History of the "Happy Birthday to You" Song

 
If there is one song that we all know it has to be the classic "Happy Birthday To You" song. We sing it each year and it has been translated into various languages making it a universal song. Here is a brief history of how this song came about.
History of the Song
The melody and lyrics were written by two sisters - Mildred J. Hill (born 1859) and Patty Smith Hill (born 1868). Patty was a schoolteacher who developed the "Patty Hill blocks" and was a faculty member at Columbia University Teachers College. Mildred was also an educator who later on became a composer, organist and pianist. The melody was composed by Mildred and the lyrics were written by Patty, but it was originally for a classroom greeting song titled "Good Morning to All." The song "Good Morning to All" was part of the book Song Stories for the Kindergarten which the sisters co-wrote and published in 1893.
From then on the lyrics were changed from its original form to "Good Morning to You" and then to "Happy Birthday to You." It is still unclear who changed the lyrics that turned it into a birthday song, but it was first published in 1924 on a book edited by Robert H. Coleman. Since then, the song became popular and in 1934, Jessica Hill, another Hill sister, filed a lawsuit because of the unauthorized use of the "Happy Birthday to You" melody which clearly resembles the melody of "Good Morning to All," the song her sisters originally wrote. In 1935, Jessica, who was working with publisher Clayton F. Summy Company, copyrighted and published "Happy Birthday."
In the 1930s the Clayton F. Summy Company was bought by John F. Sengstack and renamed it Birch Tree Ltd. In 1998, Birch Tree Ltd was in turn bought by Warner Chappell for $25 million. The company is now known as Summy-Birchard Music. It is reported that the birthday song brings in about $2 million a year in royalties with half going to Summy-Birchard and the other half to the Hill Foundation.

9th July IS MY BIRTHDAY AND MY BLOG BIRTHDAY TOO: TOGETHER WITH Historical Events on this Day in History.

Famous Birthdays on this Day in History

Birthdays in History for Monday 9th July 2012

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22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30	31

