The sinking of the ocean liner RMS Titanic on April 15, 1912 was one of the most dramatic events of the twentieth century. In a mere four hours after striking an iceberg, the largest passenger ship yet built sank while on its maiden voyage, claiming the lives of over 1,500 persons. Many of those lost were from the upper crust of British and American society. The sinking of the Titanic, which had been popularly regarded as unsinkable, punctured the aura of man's triumph over nature that had grown out of the Industrial Revolution and the Progressive Era.