The sinking of the Titanic

This year is the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, one of the greatest peacetime maritime disasters in history. The White Star passenger liner sank after colliding with an iceberg in the North Atlantic, causing the deaths of over 1,500 of the 2,223 people on board. Passengers included some of the wealthiest and most influential people in the world as well as more humble emigrants seeking a new life in North America. Many of those on board wrote letters to acquaintances or their loved ones as they left Southampton and posted them when the ship called in at Queenstown.


The BBC has now produced a brilliant series of mini podcasts about the letters; they make for a fascinating and emotive insight into life at the start of the 20th Century. Click on the link to have a listen. It is also worth taking a look at the website of the Titanic exhibition in Belfast.