Titanic Sinking Anniversary 2021: 10 Facts About The Famous Ship And Its Tragic End

On April 15, 1912, RMS Titanic sank on its maiden voyage from the United Kingdom to the United States after hitting an iceberg on its path. This year is the 109th anniversary of the ship's sinking.

More than 1,500 people – nearly two-thirds of the ship's passengers and crew – died in the incident. The tragedy also led to decades of search for its wreckage.

The Titanic began its journey on April 10, 1912, and just four days into the trip, the ship hit an iceberg in the northern Atlantic Ocean. The tragedy was the inspiration for the 1997 Oscar-winning movie "Titanic," starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

Here are some interesting, lesser-known facts about the famous ship:

1. Titanic accommodated 833 first class passengers, 614 second class passengers and 1,006 third class passengers.

2. Those traveling first class were roughly 44% more likely to survive than other passengers, according to History.com.

3. Around 3,000 workers labored for two years to build the Titanic, the largest passenger steamship at the time. Nearly 250 workers were injured and two died in construction-related accidents.

4. About 100,000 people watched the ship being launched into the River Lagan in Ireland on May 31, 1911.

5. Of the 885 crew onboard the ship, only 23 were women.

6. It took about 160 minutes for the ship to sink after it hit the iceberg.

7. The richest passenger onboard the ship was John Jacob Astor IV, who had an estimated net worth of $85 million at the time.

8. Nearly 32% of those who were aboard Titanic survived.

9. The ship was carrying cargo worth $420,000 ($11 million today), the New York Times reported on April 21, 1912.

10. Millvina Dean, the last living survivor of the Titanic, died in 2009.