1511 - Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg, queen of Denmark and Norway (d. 1571)
1513 - John van Hembyze, Flemish calvinist
1535 - Emanuel van Meteren, Southern Neth, merchant/historian
1577 - Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, English Jamestown colonist (d. 1618)
1578 - Ferdinand II, King of Bohemia/Hungary/German Emperor (1619-37)
1589 - Johannes a Sancto Thoma, [Poinset], Portuguese theologist
1654 - Emperor Reigen of Japan (d. 1732)
1686 - Philip Livingston, Albany, New York, American businessman and politician (d. 1749)
1689 - Alexis Piron, French writer (d. 1773)
1721 - Johann Nikolaus Götz, German poet (d. 1781)
1753 - William Waldegrave, 1st Baron Radstock, Governor of Newfoundland (d. 1825)
1764 - Ann Ward Radcliffe, English Gothic novelist (Italian)
1766 - J Schopenhauer, writer
1775 - Matthew Lewis, English novelist (d. 1818)
1777 - Henry Hallam, British lawyer/historian
1786 - Sophie Hélène Béatrix, Princess of France (d. 1787)
1791 - Nicolas Ledesma, composer
1800 - Friedrich Gustav Jakob Henle, German physician (d. 1885)
1802 - Thomas Davenport, invented 1st coml electric motor
1805 - Henry John Gauntlett, composer
1808 - Alexander William Doniphan, American lawyer and soldier (d. 1887)
1809 - Frederick Henle, Germany, pathologist
1819 - Elias Howe, Spencer Mass, invented sewing machine
1825 - Jules Oppert, German Assyriologist (decodes characters)
1828 - Luigi Oreglia di Santo Stefano, Italian Catholic churchman (d. 1913)
1831 - Johan P van der Kellen, Dutch stamp cutter/lithographer/writer
1836 - Camille de Renesse, Belgian count (d. 1904)
1839 - Carl Baermann, composer
1841 - Carl Christian Lumbye, composer
1848 - Robert I, Duke of Parma, last ruling Duke of Parma (d. 1907)
1855 - Johann P Zilcher, German composer
1856 - Daniel Guggenheim, US (Guggenheim Museum)
1857 - Frederik II W, grandduke of Baden (1907-18)
1858 - Franz Boas, anthropologist/linguist (Mind of Primitive Man)
1864 - Franz Miller, becomes first Train Murderer
1879 - Friedrich Adler, Austria social-democrat/murderer of premier Storgkh
1879 - Ottorino Respighi, Bologna Italy, composer (Pines of Rome)
1879 - Carlos Chagas, Brazilian physician (d. 1934)
1882 - Richard Hageman, Dutch/US pianist/composer/conductor (Caponsacchi)
1887 - Samuel Eliot Morison, historian (Admiral of the Ocean Sea)
1889 - Leo Dandurand, American-born Canadian hockey executive (d. 1964)
1893 - George Geary, cricketer (sturdy pace bowler for England 1924-34)
1894 - Pyotr Leonidovich Kapitsa, Russian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1984)
1895 - Cullen Landis, Nashville TN, actor (Soul of the Beast)
1898 - Gerard Walschap, Flemish writer/journalist (Mary, Revolt in Congo)
1898 - Marcel Delannoy, composer
1900 - Robert Oboussier, composer
1901 - Barbara Cartland, romance author (Camfield #69)
1901 - Jester Hairston, NC, actor (Thats My Mama, Rolly-Amen)
1902 - Gerhard Pohl, German writer (Crazy Ferdinand)
1905 - Clarence Campbell, Saskatchewan, 3rd NHL pres (1946-77)
1906 - Beene Dubbelboer, Dutch writer (Secret Resistance)
1906 - Walter Sande, Denver CO, actor (Navy vs Night Monsters)
1908 - Allama Rasheed Turabi, Pakistani scholar, orator and philosopher (d. 1973)
1910 - Harold C Fox, fashion designer/musician
1911 - Clan Fraser of Lovat, soldier/landowner
1911 - Lord Lovat, [Shimi], Scottish cattle breeder/leader of clan Fraser
1911 - Mervyn Peake, British writer and illustrator (d. 1968)
1911 - John A. Wheeler, American physicist (d. 2008)
1914 - Bill Tallon, cricketer (brother of Don, Queensland leggie)
1914 - Willi Stoph, president German DR
1915 - David Leo Diamond, Rochester NY, composer (Paderewski Prize-1943)
1916 - Edward Heath, (C) British PM (1970-74)
1916 - Joe Liggins, US composer (Pink Champagne)
1916 - Sir Dean Goffin, New Zealand composer (d. 1984)
1917 - Ted Steele, Hartford Ct, orchestra leader (Cavalcade of Stars)
1918 - Herbert Brun, composer
1918 - Rowley I Arenstein, South African attorney/communist/ANC'er
1919 - Peggy Braithwaite, lighthouse-keeper
1921 - Jacob J Hage, Dutch farmer/WW II resistance fighter
1922 - Rey Hassan, Morroco, King of Morocco (1961- )
1924 - Leonard Pennario, Buffalo NY, pianist (LA Philharmonic)
1924 - Pierre Cochereau, composer
1925 - Alan Dale, Bkln NY, singer (Alan Dale Show)
1925 - Peter Ludwig, businessman/art collector
1925 - Thomas A Luken, (Rep-D-OH, 1973-74, 77- )
