The Origin

The White Star Line was originally founded back in the 1850's. At that time, it consisted of sailing vessels travelling trade routes centred on Australian goldfields. Then, in 1867, White Star was purchased by Thomas Henry Ismay who was Bruce Ismay's father. At this time, White Star began to focus its efforts on the ever growing Atlantic Passenger routes.

1909: March 31st: Beginning of the construction of the "Titanic".

1911: May 31st: Launching of the "Titanic", the largest and most luxurious ship of the world in 1912.

1912: April 10th: Maiden voyage of the "Titanic" from Southampton to New York via Cherbourg and Queenstown (Cork).
1912: April 14th: At 11.40pm the "Titanic" collides with an iceberg.
1912: April 15th: At 2.20am the "Titanic" sinks and more than 1500 people die.
1914: Launching of the "Britannic", which should have the name "Gigantic".
1915: The "Britannic" gets a hospital ship.
1916: The "Britannic" collides with a mine. 30 people die, the ship sinks in one hour.
1935: The White Star Line and the Cunard Line combine. Name of the new company: Cunard White Star.

The Titanic was launched on 31st May 1911, the same day the Olympic was handed over to White Star, and for the double occasion about a 100,000 people had gathered. She took just 62 seconds from the time of her first movement to when she came to a halt. During fitting out she would have 29 boilers and her reciprocating engines fitted along with her four funnels and two masts with a look out cage on the foremast. Inside the ship carpenters and joiners were busy fitting the elegant wood panelling and laying of decks, the fitters and plumbers were fitting baths and plumbing pipes, first and second class elevators were fitted. Among the other luxuries were two first class stairways, a swimming pool, a Turkish bath, a gymnasium, and the Cafe` Parisian. Although these luxuries were for mainly first class passengers, second class on the Titanic was like first class on any other Liner, even the third class steerage passengers had it better than ever.

The Cunard Lines, until now, had been virtually unchallenged in the Atlantic routes. However, with White Star's Baltic, which set the Atlantic speed record in 1873, Cunard finally had a worthy opponent. The two companies were in constant competition as each one released better and faster vessels. White Star was the first to introduce ships without sails, the Teutonic and the Majestic.

A quick look at the history of the line:

1850: Founded in Liverpool, specialized on trade with australian gold mines.
1867: Thomas Henry Ismay buys the line.
1869: The Oceanic Steam Navigation Company is found to establish the White Star Line in transatlantic service.
1891: The "Tuetonic" wins the Blue Ribbon of the Atlantic.
1899: Maiden voyage of the "Oceanic", the largest ship of the world in 1899.
1901: Maiden voyage of the "Celtic" und "Cedric", who are even larger than the "Oceanic".
1902: The american International Mercantile Marine Company IMM buys the line.
1907: Decision to build three ships of the Olympic-class: "Olympic", "Titanic" und "Gigantic".
1908: July 31st: These ships are ordered at Harland & Wolff in Belfast.
1908: December 16th: Beginning of the construction of the "Olympic".

Harland & Wolf, Belfast is the Birth place of the White Star Liners Titanic & the Olympic. The massive Arrol Gantry was built especially for the Olympic Class Liners, and was 840 feet long. The Titanic was built at the side of her sister ship the Olympic, whose keel was laid on 1st January 1909, the keel of the Titanic being laid on 31st March 1910. Work continued on both ships with Harland & Wolf doubling the work force to over 11,300 in order to cope with the building and fitting out, until the Olympic was launched on 20th October 1910. The Titanic would not be ready to be launched until 31st May 1911. These Giant ships with an overall length of 882 feet 9 inches were the longest liners in the world beating the previous best of the Cunard Liner Mauretania by 92 feet 6 inches. The Gross tonnage of the Olympic was 45,324 while the Titanic weighed in at 46,328 making it the largest Liner in the world.

Since it’s the origin, so even you have the opportunity to design one…so just give it a try

......................................................

Completion of the Titanic was delayed unexpectedly when the Olympic is forced to return to Belfast to have a lost propeller blade replaced, having to vacate the dry dock for her sister. When the Titanic was nearing completion there was a last minute design change, due to experience of the Olympic, the open windows on the forward end of A deck were replaced by new sliding glass windows. This gave the Titanic a very distinct and noticeable difference between her and her two sisters. The sea trials were to commence on 1st April 1912 at 10 am but a very strong wind caused a delay to the next day, her sea trials were short and she would be in Southampton on 3rd April ready to take on supplies, coal and crew for her fateful journey into destiny.

White Star Line and Cunard Line were fierce competitors for control over the hugely profitable North Atlantic shipping run between the United States and Britain.. Traditionally, Harland & Wolff had always built the White Star ships. Lord Pirrie, chairman of Harland & Wolff, and Joseph Bruce Ismay, chairman of White Star, realized that the only way to defeat Cunard was to make bigger and faster ships. Cunard had launched the Mauretania and the Lusitania in 1907. White Star decided to move from Liverpool to Southampton to accomodate their expansion (the port of registry was kept as Liverpool, though, which explains why it was written on the stern of the ship.)