Titanic 100th anniversary

The 100th anniversary of the Titanic expedition is under way. You can choose which moment you want to commemorate: The luxury liner left Belfast on April 2, 1912, sailed on its maiden -- and final -- voyage April 10, and hit the iceberg on April 15. The centenarian observation has spanned the globe, from memorial cruises to movie rereleases.

Tempting fate? The MS Balmoral's Titanic Memorial Cruise follows the same course, sans iceberg. The ship set sail with the same number of passengers (1,309) and planned to rendezvous with the wreckage site on April 15 before heading to New York. Winds up to 45 mph, though, prevented the luxury cruiser from docking in Ireland. Winds aside, the conditions seem promising: A supermoon won't be causing a hiccup this time ... although global warming has been unleashing more rogue icebergs.

Click image to view more photos. (REUTERS/Chris Helgren)

[Related: Titanic Re-enactment Sets Sail on Exact Route a Century Later]

The ship is stocked with the descendants of survivors, including the grandson of the first steward and the only Titanic survivor relative to dive to the wreck.

Titanic shoes"The seabed between the two parts of the ship is scattered with shoes. You begin to think they belonged to somebody. Those shoes were somebody's possessions. It was very moving," said [Philip] Littlejohn.

"It was something grandfather never spoke about. It had a tremendous effect on his life -- it turned (his hair) completely white with shock," Littlejohn said. (Montreal Gazette)

Encyclopedia Titanica compiles a list of survivors and links to their biographies.

What Titanic means, 100 years later. The shipwreck has always symbolized tragic glamour, and its 100th anniversary has inspired a ghoulish costume-party atmosphere, like the re-creation of the last meal that a Houston restaurant is offering for $12,000. Ultimately, 1,514 died in freezing waters. "Titanic" director James Cameron, who recently satisfied a seven-year obsession to solo-dive a record 35,576 feet, has become the go-to spokesperson of its cultural meaning: He was featured in the National Geographic documentary, solipsistically titled "Titanic: The Final Word With James Cameron." Cameron zeroed in on the way this tragedy bundles hubris, class, and the mystery that the deep still holds for people.

It's not about numbers. It's about the hubris of the shipowners, for example; it's about society at that time. It was a very optimistic time: Technology was advancing; people built aircrafts; they enjoyed electric light; everything looked like there would be a great future. And the Titanic stood for that. And then, suddenly, the unthinkable happened, as if all of this went down with the Titanic... [S]he is and will remain a metaphor. (April 6 interview with Die Spiegel)

By Vera H-C Chan | Trending Now