Topically Ted: Titanic and Her Sisters

Almost everyone knows the tragic story about the RMS Titanic, while on her maiden voyage to New York on the night of April 14, 1912, hitting an iceberg and sinking with the loss of 1,496 passengers and crew. Few people may realize that the Titanic was the second of three ships built of the ‘Olympic Class’ for the White Star Line to compete for the Atlantic crossing passenger trade. The stories of Titanic’s older sister ship Olympic and younger sister ship Britannic are compelling stories of their own. As planned by their owners, when each of the ships were launched, they could claim to be the largest ship in the world. While the Olympic would have an exciting and long career the youngest sister Britannic would have a short and tragic end. This presentation tells the amazing stories of these ships. It covers who built them and why, and what happened to them.

This program is a Topically Ted Event. "Topically Ted" is a series inspired by the loves and life of Ted Mallory, founded in 2017 in honor of the eponymous Madison resident and beloved friend of the library. These special events are held quarterly and are made possible by the Mallory Family.