In this collection, we look at 12 of the most famous ships that have ever sailed the high seas. From antiquity to the 20th century, these ships were famous for various reasons, some for their technical innovations, others for their sheer size, still others for their precious but ultimately lost cargo or the passengers they carried to new worlds. Throughout history, certain ships have grabbed the record for the quickest mode of travel or become the largest moving objects ever made by humans. Others have gained fame through tragedy, becoming victims of war or enduring wrecks still explored today.
Our choice of 12 of the most important ships in history is:
- Uluburun Shipwreck
- Syracusia
- Mary Rose
- Madre de Deus
- Mayflower
- Batavia
- SS Great Britain
- SS Great Eastern
- RMS Titanic
- RMS Empress of Ireland
- RMS Lusitania
- Battleship Bismarck
RMS Titanic was 269.1 metres (882 ft 9 in) in length and lived up to its name with a displacement of 66,000 tons. The main anchor alone weighed 15.5 tons. Equivalent to an 11-story building, the ship was the largest moving object made in history up to that time.
