The night that the Titanic sailed into history was cold and moonless. The normally storm-tossed Atlantic Ocean was a flat calm.
That Sunday was cold, but it had been a pleasant one for the passengers. They had spent their time in church services and relaxing. By 11 p.m., most of them were in bed.
First Officer William Murdoch was in charge on the bridge, the control center at the front of a ship. At 11:40, the Titanic’s lookouts spotted the iceberg about 1,500 feet ahead. Murdoch reacted quickly, reversing the engines and ringing the warning bell. But less than 40 seconds later, the ship’s starboard side scraped along the iceberg. From that moment on, the Titanic was doomed.