1926 - Ben Roy Mottelson, American-born physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
1927 - Ed Ames, Malden Mass, actor (Mingo-Daniel Boone)
1927 - Leonard Patrick "Red" Kelly, NHL hall of famer (Norris trophy)
1927 - Red Kelly, Canadian ice hockey player
1928 - Vince Edwards, Bkln NY, actor (Ben Casey, Matt Lincoln, Firehouse)
1928 - Federico Bahamontes, Spanish cyclist
1929 - Lee Hazelwood, Ok, country singer/songwriter (Summer Wine, Jackson)
1929 - Mawlai al-Hassan II, King of Morocco (1961- )
1929 - Jesse McReynolds, American singer and mandolinist
1930 - Buddy Bregman, Chicago, orchestra leader (Eddie Fisher Show)
1930 - Roy McLean, cricketer (prolific South African batsman played 40 Tests)
1932 - Donald Rumsfeld, politician (involved in Watergate)
1932 - John Paul Getty II, US/British oil magnate/billionaire (Getty Oil)
1933 - Nodar Kalistratovich Gabuniya, composer
1934 - Michael Graves, American architect
1935 - Mercedes Sosa, [La Negra], Argentina, singer
1935 - Ronnie Burns, Evanston Ill, adopted son of George Burns
1935 - Willem Duisenberg, minister of Finance (PvdA)/pres (Nethche Bank)
1936 - David Joel Zinman, NYC, composer/conductor (Balt Symphony-1983)
1936 - James Hampton, Oklahoma City OK, actor (Bugler Dobbs-F Troop, Teen Wolf)
1936 - June Jordan, US playwright/poet (His Own Where)
1937 - Clemon Daniels, AFL player of year 1963, halfback (Oak, Dallas SF)
1937 - David Hockney, Bradford England, artist (Pop Art)
1937 - Richard Roundtree, New Rochelle NY, actor (Getting Even, Shaft)
1937 - Marty Springstead, Nyack, New York, American Major League baseball umpire and umpire supervisor
1938 - Brian Dennehy, Ct, actor (Check is in the Mail, F/X, Cocoon, Ants)
1938 - Paul Seiko Chihara, Seattle Washington, US/Japanese composer
1940 - John Salvito, rocker (Duprees)
1941 - Don McPherson, rocker
1941 - James Scott, director (Strike it Rich)
1941 - Karin von Aroldingen, Germany, ballet dancer (NYC Ballet Co)
1941 - Scotty Baesler, (Rep-D-Kentucky)
1941 - Takehide Nakatani, Japan, lightweight (Olympic-gold-1964)
1942 - Edy Williams, Salt Lake City Utah, actress (Dr Minx)
1942 - Hermann Burger, writer
1942 - Paul B Henry, (Rep-R-Michigan, 1985- )
1942 - Robert Frankel, horse trainer
1942 - Edy Williams, American actress
1943 - Bon Scott, [Ronald Belford], Kirriemuir Scotland, rocker (AC/DC)
1943 - John H Casper, Greenville SC, USAF/astronaut (STS 36, 54, 62, 77)
1944 - Glen [Charles] Cook, US, sci-fi author (Shadowline, Star's End)
1945 - Dean R[ay] Koontz, US, sci-fi author (Star Quest, Beastchild)
1945 - Lewis F Payne Jr, (Rep-D-Virginia)
1945 - Root Boy Slim, American entertainer (d. 1993)
1946 - Joe Micelli, rocker
1946 - Mitch Mitchell, drummer (Jimi Hendrix Experience)
1946 - Natasha Pyne, English actress
1947 - Jerney Kaagman, Dutch singer (Earth & Fire)
NFL Running Back and Convicted Criminal OJ Simpson (1947) 1947 - OJ Simpson [Orenthal James}, Santa Fey California, NFL running back (Buf Bills)/Convicted Murderer
1947 - Haruomi Hosono, Japanese musician
1948 - Hassan Wirajuda, Indonesian current foreign minister
1951 - Chris Cooper, Kansas City MO, actor (Thousand Pieces of Gold, Matewan)
1952 - John Tesh, Garden City NY, New age pianist/TV host (ET)
1952 - Rod Boll, Fillmore Saskatchwan, trap shooter (Olympics-96)
1953 - Dave Camp, (Rep-R-Michigan)
1953 - Irina D Latysheva, Russian cosmonaut
1953 - Thomas Ligotti, American author
1953 - Margie Gillis, Canadian dancer and choreographer
1954 - Debbie Sledge, Phila, vocalist (Sister Sledge-We are Family)
1955 - Fred Norris, comedy writer/singer (Howard Stern Show)
1955 - Jimmy Smits, Bkln, actor (Victor-LA Law, Running Scared, NYPD Blue)
1955 - Lisa Banes, Chagrin Falls OH, actress (Cocktail, Look Back in Anger)
1955 - Sergei Vladimirovich Krichevsky, Russia, lt-colonel/cosmonaut
1955 - Willie Wilson, American baseball player
Actor Tom Hanks (1956) 1956 - Tom Hanks, Concord California, actor (Bossom Buddies, Forrest Gump, Phila)
1956 - [Peter] Marc Almond, Merseyside England, vocalist (Soft Cell)
1957 - Kelly McGillis, Newport Beach Ca, actress (Top Gun, Accused, Witness)
1957 - Tim Kring, American writer and producer
1957 - Paul Merton, British comedian
1958 - Bob Crudgington, Australian softball head coach (Olympics-bronze-96)
1959 - Jim Kerr, Glasgow Scotland, rock vocalist (Simple Minds)
1959 - Kevin Nash, American professional wrestler

