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On April 10, 1912, the RMS Titanic embarked on its first journey from Southampton, hailed as the world's largest and most extravagant ship. Sadly, the White Star liner never reached New York. Striking an iceberg at 11:40 PM on April 14, it sank into the North Atlantic by 2:20 AM on April 15, 1912. More than 1,500 passengers and crew perished, with only 705 individuals surviving the catastrophic event.
The disaster stunned the globe, as the luxury liner was widely believed to be unsinkable. The tragedy remains a subject of fascination, with many speculating about the actions of passengers and crew on that fateful night. While the fictional story of Jack and Rose or the legend of “the Unsinkable Molly Brown” are well-known, there are lesser-known yet captivating tales from the disaster.
10. Alex MacKenzie
At 24, Alex MacKenzie never boarded the Titanic, despite having his bags packed and waiting in line to enter the ship. His parents had gifted him a ticket for the maiden voyage, but an inner voice warned him that stepping onto the highly publicized vessel would lead to his death.
The voice echoed unmistakably in his ear, so distinctly that Alex glanced around to identify the speaker, but found no one nearby. Convinced he had misheard, he proceeded up the gangway, only to hear the warning repeated. Ignoring it once more, the message came again, louder and more insistent. This time, he heeded it, abandoning his journey and returning to his hometown of Glasgow to explain to his parents why he had chosen not to board the world’s most magnificent ship.
9. Edith Russell
While many would have been thrilled to travel as a first-class passenger on the Titanic, Edith Rosenbaum (later known as Edith Russell) felt an overwhelming sense of dread. She boarded the Titanic during its first stop in Cherbourg, France, returning to New York after reporting on French fashion at Paris’s Easter Sunday races.
In a letter addressed to her secretary, Edith expressed:
We are now heading to Queenstown. I truly dislike leaving Paris and will be thrilled to return. I plan to take a much-needed rest during this voyage, but I can’t shake this overwhelming sense of gloom and a foreboding of disaster. I wish this journey were already over!
After the Titanic struck the iceberg, Edith requested a steward to retrieve her pig-shaped music box from her first-class cabin. Clutching the music box on the boat deck, she refused to board a lifeboat until all women and children had been accommodated. However, someone mistook the music box for a baby, wrapped it in a blanket, and tossed it into the lifeboat. Unwilling to part with her cherished item, Edith leaped into the lifeboat. The music box ultimately saved her life.
8. The Two Waifs Of The Sea
As men were prohibited from boarding lifeboats during the Titanic’s sinking, a father had no choice but to place his two young sons into a lifeboat while he stayed behind. The boys, who spoke only French and carried no identifying items, became known as “the Two Waifs of the Sea” on the rescue ship, RMS Carpathia. Newspapers shared their story and published their photo in hopes of locating their family in France.
Meanwhile, a mother in Nice, France, was frantically searching for her two missing sons. Upon hearing about the two waifs, she contacted child services and described her children. The boys were eventually identified as four-year-old Michel and two-year-old Edmond. They had been taken by their father, Michel Navratil, who was traveling under the alias “Mr. Hoffman” and intended to start a new life with his children in the US.
7. Edward And Ethel Beane
Edward and Ethel Beane, second-class passengers, were enjoying their honeymoon on the Titanic. When the ship hit the iceberg, the newlyweds, like many others, were unconcerned, believing the vessel to be unsinkable. It was only after being alerted twice by a fellow passenger in the adjacent cabin that they understood the severity of the situation.
Ethel hesitantly boarded a lifeboat, leaving Edward behind on the ship. As Ethel drifted to safety, Edward had no choice but to leap into the icy waters to reach his wife. He swam away from the sinking ship and eventually found refuge on a lifeboat. Thankfully, the couple was reunited and able to continue their life together.
6. Thomas Millar
After losing his wife three months before the Titanic’s maiden voyage, Thomas Millar took a position as an assistant deck engineer on the luxury White Star liner to support his two young sons, Thomas and Ruddick.
He entrusted his children to their aunt in a village near Belfast, planning to establish a new life in the United States and eventually bring his sons over. Before departing, Thomas gave each son a penny, instructing them not to spend it until his return. Sadly, Thomas Millar never came back, as he perished in the disaster. While Thomas Junior eventually spent his penny, Ruddick’s penny remains a cherished family heirloom, a poignant reminder of their father’s love.
5. Father Francis Browne
Father Francis Browne, a first-class passenger on the Titanic, captured many rare photographs of life aboard the ship. A passionate photographer, the Jesuit priest received a ticket for the Titanic’s maiden voyage as a gift from his uncle. Eager to document his time on the luxurious vessel and aware of its historical significance, Father Browne took numerous photos, which have since been published worldwide following the tragedy.
