The Titanic Time line

1907

Bruce Ismay, Visited Lord James Pirrie, at his home Belgravia mansion, (Downshire House).
It is believed that the topic of conversation revolved around the Trans-Atlantic route a major asset to the White Star Line, The Cunard Line had just Designed a new supper sized ship the Lusitania to run this route. The Lusitania was designed to be a faster ship that was intended to shatter the existing speed records on her maiden voyage. This would put Cunard ahead in the race for control of the Atlantic route. This is the way the ship companies had been working for years trying to out do the competitors by building faster record breaking ships. A ship that broke a record was awarded the blue ribbon an award that was kept until a quicker ship was built. It was a tight and very competitive business that meant always trying to be ahead of the other competition in the race.
Both Ismay and Lord Perrie knew they had to build new ships to even try and compete, but they also knew the other companies would yet again build new ships again intended to be faster. Ismay and Pirrie decided it better to try to attract passengers from a different angle one concentrating on quality and passenger comfort rather than the ever changing speed. The idea of the Olympic class liners, a trio of Bigger Better and More Luxurious Ships, intended to well and truly dominate the Trans Atlantic route, was born.
That night Lord Pirrie and Ismay devised an ambitious plan. Using their combined power, they would create two enormous liners with a third to follow. The enormous ships, would be double the size of Lusitania and designed to be nearly a hundred feet longer than her.
The design of these ships needed to be huge to house the equally as huge First class Dinning saloon, with a large reception room, and enormous Grand staircase Topped with a magnificent glass dome, with electric elevators. The luxurious panelled first class lounge, smoking room, palm court verandas and reading room, all needed to be accommodated then there were the gymnasium, Turkish baths, a squash court and the first ever swimming pool on a ship all to be allocated a place. The original design for these ships only had three funnels. Pirrie decided that four would give the ships a look of more speed as well as a better overall look so the design was changed to the four funnels. many people simply believed the task of building these Enormous Liners was insane as well as impossible.
These plans were so huge that no shipyard had a dry dock, crane, or gantry large enough to construct them, Harland and Wolff soon began work at the ship yard, not building these liners but demolishing much of their ship yard to fit in these two enormous berths.

1908
December 16th The Laying of Olympics first keel plate.

1909
March 31st the first keel plate was laid down for the Titanic.

1910
October 20th, , the Olympic was launched

1911
May 31st The Slip way was greased up with over twenty-three tons of train oil, and soap to help titanic slide down the slipway. Owner J.P. Morgan, Managing Director Bruce Ismay Lord and Lady Pirrie and the Mayor of Belfast were all present for this special occasion. their was no christening service as was the custom of her owners White Star.
12:05pm  two rockets were fired, followed by a third five minutes later.
12:13pm Titanic was launched the hull began to move slowly then carried on by its own weight at a speed of 12 knots. Sixty-two seconds later she was in the water and dragged to a halt by hundreds of tons of anchor chains and scrap cables after travelling over a lengh1800 feet twice that of her own.

1912
March 31st The outfitting of the Titanic is completed.
April 2nd Titanic set sail from Belfast and under gone her sea trials.
April 10th Sailing day.
Passengers arrive in Southampton and board the ship, between 9:30 and 11:30am.
At 12.00 noon The Titanic casts off and begins her maiden voyage. Captain Smith gave the command and the propellers started, then he then ordered more speed. Unfortunately the speed pulled a moored ship The New York from its lines right into its path, almost causing a collision. With the prompt work of a tug boat the New York Was thrown a line and towed to safety. Many people saw this and some people considered it a bad omen. But after a short delay Titanic was under way.