1959 - Clive Stafford Smith, British human-rights lawyer
1960 - Christopher J "Gus" Loria, Newton Mass, Major USMC/astronaut
1960 - Marc Mero, American professional wrestler
1961 - Mohammad Aslam, UAE cricketer batsman (1996 World Cup)
1963 - Pamela Annette Sanders, Miami Florida, playmate (November, 1985)
1964 - Courtney Love, Santa Fey California, vocalist (Hole)/actress (People vs Larry Flynt)
1964 - Ronnie Grandison, NBA forward (NY Knicks)
Singer-Songwriter Courtney Love (1964) 1964 - Scott Rachal Verplank, Dallas TX, PGA golfer (1985 Western Open)
1965 - Bob Hess Jr, horse trainer
1965 - Frank Bello, American heavy metal musician (Anthrax)
1965 - David O'Hara, Irish-Scottish actor
1965 - Jason Rhoades, American installation artist (d. 2006)
1966 - Pamela Adlon, American voice actress
1967 - Gunnar Axén, Swedish politician
1968 - Shawn Harper, NFL tackle (Indianapolis Colts, Frankfurt Galaxy)
1968 - Vardis A Fisher, US writer (Darkness & Deep), dies at 73
1968 - Paolo Di Canio, Italian football player
1968 - Lars Gyllenhaal, Swedish author
1969 - Jerry Drake, NFL defensive linesman (Arizona Cardinals)
1969 - Robert Gordon, CFL receiver (Edmonton Eskimos)
1969 - Venkatapathy Raju, cricketer (Indian slow left-armer)
1970 - Steve Dubinsky, Montreal, NHL center (Chicago Blackhawks)
1970 - Trent Green, NFL quarterback (Washington Redskins)
1970 - Masami Tsuda, Japanese manga author
1971 - Anthony Fieldings, WLAF linebacker (Rhein Fire)
1971 - Bobby Leslie, TV rocker (Guys Next Door-I Was Made For You)
1971 - Chadrick Brown, NFL defensive end (Arizona Cardinals)
1971 - Danalee Bragado, Honolulu, WPVA volleyballer (Best of Beach-9th-1995)
1971 - Ger Senden, soccer player (Roda JC)
1971 - Jill Simon, Miss Iowa USA (1996)
1971 - Scott Grimes, Lowell Mass, actor (Together We Stand)
1971 - Marc Andreessen, American software developer
1971 - Dani Behr, Model & TV Presenter
1972 - Derek Mills, Wash DC, 400m runner
1972 - Pete Kendall, NFL guard (Seattle Seahawks)
1973 - Katasha Artis, WNBA forward (Charlotte Sting)
1973 - Kelly Holcomb, NFL/WLAF quarterback (Buccaneers, Barcelona Dragons)
1973 - Enrique Murciano, American actor
1974 - Nikola Sarcevic, Swedish bassist and singer (Millencolin)
1974 - Sian Berry, British politician
1975 - Jack White, American musician (The White Stripes}
1975 - Shelton Benjamin, American professional wrestler
1976 - Fred Aaron Savage, Ill, actor (Kevin-Wonder Years, Vice Versa)
1977 - Isaac Brock, American musician
1978 - Linda Park, Korean-born actress
1978 - Mark Medlock, German singer
1979 - Ella Koon, Hong Kong singer and actress
1979 - Suzanne Stokes American model, (Playmate of the Month February 2000)
1981 - Kimveer Gill, Canadian spree shooter (Dawson College shooting) (d. 2006)
1982 - Ashly DelGrosso, American ballroom dancer
1982 - Alecko Eskandarian, Armenian-American footballer
1982 - Maggie Ma, Canadian actress
1982 - Sakon Yamamoto, Japanese race-car driver
1983 - Lucia Micarelli, American musician
1984 - Jacob Hoggard, singer of Canadian band Hedley (band)
1985 - Paweł Korzeniowski, Polish swimmer
1985 - Ashley Young, English footballer
1986 - Dominic Cervi, American footballer
1986 - Kiely Williams, American singer and actress
1990 - Fábio and Rafael da Silva, Brazilian footballers
1991 - Mitchel Musso, American actor
1991 - Spencer Elden, Baby/Model on Nirvana (band)'s Nevermind album
1995 - Georgie Henley, English actress

