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126 free Titanic trivia questions with answers — history quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
50 free Titanic trivia questions with answers. Test your knowledge of one of history's most famous maritime disasters with our comprehensive Titanic trivia quiz. From the ship's construction to its tragic sinking in 1912, this 126-question quiz covers fascinating details about passengers, crew members, and lesser-known facts. Whether you're a history buff or casual movie fan, see how much you really know about the RMS Titanic.
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Q 01On what date did the RMS Titanic sink?
April 15, 1912
The RMS Titanic sank in the early hours of April 15, 1912, after striking an iceberg. The collision itself occurred late on April 14th.
Q 02In what city was the RMS Titanic built?
Belfast
Titanic was built in Belfast, at the Queen's Island shipyard on the River Lagan, beneath the huge Arrol Gantry erected to build her and her sister ship.
Q 03Which Celine Dion song from the 1997 film Titanic won the Oscar for Best Original Song?
My Heart Will Go On
"My Heart Will Go On", written by James Horner and Will Jennings and performed by Celine Dion, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the March 1998 ceremony.
Q 04How many lifeboats did the RMS Titanic carry?
20
The Titanic carried 20 lifeboats, which included 14 standard wooden lifeboats, 4 collapsible lifeboats, and 2 emergency cutters. This was fewer than its maximum potential capacity but exceeded the regulations of the time.
Q 05Who captained RMS Titanic on her maiden voyage and went down with the ship?
Edward J. Smith
Captain Edward J. Smith, White Star's senior commander, stayed aboard and went down with his ship; his body was never recovered.
Q 06What was the approximate length of the RMS Titanic?
882 feet
The RMS Titanic was approximately 882 feet 9 inches (269.06 meters) long.
Q 07From which port did the Titanic depart for its maiden voyage?
Southampton, England
The Titanic began its maiden voyage from Southampton, England, on April 10, 1912, before making stops in Cherbourg and Queenstown.
Q 08The Titanic belonged to which class of ocean liners?
Olympic-class
The Titanic was the second of three Olympic-class ocean liners built for the White Star Line, its sister ships being the Olympic and the Britannic.
Q 09How many of Titanic's funnels were functional rather than dummies?
Three
The aftmost funnel was a dummy; all were painted White Star buff with black tops, flanked by two 155-foot masts.
Q 10At approximately what time did the Titanic strike the iceberg?
11:40 PM on April 14, 1912
The Titanic struck the iceberg at approximately 23:40 (11:40 PM) ship's time on April 14, 1912.
Q 11In what year was the wreck of the Titanic discovered?
1985
The wreck was found on 1 September 1985 by a joint French-American expedition led by Robert Ballard, 73 years after the sinking.
Q 12Who was the wealthiest passenger aboard the Titanic?
John Jacob Astor IV
John Jacob Astor IV, a prominent American businessman and real estate developer, was the richest passenger on the Titanic.
Q 13How many watertight compartments was the Titanic designed with?
16
Titanic had 16 watertight compartments divided by 15 bulkheads; the bulkheads stopped short of the upper decks, so as the bow settled water spilled from one compartment into the next.
Q 21Which towed camera system was used to discover the Titanic wreck?
Argo
Argo was a towed sled carrying sonar and cameras, developed for the US Navy, which let Ballard hunt for the wreck once the Navy's own survey objectives had been met.
Q 22Roughly what share of third-class women died, against about 3% of first-class women?
54%
About 54% of third-class women died (89 of 165) against 3% in first class; five of six first-class children and every second-class child survived, while 52 of 79 third-class children perished.
Q 23What type of distress signal was primarily used by the Titanic's wireless operators after the collision?
CQD, then SOS
Junior operator Harold Bride suggested switching to SOS as it 'may be your last chance to send it'; despite the popular myth, SOS was not new and had been used many times before.
Q 14Approximately how many people died in the sinking of the Titanic?
1,500
About 1,500 died, though estimates range from 1,490 to 1,635 because the passenger list included people who cancelled at the last minute and some who travelled under aliases.
Q 15What was the name of the ship that rescued the survivors of the Titanic?
RMS Carpathia
Carpathia was 58 miles away and, even at her maximum 17 knots, took about four hours to arrive, reaching the scene around 4 am after the ship had gone under.
Q 16What was the maximum capacity of people (passengers and crew) the Titanic could carry?
3,547
The maximum capacity of the RMS Titanic, when fully loaded with passengers and crew, was 3,547 people.
Q 17What was the name of the chief naval architect who designed the Titanic and died in the sinking?
Thomas Andrews Jr.
Andrews inspected the damage after the collision and told the captain the ship was doomed, accurately predicting she would stay afloat for no more than about two hours.
Q 18What was the primary material used for the Titanic's hull?
Steel
The RMS Titanic, like other large ocean liners of its era, was constructed primarily with a steel hull.
Q 19At what depth does the wreck of the Titanic lie?
Approximately 12,500 feet (3,800 meters)
The wreck of the RMS Titanic lies at a depth of about 12,500 feet (3,800 meters) in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Q 20Which deck of the ship was reserved for First Class and held their lounge and smoking room?
A Deck (Promenade)
A Deck, also known as the Promenade Deck, was reserved exclusively for First Class passengers and housed many of their luxurious public rooms.
Q 24Which Belfast shipbuilder built Titanic?
Harland and Wolff
Harland and Wolff built Titanic at its Queen's Island yard in Belfast; the firm's chairman also sat on the board of the ship's owner, so White Star had its liners built there.
Q 25What was the approximate number of people on board the Titanic during its maiden voyage?
2,200
About 2,208 people were aboard, well short of the ship's full carrying capacity of roughly 3,500.
Q 26The Titanic was designed to stay afloat with how many forward watertight compartments flooded?
Four
Titanic could float with any two compartments flooded, or with the first four; with five opened by the iceberg, water spilled over the bulkheads, which stopped short of the deck above.
Q 27What did the 'RMS' prefix before Titanic's name stand for?
Royal Mail Ship
RMS stands for Royal Mail Ship: Titanic carried mail under contract, with five postal clerks from the Royal Mail and the US Post Office sorting letters aboard so they were ready on docking.
Q 28The bridge and the officers' quarters sat at the forward end of which level of the ship?
Boat Deck
The Boat Deck, where the lifeboats were housed, also contained the bridge and the captain's and officers' quarters at its forward end.
Q 29What was the estimated top speed of the RMS Titanic?
23 knots
The Titanic's service speed was 21 knots, but its estimated top speed was around 23 knots (approximately 26 mph or 43 km/h).
Q 30On average, how full were Titanic's lifeboats when they were lowered?
60%
On average the boats left about 60% full; many passengers refused to leave the warm, seemingly safe ship for a small boat on a freezing night, John Jacob Astor reportedly saying, 'We are safer here than in that little boat.'