Titanic: 10 facts you didn’t know

We look at what life was like on the Titanic and give you the chance to experience it for yourself at Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition.

Here are 10 fascinating facts about the doomed cruise liner:

1. Boasting a gym, pool, Turkish bath, kennel for first class passengers’ dogs, a squash court and its own on-board newspaper, the passenger ship’s interior was inspired by the Ritz Hotel in London.
2. There were drinks and smokes aplenty for the first class passengers: 20 000 bottles of beer, 1 500 bottles of wine and 8 000 cigars.
3. It took 20 horses to carry the ship’s main anchor.
4. A total of 100 000 people watched the ship’s launch on 31 May 1911.
5. First-class passengers tucked into an 11-course meal before the ship infamously hit the iceberg.
6. The last remaining survivor of the disaster, Millvina Dean, died in 2009 at the age of 97. She was two months old when she boarded the Titanic.
7. 26 of the couples on board were on honeymoon.
8. There was a good two hours of music played while the ship went down.
9. The budget for the 1997 movie Titanic was higher than the budget for constructing the boat itself.
10. The iceberg that sunk the Titanic is said to have started its journey around 1 000 BC.

(Sources: www.factslides.com; www.telegraph.co.uk)

Want to experience what it was like on the Titanic?

People Magazine is bringing Titanic: The Artifact Exibition to Joburg and Cape Town.

More than 25 million people have seen this show in major museums worldwide over the past 15 years, and now finally it’s our turn.

With a major focus on the stories of the passengers aboard the ship, the #TitanicExpo will have actual pieces of the ship on display and replica cabins.

Take a chronological journey through the life of the Titanic, moving through the ship’s construction, to life on board, the ill-fated sinking and amazing artifact rescue missions to preserve the wreckage for future generations.

You can take your experience even further by booking for a dining experience… Eat and drink from the original menu and hear some tales about the few South Africans who were on board the ship.

The kids are also sure to have a fascinating time searching for artifacts with a special kiddies map or exploring the Titanic activations area.

Don’t leave without sampling the Titanic wine, craft beer or the Titanic tea package.

#TitanicExpo is on at the Zone in Rosebank until 15 November 2015 and at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town from 27 November 2015 to 14 February 2016. For more, go to www.titanicexpo.co.za. Tickets can also be bought through www.webtickets.co.za