Sinking of the Titanic: Topics in Chronicling America
On April 15, 1912, over 1,300 people died in one of the worst maritime disasters in history. This guide provides information on researching the topic of the "sinking of the Titanic" in the Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspapers.
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About Chronicling America
Chronicling America is a searchable digital collection of historic newspaper pages through 1963 sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress.
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Also, see the Directory of U.S. Newspapers in American Libraries, a searchable index to newspapers published in the United States since 1690, which helps researchers identify what titles exist for a specific place and time, and how to access them.
Introduction
Lulled into a false sense of security, Titanic passengers continue their lively parties and return to their beds after an iceberg deals a fatal blow to the "unsinkable" ship. Hours later, panic rushes through the more than 2,000 passengers as the ship begins sinking and the few life boats fill. More than 1,300 people die from drowning and freezing in the early hours of April 15th, 1912, in one of the worst maritime disasters in history. Read more about it!
The information in this guide focuses on primary source materials found in the digitized historic newspapers from the digital collection Chronicling America.
The timeline below highlights important dates related to this topic and a section of this guide provides some suggested search strategies for further research in the collection.
Timeline
April 14, 1912
The Titanic hits an iceberg. The following morning, newspapers offer conflicting reports.
April 16, 1912
News reports confirm that the Titanic has sunk and that over 1,300 people are missing.
April 17, 1912
All Titanic survivors are aboard the RMS Carpathia, headed for New York.
April 19, 1912
The U.S. Senate opens an inquiry into the disaster.