WHICH NIGHT TO REMEMBER? WHY SOME MARITIME DISASTERS LIVE LONGER IN PUBLIC MEMORY THAN OTHERS

Abstract

This thesis compares twelve maritime disasters from the twentieth century in order to determine why some are kept longer in public memory than others and why some are largely forgotten. No apparent correlation was found between objective statistical factors such as the size and speed of the ship, or the number of lives lost, and the strength of public memory of the ship’s loss. Detailed study of three cases (Titanic, Andrea Doria and Empress of Ireland) revealed a set of factors that help explain different levels of public memory. These include the presence of celebrities aboard sinking ships; how “impossible” it is for disaster to befall a particular ship; the countries to which the ships belonged; the prior fame of the ships involved; the consequences of their sinkings on their industry’s safety regulations; the historical context of the disasters; and political repercussions. Of these, the first two factors are the most significant to explain the level of fame certain maritime disasters hold.