The Astors boarded RMS Titanic at Cherbourg, accompanied by Jack's valet, Madeleine's lady's maid, a private nurse, and their Airedale terrier, Kitty. Four nights later the liner struck an iceberg, sustaining grave damage, and the ship's captain ordered that the lifeboats be lowered. Many people are aware that there were only 20 lifeboats on Titanic, enough for fewer than half the passengers onboard. Shockingly, that was 4 more boats than were required by the outdated safety regulations of the time. (Of 2240 passengers, only 706 survived.) Did you know that the original design called for 64 lifeboats, but the number was reduced because the owner felt too many lifeboats would clutter the deck and block the view for the First Class passengers?

Evacuation of the ship was disorganized and haphazard. Class and gender played a huge part in likelihood of survival, creating disproportionate devastation. As Jack helped Madeleine, her maid, and her nurse into a lifeboat, he asked Second Officer Charles Lightoller if he might join his wife since she was, ". . . in a delicate condition". He was told men were not allowed to board until all women and children had been loaded. Jack acquiesced, and told Madeleine he would see her in the morning. Are you surprised Jack was so gracious about not gaining access to a lifeboat? Please choose all options that apply.

Madeleine returned to New York, and 4 months later gave birth to a healthy son who never got to meet his father. Jack died (as did his valet), possibly struck by a falling smokestack as Titanic sank off the coast of Newfoundland. His body (1 of only 333 recovered) was found a week later by the cable ship Mackay-Bennett. It was identified by some personal possessions, and his initials sewn on the label of his jacket. Thousands of people mourned Colonel Astor as his coffin passed by on the streets of New York. Do you think recovering remains is a significant comfort to loved ones?

April 15, 1912, John Jacob Astor IV, the wealthiest person onboard Titanic, with a net worth of 87 million dollars (2.7 billion today) went down with the ship. Do you find that shocking, considering that over 300 of the 706 survivors were men?