The RMS Titanic, a name synonymous with opulence and disaster, holds a unique place in history. Her story is one of groundbreaking engineering, social stratification, human error, and enduring tragedy. The Conception of an Unsinkable Dream The idea for the Titanic and her sister ships, Olympic and Britannic, was born from a rivalry between two prominent shipping companies: White Star Line and Cunard. Cunard had recently launched the faster Lusitania and Mauretania, securing the coveted Blue Riband for the fastest Atlantic crossing. White Star, under the leadership of Chairman J. Bruce Ismay and financed by the American financier J.P. Morgan's International Mercantile Marine Co., decided to compete not on speed, but on sheer size, luxury, and perceived unsinkability. The vision was to create the largest, most luxurious, and safest ships ever built, appealing to the wealthy elite as well as a growing wave of emigrants seeking new lives in America. Designed by Lord William Pirrie...