Historical Events on this Day in History

Events in History for Monday 9th July 2012

WACHUNGAJI WENGI TANZANIA NI FREEMASONS

         Hizi story zimekuwa ya kushtua sana kwangu japo mambo kama haya nlitegemea sana kuyaskia leo katika pitapita za mitandaoni nikaliona hii Habari ya wachungaji mafreemason, kwakweli inashtua sana na sasa wakristo na wafuasi wa madhehebu yote inabidi kuwa makini sana na hii hali tusije tukajikuta tunajutia maisha yetu baadae,, Biblia imeandika kuwa Watatokea manabii wa uongo na wengi watakuja kwa jina langu, soma Waraka wa kwanza wa yohana 4:1, pia Mathayo 7:15-23 na pia Thesalonike 5:20-21... sasa hawa wengi ni wa taasisi ya Freemason na hawatendi kwa nguvu za Mungu alie hai wengi wanatumia nguvu za Giza nk..
       Ndugu usikurupuke kukuta mtu anabwabwaja dini barabarani kwa mbwembwe kali akaponya lakini unahitaji sana kuhoji imani yake na haya yanawakuta sana waumini wa makanisa ya Kiroho,, angalia wengi wa washiriki waliingia kanisa hilo kwakua tu kuna maombezi na kuna miujiza bila kutafakari hawa wachungaji wanafanya haya kwa shauri ya nani na kwa nguvu gani lakini na wanakurupuka watu wanadanganyika wanajazana katika makanisa bila kuchunguza na mara baada siku mbili tatu mara mchungaji kafumaniwa na muumini gesti, mara kampa mimba mke wa mtu nk, hii inatokana na watu hawa kutumia vipaji vyao vya kuhubiri kutafuta pesa kwa Sadaka za waumini nk.. angalia saana mijiza mingi inayo tendeka ni feki na hii inawapotosha wengi sana,,     wito wangu,,,     
    WENGI WA WATU SASA HAWAPENDI KUSOMA MAANDIKO MATAKATIFU NDIO MAANA WANADANGANYIKA KWA URAHISI, JAMANI TUSOMENI MAANDIKO MATAKATIFU TUJIFUNZE KWA KINA NA KUOMBA NA KISHA MUNGU MWENYEWE ATATUONESHA NJIA YA KWELI, TUSIKURUPUKIE MAKANISA YA HOVYOHOVYO BILA KUJUA NGUVU ZAKE ZINATOKA WAPI NA KWA MAMLAKA YA NANI? TUTAJIKUTA TUNAKUWA WAFUASI WAZURI WA FREEMASON BILA KUJUA NA BADALA YA WOKOVU UKAENDA JEHANAM,       

