Famous Shipwrecks of History
1 / 15On what date did the RMS Titanic sink after striking an iceberg in the North Atlantic?
About Famous Shipwrecks of History
Give your memory a workout with Famous Shipwrecks of History: 15 multiple-choice questions aimed at mixed difficulty, free to play right in your browser. From the Titanic to ancient Bronze Age cargo ships, discover the dramatic true stories behind history's most memorable losses at sea. Expect to spend about 7 minutes; every question comes with an explanation, so you learn something even when you miss.
A few sample questions
1. On what date did the RMS Titanic sink after striking an iceberg in the North Atlantic?
Answer: April 15, 1912
The Titanic struck an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. on April 14 and sank at 2:20 a.m. on April 15, 1912, taking approximately 1,500 lives with her.
2. Which American oceanographer led the expedition that discovered the wreck of the Titanic in 1985?
Answer: Robert Ballard
Dr. Robert Ballard of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution found the Titanic on September 1, 1985, using a remote-controlled camera sled called Argo, roughly 370 miles south of Newfoundland.
3. Approximately how deep does the Titanic wreck rest on the ocean floor?
Answer: About 12,500 feet
The Titanic lies about 12,500 feet — nearly 2.4 miles — below the surface of the North Atlantic, making visits by submersible an extraordinary feat of deep-sea exploration.
4. What type of vessel sank the British ocean liner RMS Lusitania in May 1915?
Answer: A German submarine
German submarine U-20 fired a torpedo into the Lusitania on May 7, 1915, off the coast of Ireland; the great liner sank in just 18 minutes, killing 1,198 of the 1,959 people aboard.
5. In which of the Great Lakes did the ore carrier SS Edmund Fitzgerald sink in November 1975?
Answer: Lake Superior
The Edmund Fitzgerald vanished beneath Lake Superior on November 10, 1975, during a violent storm, taking all 29 crew members to the bottom — the lake's deadliest recorded shipping disaster.
Things you'll learn along the way
- Gordon Lightfoot's 'The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,' released in 1976, became one of his signature songs and has kept the memory of the 29 lost crew members alive for generations.
- The Mary Rose sank on July 19, 1545, during an engagement with French forces in the Solent — the strait between the English mainland and the Isle of Wight — and lay on the seabed for over 430 years.
- After being raised from the seabed in 1982 — a moment watched live on television by millions — the Mary Rose was moved to a specially built museum in Portsmouth's Historic Dockyard, where she is preserved today.
Frequently asked questions
Will I lose my progress if I close the page?
Your overall progress — XP, streaks, and badges — is saved in your browser automatically. A quiz that's underway restarts if you leave mid-game, but at about 7 minutes, Famous Shipwrecks of History fits comfortably in one sitting.
How many questions are in Famous Shipwrecks of History?
Famous Shipwrecks of History has 15 multiple-choice questions. Each one has four answer options and an explanation that appears after you answer, so you learn something even when you miss.
Is Famous Shipwrecks of History free to play?
Yes. The entire SeniorBrainGames catalog — including Famous Shipwrecks of History — is free, with no sign-up required, no time limits, and no ads on top of the game. It also works offline once the page has loaded once.
How long does Famous Shipwrecks of History take?
Most players finish Famous Shipwrecks of History in about 7 minutes. You can pause between questions, replay it as often as you like, and there is no penalty for taking your time — answers are explained after you submit them.
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