In the cold early morning of April 15, 1912, the RMS Titanic, opens a new window sank beneath the icy waters of the Atlantic Ocean. On her maiden voyage from England to New York City, the sinking of the Titanic shocked the world when the "unsinkable" luxury liner lost over 1,500 passengers. The cause, opens a new window? An iceberg. Not enough lifeboats. A flawed "watertight" compartment design that only went a few feet above the waterline, which meant that as soon as the ship listed, water could pour over the tops of the bulkheads. Or perhaps a coal fire. Any way you look at it, the Titanic has been a source of public fascination for over 100 years.
MOLLY BROWN: A DENVER RESIDENT
- Molly Brown made her home in Denver in 1894 and her home is now a museum. Any Arapahoe Libraries card holder can reserve passes to the Molly Brown House Museum, opens a new window through the Exploration Pass, opens a new window. The pass allows 4 visitors to enter at no cost.
- After raising money for the poorer passengers on the Carpathia, the ship that rescued Titanic passengers, she was dubbed "the Unsinkable Molly Brown." She used her fame to support social causes including the women's suffrage movement, miners rights and the Red Cross during the First World War.
- Read more about Molly Brown's life, opens a new window or check out 51 more amazing women in history, opens a new window (perfect for younger readers, too!).
POETRY
- The Convergence of the Twain, opens a new window by Thomas Hardy (1912). One chilling stanza: "And as the smart ship grew / In stature, grace, and hue, / In shadowy silent distance grew the Iceberg too."
- The Harvest of the Sea, opens a new window by Charles Hanson Towne (1912). "They were enough to warm the Arctic wastes, / To fill with furnace heat the frozen zones, / And fire the very Sea that was their grave."
FIRST PERSON ACCOUNTS
- Titanic: A Survivor's Story & the Sinking of the S.S. Titanic, opens a new window.
- Shadow of the Titanic: The Extraordinary Stories of Those Who Survived, opens a new window.
DOCUMENTARIES
- You can see some some real-life footage, opens a new window of the Titanic and its remains when you check out a DVD or stream a film.
YOUNGER READERS
- Is your child fascinated by the Titanic? Learn all about the Titanic from these elementary-age appropriate reads., opens a new window
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