Pete ya Freemason

     HERI WEWE ULIESIKIA NENO HILI NA KULISOMA SASA JIHADHARI NA MAKANISA YANAYOIBUKA NA WATU KUJIITA MANABII NI WANAFIKI NA WATUMIA NGUVU ZA SHETANI.. HASA WALA SADAKA TUU NA KUJIJENGA KIUCHUMI HUKU WEWE MUUMINI UKIENDELEA KUDANGANYIKA NA KUFA MASKINI KWA JASHO LAKO LA HALALI,, ZAIDI SANA SOMA BIBLIA NA KAMA UNGEPENDA KUJIFUNZA NA MIMI MACHACHE NILONAYO JUU YA HAYA WASILIANA NAMI 0753226538 ANGALAU NAWEZA KUKUSHAURI CHA KUFANYA CHA ZIADA UPONE KATIKA HILI,,,..
     NDUGU MSOMAJI KATIKA MTANDAO HUU NILIWAHI KUANDIKA HABARI INAYO HUSU MTANDAO WA FREEMASON PATA MUDA SOMA NA CHUNGUZA VIZURI KISHA SOMA NA MAANDIKO MATAKATIFU HUKU UKITANGULIZA JINA LA YESU KRISTO MNAZARETI ALIE HAI...     

 Edited By Steven Mruma..

A VIETNAM WAR: THE HISTORY OF WAR.

 

What Was the Vietnam War?

The Vietnam War was the prolonged struggle between nationalist forces attempting to unify the country of Vietnam under a communist government and the United States (with the aid of the South Vietnamese) attempting to prevent the spread of communism. Engaged in a war that many viewed as having no way to win, U.S. leaders lost the American public's support for the war. Since the end of the war, the Vietnam War has become a benchmark for what not to do in all future U.S. foreign conflicts.

Dates of the Vietnam War: 1959 -- April 30, 1975

Also Known As: American War in Vietnam, Vietnam Conflict, Second Indochina War, War Against the Americans to Save the Nat

Overview of the Vietnam War:

Ho Chi Minh Comes Home

There had been fighting in Vietnam for decades before the Vietnam War began. The Vietnamese had suffered under French colonial rule for nearly six decades when Japan invaded portions of Vietnam in 1940. It was in 1941, when Vietnam had two foreign powers occupying them, that communist Vietnamese revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh arrived back in Vietnam after spending thirty years traveling the world.

Once Ho was back in Vietnam, he established a headquarters in a cave in northern Vietnam and established the Viet Minh, whose goal was to rid Vietnam of the French and Japanese occupiers. Having gained support for their cause in northern Vietnam, the Viet Minh announced the establishment of an independent Vietnam with a new government called the Democratic Republic of Vietnam on September 2, 1945. The French, however, were not willing to give up their colony so easily and fought back.

For years, Ho had tried to court the United States to support him against the French, including supplying the U.S. with military intelligence about the Japanese during World War II. Despite this aid, the United States was fully dedicated to their Cold War foreign policy of containment, which meant preventing the spread of Communism. This fear of the spread of Communism was heightened by the U.S. "domino theory," which stated that if one country in Southeast Asia fell to Communism then surrounding countries would also soon fall. To help prevent Vietnam from becoming a communist country, the U.S. decided to help France defeat Ho and his revolutionaries by sending the French military aid in 1950.

