exercising in the Titanic's gym, you would be accompanied by the ship's physical instructor named Mr. T.W. McCauley. It's doubtful that many of the passengers packed workout clothing.
Titanic passengers using exercise bikes and other equipment inside the gym were photographed in suits and dresses.
It's possible they weren't aware of the Titanic's gymnasium and didn't pack workout clothing. It was, after all, the maiden voyage.
16 A Lot Of Rich And Famous People Were Almost Going To Be On The Titanic
Notably, the founder of The Hershey Company had a ticket for the Titanic but did not board the ship. The website of pennlive.com details Milton S. Hershey's payment to the Titanic. "The check that Milton Hershey wrote on Dec. 18, 1911, for $300 to White Star Lines was drawn on the Hershey Trust Company".
White Star Line was clearly undeserving of this check, and it's not the first time one of their ships sunk from an iceberg.
Other notable people who were almost on the Titanic are J.P. Morgan, who decided to stay in France; Guglielmo, the inventor of the telegraph; Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, one of the richest men in America; and American storyteller Theodore Dreiser.
15 Titanic Enhanced With Color (Real Photo)
The photo above is an actual photo of the Titanic that was enhanced with color for a better visual representation. Fresh paint could be smelled by the passengers when Titanic set sail for the first time. Only 3 out of 4 of Titanic's smoke stacks released smoke; the other was decorative.
For sure, the Titanic had many lights that would have helped aid the evacuation effort.
Unfortunately, once the ship sank, those lights would not have been of help to the Titanic's passengers. Even by today's standards, the Titanic is enormous. At departure, the waves from the Titanic would have been intense, and they would have been overwhelming to nearby boats.
14 The Binoculars For The Crow's Nest Were Missing
Binoculars for the crow's nest may have helped save the Titanic from its demise. Visibility from the crow's nest was limited without the binoculars. According to a telegraph.co.uk article, the key that would have been used to access the locker containing the crow's nest binoculars was not in possession of the crew.
Second Officer David Blair was not part of the crew that day—he forgot to hand his key to his replacement.
We can't know for sure if the crow's nest binoculars would have saved the Titanic, yet it seems like binoculars would have helped the crew spot icebergs.
13 The Violin From The Actual Titanic Was Recovered
Real artifacts from the Titanic were not present in the movie. It wouldn't have been practical to use items from the Titanic which were damaged and aged. At least his violin from the Titanic was included in the movie.
The website of catawiki.com details how the violin was sold at an auction for €1.5 million.
Interestingly enough, this was the violin that was played as the Titanic began to sink. Like the movie, the band joined in after the violin player started to play. Of course, an item that played 'Nearer My God to Thee' on the Titanic is invaluable.
12 The Sinking Band Played The Wrong Song
Cameron 1997 movie played the "Bethany" version of "Nearer, My God, to Thee" and not the original version. Some members aboard the Titanic said the band fled and didn't play the song at all.
The actions of the characters in the Titanic are nonsensical.
Why is it that Rose jumped out of her lifeboat to be with Jack? In the end, Jack gave his life to save Rose, allowing her to lie on the only door and stay out of the water. The whole situation could have been prevented, and Jack would have lived if Rose stayed on her lifeboat.
11 The Curse Of The RMS Titanic
The Titanic was built in Belfast, and the shipyard where the Titanic was built is believed to be cursed. Could a design flaw be responsible for the Titanic's sinking?
Many experts believe that an iceberg would not deliver a large enough impact to breach the hull of the RMS Titanic.
Since the Titanic was created in the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Ireland, the shipyard is believed to have been cursed. The place fell into ruins as few people, and the city ceased to keep the shipyard active. Although considered folklore, people continue to believe the curse of the Titanic.
10 The Boiler Room Scene Wouldn't Have Happened
Maybe you remember the short scene when Jack and Rose ran through the boiler room, startling one of the workers. How that scene transpired would have been entirely different if it was inside the Titanic's real boiler room. Both Jack and Rose would have been covered in a copious amount of soot.
There's a reason why the boiler room is off-limits to Titanic's passengers.
Notably, there is a deleted scene from 1997's Titanic that shows Jack and Rose kissing in the boiler room. Thankfully, that scene didn't get put into the movie, or the film would have reached a new level of fiction and became a disaster of its own.
9 The Titanic's Construction at Harland and Wolff
Rose DeWitt Bukater is among the many characters in Titanic who believed the ship to be virtually indestructible. Their estimation was not validated since the ship sunk after striking an iceberg. This photo or anything about the Titanic's construction at the Harland and Wolff shipyard is not included in James Cameron's movie.
The construction of the biggest ship at the time in 1912 would have to be for a flawless ship.
According to historyonthenet.com, compartments were watertight, and the boat had twenty-four double end boilers. There could have been other unknown factors at play because the Titanic was built to withstand collisions with icebergs.
8 More Than A Century Later, The Titanic Remains On The Seabed
The Titanic's wreckage split into two while sinking to the bottom of the ocean. Finding a lost ship or plane at the bottom of the sea is an exceedingly difficult task. At the bottom of the ocean, the pressure is high, there is little light, it's cold, and only the most experienced deep sea divers have the knowledge to run an expedition.
The website of planet-science.com details deep-sea explorer Robert Ballard's search for the Titanic in an area five times larger than New York. Over 70 years later in the year 1985, the wreckage of the Titanic was found.
7 Remains At The Titanic's Wreck Site
James Cameron, the director behind the 1997 Titanic movie, said you won't find bodies at the Titanic wreck because they would have dissolved in salt water by now. What you will see at the site of the Titanic, though, is clothing and numerous pairs of shoes. Shoes are everywhere—in the cabins, on the seafloor, and all over the ship.
The way the shoes are positioned on the seafloor makes it seem like they weren't placed there, but someone was wearing them. According to titanicfacts.net, out of 1,503 souls aboard the Titanic, only 306 bodies were recovered during a search that went on for days.
6 You Can Visit The Wreck Of The RMS Titanic
Despite the fact the Titanic sank over a century ago, it will once again become a luxury destination for travel goers. The cost, however, will be more expensive than the boarding ticket in 1912—even with inflation. OceanGate will be charging $105,129 per person for people to board a submersible that takes guests to the wreck of the Titanic.
The launch of OceanGate's new tour is expected to launch in 2019-20.
To witness the deck and grand staircase of the Titanic would be an experience like none other. The Titanic continues to decay from ocean bacteria, so it won't be long until the Titanic dissolves completely. The ship is expected to disappear by 2030, says an issue of Scientific Reports journal.