While most Titanic passengers were bound for New York, Father Browne was among the eight who disembarked at the ship’s final stop in Queenstown (now Cobh), Ireland. Despite a wealthy couple offering to fund the rest of his journey to New York, his superior ordered him to leave the ship. This decision saved his life, and his photographs now provide invaluable historical insight into the ill-fated liner.
4. The Two Cousins
Two cousins were aboard the Titanic during its maiden voyage, unaware that they had a distant relative on the same ship. William Edwy Ryerson, a steward working in the first-class dining saloon, had no idea that his third cousin, Arthur Ryerson (pictured above), was also traveling as a first-class passenger with his wife, Emily, and their three children.
The Ryerson family was returning to their home in Cooperstown, New York, after receiving news of the death of Arthur’s son. Despite sharing the same great-great grandfather, William and Arthur came from vastly different backgrounds. William grew up in a working-class family in Port Dover, Ontario, while Arthur enjoyed a life of privilege.
During the sinking, William assisted with the lifeboats, while Arthur begged crew members to let his 13-year-old son, John, join his wife and daughters in a lifeboat. Arthur was the only member of his immediate family who did not survive the disaster, while William escaped on Lifeboat 9.
3. Jack Phillips
Jack Phillips, the senior wireless operator on the Titanic, worked alongside Harold Bride, the junior operator. The pair alternated shifts to transmit and receive Morse code messages for passengers and relay weather alerts to the captain.
Phillips received multiple iceberg warnings from nearby ships before the disaster, and Bride passed many of these to the captain. However, Phillips missed delivering some warnings due to a flood of passenger messages, assuming the captain was already informed. When the SS Californian sent an iceberg warning, Phillips famously responded, “Shut up! I’m busy working Cape Race!” This has led some to criticize his role in the tragedy.
After the ship struck an iceberg 400 nautical miles from Newfoundland, Phillips acted swiftly, sending distress signals to coordinate the rescue of passengers and crew. Despite being relieved of duty by the captain, the 25-year-old operator stayed at his post, tirelessly transmitting Morse code messages until 2:17 AM—just three minutes before the ship sank into the North Atlantic.
His communication with the Carpathia led to the rescue of 705 passengers. Despite the chaos around him, many ships noted that his messages remained steady and unwavering. Tragically, Jack Phillips lost his life in the disaster, even after reaching a collapsible lifeboat. His legacy, however, endures through the survivors of the Titanic and their descendants.
2. James Moody
Another hero of the tragedy was Sixth Officer James Moody, who chose to stay aboard the ship despite being offered a chance to escape. The 24-year-old junior officer was paid a modest $37 for his service and was provided with his own cabin during his time on the Titanic.
Before the Titanic embarked on its maiden transatlantic voyage, Moody inadvertently saved six crewmen by refusing them entry to the gangway after they arrived too late to board. When the ship struck the iceberg, Moody was on duty and responded to Lookout Frederick Fleet’s alert, asking, “What do you see?” Fleet replied, “Iceberg, right ahead!”
After the captain announced the ship would sink within hours, Moody took charge of launching Lifeboats 12, 14, and 16. Fifth Officer Harold Lowe instructed Moody to take command of Lifeboat 14, as lower-ranking officers traditionally did. However, Moody selflessly deferred the opportunity to Lowe.
Despite his junior position, Moody stayed aboard, assisting First Officer Murdoch until water began flooding the boat deck. He likely had multiple chances to board a lifeboat but chose to remain on the ship to save as many lives as possible and face the disaster until the end. Second Officer Charles Lightoller was the last to see Moody alive at 2:18 AM, still trying to launch collapsible lifeboats.
1. The Countess Of Rothes
Among the wealthiest passengers aboard the Titanic was Lucy Noel Martha, the Countess of Rothes. She journeyed to the US with her cousin, Gladys Cherry, and maid, Roberta Maioni, aiming to reunite with her husband and two children to begin a new life in America.
The countess and her cousin were awakened when the ship struck the iceberg and were directed by Captain Smith to return to their cabin to don life belts. Around 1:00 AM, they were escorted to Lifeboat 8, the first to be launched. Tom Jones, the sailor in charge, recognized the countess’s leadership qualities and tasked her with steering the boat. She managed the tiller for over an hour before switching places with her cousin to comfort a Spanish bride who had lost her husband in the disaster.
Throughout the night, the countess rowed the lifeboat, working to uplift the spirits of all aboard until the Carpathia arrived.
Her compassion extended beyond the lifeboat. She stayed on the Carpathia after it docked in New York to assist steerage passengers who had lost everything. Upon returning to Scotland, she purchased a silver fob watch engraved with “April 15th 1912, the Countess of Rothes,” which she sent to Tom Jones as a token of gratitude for his efforts on Lifeboat 8. Jones responded with a letter praising her kindness and courage, including the brass plate from the lifeboat. The two corresponded until her death in 1956.
