John Jacob Astor, age 48 and the wealthiest passenger on the Titanic was returning to New York with his much younger second wife Madeline, who was 5 months pregnant. After helping his wife into a lifeboat and attempting to reassure her, Astor turned to help other women and children. He went down with the ship but not before freeing his beloved Airedale, Kitty from the ship's kennel.

Mrs. James Joseph Brown also known as "Molly" was busy encouraging women to enter the lifeboats when she herself was bundled into lifeboat #6. It contained mostly women and only 3 men, two of whom were poor oarsmen. Molly grabbed the oars and inspired other women to row with her to safety.

Kate Brady, left Ireland at age 18 bound for a new life with her widowed aunt, in New York City. She traveled aboard Titanic as a 3rd class passenger and was fortunate to have been thrown into one of the last lifeboats as the liner was sinking. With only one male crewman in the boat, rowing was impossible. Kate, having been brought up by the sea, quickly manned one of the oars to help maintain a steady course.

Helen Carey, age 16, was sent from Ireland to New York to live with her married sister who had immigrated a few years earlier. Because of her youth and agility, Helen managed to jump into one of the liefboats as it was being lowered.

Mary Kiely, age 21, left her job as a seamstress in Ireland, hoping to earn more money in America with which to help support her family. As the oldest of 10 children, Mary was adept at organization and utilized this skill to shepherd her 5 cabin mates to lifeboats as the Titanic was sinking. She landed in one of the last boats being lowered.

Marcella Dale, age 30, left Ireland for New York in hope of finding a job teaching immigrant children. After being hurtled into one of Titanic's last lifeboats, a small baby was thrown to her as the boats was being lowered. The infant had no identification and once in New York, Marcella searched in vain for a family member. She eventually adopted the child.

Katelyn Buck, age 36, traveling from England aboard Titanic was bound for California to join her husband who had opened a drygoods store. Once in her lifeboat, she was responsible, along with two other women, for helping to hide a frightened 12 year old boy who had jumped into the boat-hoping to be saved. He was ordered out by one the crewman and Katelyn never fogot the boy. She named her first son after him.

Carla James, age 19, left Denmark bound for Oregon to become a governess for a Danish family. Because of an asthmatic condition, she had been out walking along the 3rd class deck when the Titanic struck the iceberg. Sensing danger, she found her way to the upper deck where the lifeboats were and managed to jump into one.

Sara Thorp, third class passenger and bride-to-be was traveling to New York from England with her bridesmaid when her idyllic passage on the Titanic ended in the catastrophic sinking of the ship. Amazingly, both Sara and her bridesmaid survived the disaster by jumping into lifeboats. Once safely in New York and recognizing the precious commodity of "time,' Sara wasted none of it and was married a week later.

Maisie. There was a small kennel aboard the Titanic for the convenience of the 1st class passengers traveling with their pets. Most animals were lost, but one lifeboat plucked a small, struggling female dog from the icy waters. Because of her obvious mixed breeding, she probably had been smuggled aboard by a third class passenger -- now lost.