The Titanic was one of the greatest ships ever built. On 10 April 1912 it left England on its first voyage. On the ship were more than 2200 passengers and crew. Four days later, as it was crossing the Atlantic on its way to the United States, it hit an iceberg and sank. More than 1500 people died in the freezing water, and the Titanic disappeared beneath the sea. Its exact location remained a mystery until it was found in 1985 by Dr Robert D. Ballard.