The Truth about the Titanic

As the centennial of the Titanic disaster approached, one of the biggest news stories wasn't the actual anniversary (the ship sank 100 years ago today), nor was it the rerelease of James Cameron's blockbuster movie in 3D. It was a story that made people shake their heads and sigh: the news that some young people were unaware that the sinking of the Titanic was real, not just a film.

RMS Titanic departing Southampton on April 10, 1912 (Wikimedia Commons/F.G.O. Stuart)

Fortunately, this is a problem that's easy to correct. There's a wealth of great information about the Titanic on the Internet and elsewhere. On this 100th anniversary, we'd like to share a few of our favorite sources of Titanic tales and history… and we hope those who don't know the whole story will click through and educate themselves.

The History Channel has been devoting part of its Twitter feed this week to "live-tweeting" the events of the Titanic's maiden voyage, as they unfolded 100 years ago. On their website, they've got articles, videos, interactive pieces, and photo galleries, all dedicated to the Titanic, including Six Degrees of Titanic that connects the ill-fated ship to Marilyn Monroe, Chelsea Clinton and the Bloody Mary cocktail, among others.

Several museums and venues across the country are featuring Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, described as “educational, emotional and appropriate for all ages.” On exhibit are authentic artifacts, stories of the disaster, room recreations, and more.

The Encyclopedia Titanica has comprehensive information about the ship and its voyage, with biographies of all passengers, deck plans, research and articles, and more.

Movie facts site Chasing the Frog offers a comparison of events from the movie with events from real life, showing what the movie got right and what it made up. It also provides some video footage of the real Titanic.

About.com offers 10 facts about the Titanic disaster that you might not know.

And don’t miss National Geographic's photo gallery of the sunken Titanic. It is eerie and fascinating.

Written by Linnea Crowther