France Steps Out, U.S. Steps In

In 1954, after suffering a decisive defeat at Dien Bien Phu, the French decided to pull out of Vietnam. At the Geneva Conference of 1954, a number of nations met to determine how the French could peacefully withdraw. The agreement that came out of the conference (called the Geneva Accords) stipulated a cease fire for the peaceful withdrawal of French forces and the temporary division of Vietnam along the 17th parallel (which split the country into communist North Vietnam and non-communist South Vietnam). In addition, 

DO YOU KNOW THE HISTORY OF THE TITANIC?

White Star Line, an industry leader, wanted to revolutionize travel by building the finest and biggest luxury passenger ships in the world.
Designing the Titanic.


The RMS Titanic was one of three ships belonging to the Olympic-class of White Star Line vessels. In addition to the Titanic, there was the RMS Olympic and the RMS Britannic. Responding to growing competition, design for the Olympic-class liners began in 1907. The decision was made to focus on luxury and size rather than speed. Joseph Bruce Ismay, managing director of White Star Line, wanted to build a ship larger than any that had come before.

Construction of the Titanic.

Finding a location to begin construction of the Titanic ship was an engineering feat itself. Harland and Wolff, shipbuilders for White Star Line, had substantially revamped an existing shipyard to accommodate construction of the Olympic-class liners. Construction of the Titanic began on March 31, 1909.


It took approximately three years to complete construction of the 882 foot long and 92 foot wide vessel. Work on the ship was difficult and dangerous; eight people were killed and nearly 250 injured. The Titanic was launched May 31, 1911 but was not fully fitted and ready for service until spring of 1912. Displacing 52,310 tons, the RMS Titanic was the largest passenger ship in the world.

A Modern Marvel.

Inspired by the technological innovations of the industrial revolution, White Star Line wanted the Titanic to epitomize modern technology, engineering, safety and luxury. The ship featured electric lights, elevators and heaters. Guests could relax in a Turkish bath or spend their time playing tennis, swimming or exercising in the on-board gym.

Despite its disastrous sinking, engineers had designed the Titanic ship with safety as a top priority. The ship featured a double steel hull and 16 separate compartments capable of being sealed off from one another in the event of an emergency. The Titanic was also capable of carrying 64 lifeboats. However, in a fateful decision, White Star Line chose only to carry 16. This, combined with collapsible lifeboats, met the requirements of an outdated law mandating enough lifeboats for only 75 percent of the ship's passenger capacity.
The Maiden Voyage of the RMS Titanic.
 
On April 10, 1912, the Titanic set out for New York City from Southampton, England. White Star Line highly publicized the Titanic's maiden voyage. They went so far as to call the ship “unsinkable.” The promotion campaign attracted many prominent members of British and American society including nobility and wealthy industrialists. After two stops, one in France and one Ireland. The Titanic began its transatlantic crossing with 2,216 passengers.

The Night of April 14.

The history of the Titanic was forever altered when the ship struck an iceberg on April 14, 1912. Having received iceberg warnings via wireless telegraph, Captain Edward Smith altered the ship's course. However, the radio operators were more concerned with relaying private messages to passengers than passing along updated iceberg warnings to the bridge. At approximately 11:40 p.m., lookouts spotted an iceberg directly in the path of the ship. Evasive action was taken in an attempt to avoid the collision. A sharp turn to the port side was ordered, and the iceberg struck the ship on the right side damaging the hull. Captain Smith ordered a full stop to assess the damage. Initially, only five compartments were flooded, and the watertight doors had been closed to prevent additional flooding. However, water was able to flow over the top of bulkheads and in through normal openings causing two more compartments to flood. It quickly became obvious the Titanic would sink.

Evacuating the Ship.

