
Historians from The History Press are offering the world a new way to learn by live tweeting the century old story of the RMS Titanic, from the construction to the tragedy that claimed 1,517 lives.
By MITCH TRAPHAGEN
On April 15, 1912, the pride of the White Star Line, the RMS Titanic, struck an iceberg and sunk in the North Atlantic in a tragedy that claimed the lives of 1,517 people. Now, a century later, historians from The History Press, a UK publisher, are live-tweeting the life and death of the storied ship — live-tweeting plus 100 years, that is.
#captain Sea trials commence in just 18 days, that day simply cannot come soon enough.
@TitanicRealTime via Twitter
Nearly 38,000 people are following the Twitter stream, @TitanicRealTime. The tweets sometimes include actual photographs involving the final finishing of the ship, including the enormous anchor that was fitted.
#crew In the case of emergency Titanic keeps suitable lifeboats. I’ve tried out the 25ft emergency cutter myself.
@TitanicRealTime via Twitter
The tweets will continue to focus on construction and outfitting until the April 10 launch of the ship. From there, historians will tweet what they describe as accurate accounts from the captain, crew and passengers from the beginning of the maiden voyage to the disaster itself.
Although it may appear morbid on the surface, many followers have hailed the tweets as a way to illustrate a historically significant event from the eyes of the past to those of this high-tech, modern era. It provides a means for people to experience in real time some of what it was like, from the excitement of seeing a majestic ship take shape and launch to the nearly indescribable heartbreak of witnessing the loss of life as she sank into the cold waters of the North Atlantic.
The History Press has also released an iPad app to commemorate the 100th anniversary. The publisher has dubbed the app “the definitive interactive Titanic experience.”
#photographer Just taken a picture of the public walking the deck, I am sure they will want some lasting memories.
@TitanicRealTime via Twitter
Lasting memories, indeed. Through the tweets from historians at The History Press, the memories remain alive even with the passing of 100 years.
To follow the live-tweeting of the Titanic, search for @TitanicRealTime in Twitter or click here for a link. For more about The History Press and books on the Titanic, visit www.thehistorypress.co.uk.