A symbol of how even humanity's greatest achievements can end in disaster, the Titanic proudly claimed the honor of being the world's largest passenger ship when she set sail, only to sink four days later, killing 1,517 passengers and crew. She struck an iceberg at 11.40 p.m. on April 14, 1912, and by 2:20 a.m. was lost to the icy waters of the Atlantic.
Marine explorers discovered the wreck 370 miles southeast of Newfoundland, Canada, in 1985. A succession of court disputes has ensured so that no one has yet raised the complete remains of the Titanic, but thousands of pieces and artifacts have been salvaged and exhibited.
The British Royal Navy launched HMS Victory in 1737, but she lasted only until October 4, 1744, when a storm destroyed her in the English Channel, between England and France. The most powerful warship of her day, she contained 100 guns and had a crew of 1,100--all of whom were lost, along with her captain, Admiral Sir John Balchin. Lord Nelson later commanded a naval ship of the same name.
Shipwreck hunters Odyssey discovered the wreckage in 2009 and salvaged two bronze cannons, describing the operation as "the solution to one of the most intriguing naval mysteries in history."
The Mary Rose sank in 1545, bringing an unexpected end to one of King Henry VIII's most treasured warships. He watched from land as a sudden gust of wind turned the boat on her side, causing water to flood in, killing most of the crew.
Divers periodically returned to the wreck to salvage guns, but they left it to 20th-century explorers to raise her again. In 1979, the Mary Rose Trust began the operation, and in 1982, cranes lifted the remains of the ship from their watery grave. Visitors can now see the vessel's remarkably well-preserved timbers in a dedicated museum in Portsmouth, England.
The Swedish warship Vasa sank just one nautical mile into her maiden voyage, on Aug. 10, 1628. Amateur historian Anders Franzen spent years searching for the wreckage. He finally discovered it in 1956, just 100 meters off the shore of Beckholmen, a naval island in Sweden's capital, Stockholm. By 1961, a team had used wires and pontoons to raise her from the seabed.
Vasa is now restored and housed in her own museum in Stockholm. Over 95 percent of the original timbers remain, making Vasa one of the most complete salvaged shipwrecks viewable today.