The first lifeboat was lowered about an hour after the collision. It had a 65 person capacity; only 19 were aboard. Tragically, many of the lifeboats were launched far under capacity. This is attributable to several factors. Assured by the still working electricity and seeming calm, many passengers didn't think the ship was sinking. In addition, many of the third class passengers became lost or trapped in the ship and didn't make it to the lifeboats. Due to a women and children first rule, many men did not board lifeboats despite there being space.

Radio operators broadcasted distress signals, but the RMS Carpathia, the closest ship, was four hours away. All but two lifeboats were successfully launched. Eventually, the Titanic split and was completely sunk by 2:20 a.m. Roughly four hours after receiving the distress call, the Carpathia arrived and began rescue efforts. More than 1,500 people died.Discovery of the Wreckage. The full history of the Titanic would not be known for decades. The wreckage was discovered September 1, 1985 through a combined American and French effort. Researchers learned much of what actually caused the “unsinkable” Titanic's tragic end.

Public interest in the history of Titanic persists to this day. Perhaps the fascination stems from the arrogance of the ship's designers or from the significance of such an impressive ship during a cultural and technological transition. Whatever the case, the history of the Titanic continues to captivate both historians and popular culture a century later.

Titanic mistake

RMS Titanic was a ship deemed unsinkable, yet four days into her maiden voyage, the “unsinkable” ship collided with an iceberg. She went to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean and 1,517 people died. Despite

 formal inquiries and much informal speculation, a definitive cause for the collision has never been identified.

Number of mistakes.

There is no question that a number of mistakes contributed to the sinking of the Titanic. Captain E. J. Smith was sailing his retirement voyage as the Titanic was making her maiden trip. Smith reportedly did not give orders to slow the ship despite reports of icebergs in the water, a common practice at the time. Smith also ignored or discounted a total of seven iceberg warnings from other ships and his own crew. J. Bruce Ismay, the Managing Director of Titanic’s parent corporation, the White Star Line, was on board the ship. Some people have speculated that Ismay put pressure on Smith to maintain speed as the White Star Line wanted to prove it could make a six-day crossing.

Mistakes during the build of the Titanic.

Another mistake, or perhaps a deliberate action, occurred during the building process. Substandard iron was used in the rivets holding the iron plates of the ship. The collision with the iceberg sheared the rivets and caused many sections of the ship to buckle. Yet another mistake lay in the height of the watertight compartments, which did not reach as high as they should have because the increased height would have cut into the living quarters of the first class compartments. Aside from the actual sinking, the ship carried only enough lifeboats for about one-third of the passengers and crew, which undoubtedly led to increased loss of life.

Mistakes by other vessels.

Not all the mistakes were made by people directly connected with the Titanic. Another ship, the Californian, had stopped for the night only 19 miles from the doomed ship. When the Titanic fired distress rockets, the Californian’s captain, Stanley Lord, decided the rockets were being fired because the Titanic was partying. The Californian’s radio had been turned off, and she missed the Titanic’s distress call; had the radio been on, the Californian should have been able to save all the passengers.
Close to a century after the Titanic went down, yet another possible mistake surfaced. The granddaughter of senior officer Charles Lightoller claimed the man at the wheel of the Titanic either did not hear an order or responded incorrectly; he turned right instead of left, putting the ship on a collision course with the iceberg. Louise Patten says her grandfather -- who survived the sinking -- lied about the mistake to prevent lawsuits against his employers and to protect his job. Patten also says that the chairman of the White Star Line ordered the ship to continue sailing on its intended course to reach land, in the hope of avoiding negative publicity, which may have increased the amount of water flowing into the ship. If what Patten says is true, despite all the other errors, in the end it may have been a simple misunderstanding that led to a titanic mistake.

The Sinking of the Titanic

1912 sinking of titanic

The sinking of the Titanic is one of the most talked about events of the twentieth century. Yet what really happened on that dreadful night in 1912? Here we will look at the events immediately leading up to and during the sinking of this massive ship.