The Titanic she sank in the early morning hours of April 14, 1912, after months of being considered an “unsinkable ship”. About 1,500 people died in this maritime disaster, who either sank with the ship or perished in the frozen waters of the Atlantic while waiting for rescue. Even without the Internet, drowning Titanic was the biggest news in the world at the time and still fascinates many today.
Events from Titanic the sinking was popularized by dozens of books, documentaries and Hollywood feature films, including the 1997 blockbuster directed by James Cameron and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. While many know how the tragedy occurred – an iceberg pierced the ship, radio protocols preventing proper warning, a lack of lifeboats – the stories of people who almost managed to avoid disaster are less known.
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Many famous personalities from around the world were supposed to sail on the ship, but they did not manage to make it on the maiden voyage. After all, in the months preceding Titanicsailing from Southampton, UK, to New York, the ship was extremely well publicized, and the who’s who of the early 20th century were desperate to get tickets.
Here is a list of seven famous men who planned to sail on Titanicbut he never made it on board.
Famous people who almost boarded the Titanic but didn’t
Milton Hershey
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1. Milton Hershey
Founder of the Hershey’s chocolate company, Milton Hersheysent $300 to White Star Line to reserve a pair Titanic tickets for him and his wife in the spring of 1912. The couple famously spent most of their winters on the French Riviera and were about to go on a cruise Titanicmaiden voyage, but Hershey had to return to America on urgent business and eventually found a place on a German ship America. This ship would eventually send warning messages to Titanic about a dangerous amount of ice. Hershey’s canceled check for the White Star Line can still be seen in the Hershey Community Archives.
Related: We’ll Never Let Go of These 40 Unforgettable Titanic Quotes.
Gugliemo Marconi with wireless receiver
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2. Guglielmo Marconi
The inventor of the radio was also supposed to be on the air Titanicon its maiden voyage after receiving a free ticket. However, according to his diaries from 1926, his stenographer fell ill shortly before boarding the ship. Marconidaughter, My father Marconi. Marconi had decided to travel to the United States from Ireland three days earlier Lusitaniabecause he trusted their stenographer more than the one on board Titanic. Ironically, those who was saved from Titanic the disaster was saved thanks to Marconi’s invention of the radio.
Related: Get details on the passengers on the Titanic’s submarine
American banker and financier John Pierpont Morgan senior.
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3. JP Morgana
John Pierpoint Morgan— more commonly known as “J.P. Morgan” and the namesake and founder of J.P. Morgan Private Bank — was in attendance at Titanic launch party in 1911 because he also founded the International Merchant Navy, which owned Titanicconstructor, White Star Line. He was supposed to set off on his maiden voyage, but at the last minute he decided to extend his stay in France. Historians still haven’t discovered the exact reason why Morgan decided to continue his overseas travels, but a few extra weeks of European adventure probably saved his life.
Henry Clay Frick
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4. Henry Clay Frick
Henry Clay Frick was president of Carnegie Steele when Titanic was built, so he and his wife received free tickets. His wife sprained her ankle while traveling in Italy shortly before the cruise, so they stayed on the continent to give her time to recover. Instead, Frick’s apartment went to the owner of the White Star Line J. Bruce Ismay (played by Jonathan Hyde in a James Cameron movie). Ismay survived the sinking by boarding a lifeboat early, which earned him ridicule for the rest of his life.
George Washington Vanderbilt II
Biltmore
5. George Washington Vanderbilt II
The Vanderbilt name is famous for many reasons. Like the Rockefellers and the Carnegies, the Vanderbilt family had a portfolio of railroad and steel companies that helped create an empire. George Washington Vanderbilt II is best known for commissioning the largest standing monument to Vanderbilt wealth, the Biltmore estate in western North Carolina. In 1888, he supervised the construction of a 250-room manor house, now partially open to visitors. In 1912, Vanderbilt and his wife received tickets for the ship’s maiden voyage Titanicbut the couple was reportedly warned that the journey could be dangerous and canceled their tickets a week before the ship sailed.
Teodor Dreiser
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6. Theodore Dreiser
Teodor Dreiserfamous writer of the 20th century, traveled to Europe to collect stories for his memoirs, A traveler in his forties. He later wrote in the book that he looked forward to seeing the wealth of this city Titanic add to the novel. At the last minute, his publisher urged him to book passage on a smaller, cheaper ship that had sailed from Dover, England, two days before Titanic. This decision ultimately saved his life.
