She was said to be the largest movable man-made object on earth. So luxurious and so magnificently designed and built that even God couldn't sink her. Nothing like her had ever been seen before. She was longer than the length of a football field.
She left Southampton for New York on her maiden voyage on April 10, 1912. But when the Titanic hit an iceberg four days later, she sank in two hours and 40 minutes and wasn't seen again for 73 years.
Thirty years ago, early on the morning of September 1, 1985, Dr. Robert Ballard of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and a joint French/American expedition team found her about 370 miles south-southeast off the coast of Newfoundland in 12,500 feet of water. The expedition was funded by National Geographic, which has behind-the-scenes interviews with Ballard and much more coverage of the Titanic. There's also History Channel's Titanic website.
We have some wonderful books on the Titanic and how the wreck was found:
The Discovery of the Titanic: Ballard himself describes the exciting discovery of the wreck of the Titanic. Three previous expeditions tried to find the wreck but couldn't seem to find her. Then one day, as they were searching the ocean floor, they suddenly came across one of the ship's funnels and the rest is history.
Titanic: Disaster at Sea: This book gives interesting facts, complete with illustrations and diagrams, about the ship as well as background stories of some of the ship's most interesting (and famous) passengers.
Titanic: Voices from the Disaster: A must-read for readers who are fascinated by the story of Titanic, this book is based on eye-witness accounts and stories from survivors.
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