More than a century after the RMS Titanic sank in the icy waters of the North Atlantic, the disaster remains one of history’s most haunting maritime tragedies.
What began as a confident maiden voyage for the luxury ship in 1912 became a catastrophe remembered not only for the scale of the loss, but for the deeply personal stories left behind.
Highlights
- A TikTok museum tour ignited emotional discussions about the lesser-known stories of dogs aboard the RMS Titanic.
- While some netizens were surprised to learn there were canines on the ship, others sympathized with the owners’ decisions during the tragedy.
- Stories involving priests and a Chinese survivor also deeply moved viewers.
Now, a TikToker’s visit to the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, has brought to light one of the most heartbreaking aspects of the tragedy: the beloved dogs who met their end alongside their owners.
“The animals must have been so confused,” a netizen wrote.
A TikTok user’s emotional museum tour revived online interest in the dogs of the Titanic
Image credits: Print Collector
The TikTok user’s slideshow contained a plaque displaying dogs of different breeds aboard the Titanic alongside their names, their owners’ names, and whether they survived.
The dogs belonged to first-class passengers, and the ship was equipped with amenities, including kennels.
Image credits: Wikimedia
Some of the dogs, however, stayed with passengers in their rooms, with crew members turning a blind eye because of their small size.
When the rescue operation began, passengers were asked to leave their pets behind due to the limited space on the lifeboats.
Image credits: himynameistrish
Out of the 12 dogs aboard the Titanic, only three survived. They had one thing in common: they shared rooms with their owners, making it easier for them to wrap them in blankets or tuck them under coats and carry them onto lifeboats.
Image credits: Wikimedia
Lady, a Pomeranian belonging to passenger Margaret Hays, survived the tragedy. So did Sun Yat Sen, a Pekingese belonging to Myra Harper and Henry Harper.
The name of the third canine survivor remains unknown, but it was also a Pomeranian owned by Martin Rothschild and Elizabeth Rothschild.
Image credits: Wikimedia
“I didn’t even think about dogs being on the Titanic,” one user said, while another added, “I too wouldn’t have left without my pet.”
“There was a Great Dane. I don’t remember the owner’s name, but she refused to get on a lifeboat without her dog, and her body was found hugging it,” wrote a third.
The comment referred to Ann Elizabeth Isham, who boarded the Titanic in Cherbourg with her pet. Her dog was too large to board a lifeboat, so she chose to stay behind as well.
Isham was one of four first-class female passengers who lost their lives on the Titanic.
Priests aboard the Titanic made social media users emotional
Image credits: Wikimedia
Other pictures in the TikToker’s slideshow featured Captain Edward John Smith on the deck and a wall decorated with photos of priests who gave up their places on the lifeboats during the rescue mission.
“What an exhibit. Worth going to see,” the user wrote in the caption of the post.
“I’d be crying the whole time,” one commented, while another said they were “calling it a day” after viewing the pictures.
A third remarked that the refreshed memories of the Titanic have them “spiraling into an obsession” once again.
A fourth said it was sad how “no one talks about the priests” who gave up their seats on rescue boats during the tragedy.
Image credits: himynameistrish
Notably, when the Titanic hit an iceberg, three Catholic priests were on board.
Father Thomas Byles, a 42-year-old British priest, was traveling to New York to officiate his brother’s wedding.
When the disaster struck, he is known to have guided third-class passengers from the lower decks to safety.
He rejected multiple offers to board a lifeboat and even refused a life jacket. In the ship’s final hours, he recited scripture to those around him, heard confessions, and granted absolution. His actions inspired a scene in the Titanic movie.
The two other priests were Father Josef Peruschitz from Germany and Father Juozas Montvila from Lithuania.
The story of a Chinese Titanic survivor who kept his experience hidden for years also resonated with netizens
Image credits: BBC
Fang Lang was born in June 1894 and lived until 1986.
He boarded the Titanic at age 17, as mentioned on an information plaque shared by the TikTok user. He survived the ship’s sinking by clinging to a wooden door.
There, he worked at a Chinese restaurant, got married, and had a son. He never told anyone that he was a Titanic survivor.
In 2003, nearly 20 years after Fang Lang passed away, his son Tom was speaking with a cousin who mentioned that Tom’s father had survived the sinking of the Titanic.
Tom pulled up the ship's passenger list and discovered the story was true.
When Tom tried to share his father’s identity with Titanic enthusiasts, his claims were met with skepticism and demands for concrete proof.
Image credits: Bettmann
Tom later posted the story on various Titanic-centered online forums, which caught the attention of British filmmaker Arthur Jones and maritime historian Steven Schwankert.
They launched an investigation into the matter and officially validated Fang Lang’s story.
“I thought he was pretty cool. His story stood out to me!” Sanchi’s mom said.
“Apparently, Fang Lang’s survival story is what inspired Rose’s survival scene,” one commenter wrote.
"The Titanic has always intrigued me," a social media user wrote
