RMS Titanic, One Hundred Years On - A Tribute Quiz

Answer: Belfast, Northern Ireland

The Titanic was the pride and joy of renowned Belfast shipbuilders Harland and Wolff. She was built between 1909 and 1911 for her owners, the White Star Line, and at the time was the biggest ship in the world. Her sister ships were the HMHS Britannic and the RMS Olympic.

Whilst the Titanic and Britannic met with early ends (the Britannic was used as a hospital ship during World War I and was sunk by a mine in 1916), the Olympic had a much more successful career including being used a troopship during World War I.

The Olympic was retired in 1935 and ultimately demolished in 1937.

Answer: Royal Mail Ship

The Titanic was an Olympic Class ocean liner, designated a Royal Mail Ship because she was under contract with the Royal Mail to carry mail. At the time she set sail she was the biggest ship on the seas and was fitted out with more luxury than had been seen before on board ship, including the imposing Grand Staircase, frequently seen in photographs.

The five postal workers on board, three American and two British, all lost their lives in the tragedy.

Answer: there was no Champagne bottle

We have probably all seen footage of a ship being launched with due ceremony, and christened by breaking a bottle of Champagne over her bow, and know that if the bottle fails to break it is considered bad luck. Some of us may even have lamented the loss of a good bottle of 'bubbly'! Whilst this is indeed a tradition of many shipping lines, the White Star Line did not adopt this policy for their ships, therefore there was no Champagne bottle or formal naming ceremony at the Titanic's launch.

There was, however, a crowd of around 100,000 people to see her being launched into the River Lagan on 31 May 1911 to be towed to a nearby berth and fitted out. Harland and Wolff's Chairman, Lord Pirrie, presided over the launch with other dignitaries.

Answer: New York

When building was complete, the Titanic left the Harland and Wolff shipyard and successfully completed her sea trials, which took place in Belfast Lough and the Irish Sea. After returning to Belfast and being certified seaworthy, she set sail for Southampton, where she docked in Berth 44 to await the arrival of her passengers and those crew members who were not already on board. On her way to New York she called in at Cherbourg in France and Queenstown (now Cobh) in County Cork, Ireland, before setting a westerly course across the Atlantic.

Answer: White Star Line

The White Star Line merged with the Cunard Line in 1934. The Orient Steam Navigation Company, also known as the Orient Line, merged with P&O to form P&O - Orient Lines in 1960. From 1966 the Orient Line name was removed and the company traded solely as P&O. The company has been owned by DP World since 2006 but still trades under the P&O name.

Answer: Edward Smith

Captain Edward Smith (1850-1912) came from Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. He had been Captain of the Titanic's sister ship, the Olympic, and had worked for the White Star Line since 1880; it was believed (although this was unsubstantiated) that he was considering retiring after the Titanic's maiden voyage. He went down with his ship on 15 April 1912. There is a memorial statue dedicated to him in Lichfield, Staffordshire.

Captain Smith had lived with his family in Southampton prior to the disaster. The sinking of the Titanic was felt particularly in Southampton as many of the crew members who perished had come from there.

Answer: RMS Carpathia

At 11.40 p.m. the ship's lookout reported that the Titanic was very close to, and about to collide with, an iceberg, but it was too late to take evasive action and she hit the iceberg, damaging her hull and starboard side. At 2.20 a.m. in the early hours of 15 April the Titanic sank from view to begin her long descent to the ocean floor. Tragically, there were not enough lifeboats for all the people on board, which accounted for the high number of fatalities.

RMS Carpathia, owned by the Cunard Line, was en route from New York City to Fiume in Austria-Hungary (now Rijeka, Croatia), responded to the Titanic's distress signal and picked up the 710 survivors, and returned to New York City bringing them to safety. The Carpathia herself was sunk in the Celtic Sea towards the end of the First World War, after being torpedoed.

Answer: George V

King George V, a grandson of Queen Victoria, ruled from 1910-1936, so he had only been King for two years when the tragedy occurred. He declared the Queen and himself to be '...horrified at the appalling disaster which has happened to the Titanic and at the terrible loss of life. We deeply sympathise with the bereaved relations and feel for them in their great sorrow with all our hearts'. Having had a naval career himself before ascending the throne he was all too aware of the dangers the sea could bring and commanded that the final report of the ensuing enquiry be presented to both Houses of Parliament.

Answer: Halifax, Nova Scotia

The CS Mackay-Bennett and three other Canadian ships recovered the bodies of the dead for burial. The ships had members of the clergy on board, and undertakers to embalm the bodies. Sadly, due to health legislation, only embalmed bodies could be brought ashore for burial. Due to insufficient embalming materials on board the decision was taken to give priority to the first class passengers. The remains of the other passengers and crew therefore had their burials conducted at sea.

In all, 333 bodies were recovered, of which 150 were buried in three cemeteries in Halifax. Others were claimed by their relatives and transported elsewhere for burial according to their families' wishes.

Answer: James Cameron

James Cameron wrote, directed and co-produced 'Titanic', which was released in December 1997 to critical acclaim and went on to receive fourteen Academy Award nominations. In all, the film garnered 11 Oscar wins including Best Director and the coveted Best Picture Awards. The soundtrack to the film was composed by James Horner, including the memorable 'My Heart Will Go On', sung by Céline Dion. James Horner had worked with James Cameron before and since; with 'Aliens' in 1986 and again in 2009 with 'Avatar'.

The events of 1912 surrounding the Titanic have been immortalised many times in literature and film and, one hundred years on, the story continues to fascinate. To mark the centenary of the disaster, in 2012 several commemorations and memorial services took place around the world; there was also a special memorial cruise tracing the journey, which was undertaken by many relatives of the victims. The London Philharmonic Orchestra commemorated the tragedy by giving a performance of 'The Titanic Requiem', written by Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees and his son Robin-John.