April 15 marks the 100th anniversary of a tragedy that still lies heavy on the hearts of Americans, the British, and Celine Dion fans alike: the sinking of the Titanic.
Nobody alive today can remember the tragic headlines of 1912, but the History Press is giving Twitter users a glimpse into what it might have been like. Since March 20th, the publishing company, which has published dozens of books on the story of the Titanic, has been tweeting the events of the doomed vessel at @TitanicRealTime.
“Experience Titanic’s epic journey with day-by-day and minute-by-minute tweets as if from on board the ship itself,” the History Press writes in the @TitanicRealTime profile.
In spite of—or perhaps because of—the fact that we all know the way the story of the Titanic ends, the Twitter account has acquired 45,000 followers. As the Daily Dot previously reported regarding WWII and the attack on Pearl Harbor, Twitter has proved to be a popular way to relive history.
The account recounts the story of the Titanic from many different perspectives, each indicated by hashtags: the captain, crew, engineers, reporters, and passengers.
“#firstclass I hope the ‘millionaire’s’ suite is worth it – £870 for the single crossing so I expect only the best,” reads the tweet of one one sure-to-be-disappointed fictional passenger.
Though many of the tweets appear innocuous, our foreknowledge renders them chilling.
“#crew Jumping into those waters even in a lifebelt will still result in death. Still, it won’t happen…,” reads one foreboding tweet.
One hundred years later, the Titanic makes for a riveting story, even if it’s one to which we all know the ending.
Photo via TitanicRealTime
