From the real villains to SA's survivor: 5 things to know about the Titanic

With countless documentaries and numerous books, the sinking of the Titanic has captured the imaginations of many for decades. April 14/15 marks 113 years since the “unsinkable” ship met her fate after hitting an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland. The 1997 movie Titanic by James Cameron earned its cast and crew critical acclaim. 

For many, the fictional details and characters in the movie have become definitive of what happened and the people on board, but over the years evidence has emerged to give a more accurate picture of events. Here's a look at some of the details you may have missed.

READY FOR THE DIP

Much of the Titanic's allure was around the perception that it was “unsinkable”, but this was far from the truth. None of the crew or people involved with the ship touted her as unsinkable. Instead, it was an overzealous media that created the false impression she was practically unsinkable due to her structure. Thus, it was mere hearsay.

TOO FAST, TOO FURIOUS

The movie devotes much time to actor Billy Zane's obnoxious, snobbish and affluent character Caledon Hockley and his treatment of his fiancée Rose (Kate Winslet) and third class passengers. However, true villainy lies with the ship's second officer, Scotsman David Blair. Through witness accounts and testimonies, it was found Blair took the keys to the cabinet containing binoculars which could have helped to spot the approaching iceberg. This led to much of the blame being placed on the captain and the quartermaster (who was at the wheel) for sailing too fast.

While Hockley may have been fictional, his actions were close to the truth. In the movie he is seen grabbing a child and pretending to be her only surviving parent so he can get onto a lifeboat. This was based on the White Star Line chairman Joseph Bruce Ismay, who jumped into a lifeboat after assisting several passengers into the boat. In the movie, the chairman is seen urging the captain to make a speedy arrival at their destination, whereas safety should have been the priority.

THE FAMILY OF DOCTOR WHO

While we see many of the coal trimmers during a few scenes in the movie, one of them, Jimmy McGann, lived to the tell the tale from the perspective of the ship's workers. According to the Guardian newspaper, McGann stayed on the ship until it's last moments and died of pneumonia a few years later. Two of his great-nephews have related his tales of survival in a podcast. Both are actors and one, Paul McGann, portrayed the eighth doctor in the popular Doctor Who series.

SOUTH AFRICA'S OLDEST SURVIVOR

South Africans were among those who set sail on the doomed ship. One of them was 15-year-old Elizabeth Haisman who became one of the oldest living survivors from South Africa. She was among those saved by the Carpathia, which sank years later in 1918 during World War 1. Haisman appeared in Titanic: the Legend Lives On, a 1994 TV movie, as herself. Haisman also appeared in Titanic: Secrets Revealed, released in 1998, a year after her death and months after Cameron's movie.

DEAD BEFORE SAIL

While the lives lost on the Titanic and those who survived are often a big talking point, there was already controversy about the ship before she was launched. Eight people died during the three years of the vessel's construction by Harland and Wolff in Belfast.