Ninety nine years ago today, the RMS Titanic sank after striking an iceberg in the North Atlantic with the loss of 1,517 passengers and crew.  The sinking of the Titanic had a major impact on  ship  operations.     The first International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) was adopted in 1914 as a  direct response to the sinking. The International  Ice  Patrol and AMVER also trace their beginnings to the Titanic disaster.

In the almost 100 years since the sinking, however, the Titanic has moved from being a maritime tragedy to becoming a cultural icon.  The subject of hundreds of books and over twenty movies, the Titanic is also the basis of “Museum/Attractions” in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee in the Great Smokey Mountains and in Branson, Missouri.    In some respects, the actual sinking seems a backdrop to the movies and books.   “Earlier this month a sketch of Kate Winslet, used in the Hollywood blockbuster Titanic, was auctioned off for more than $16,000 in the US.”    In the next year’s run-up to the centennial of the sinking,  the number of Titanic memorial events will only increase,  including a memorial cruise on the MS Balmoral.

‘Titanic 100’ events mark launch of liner

Running for a period of two months, a number of exhibitions, talks, plays and special commemorations will recall the unique maritime history associated with the ill-fated liner.

‘Titanic 100’, hosted by Belfast City Council, begins on Thursday and will culminate on the 100th anniversary of the ship’s launch on Tuesday, May 31.

Launching the events programme will be a new photographic exhibition showcasing the work of RJ Welch, the official photographer for Harland and Wolff.

Through Welch’s lens, visitors will be given a remarkable glimpse of life at the yard, its scale and that of the ship, as well as an insight into the life of 1911 Belfast.

At the beginning of May, another exhibiton will focus on the story of the SS Nomadic, a tender to RMS Titanic.

Thanks to Irwin Bryan and Alaric Bond for passing  articles along.