10 Ways You Think About The Titanic All Wrong

2. It Was A Misunderstanding That Led To Women And Children Only In The Lifeboats

"Women and children first" is one of the biggest emblems of the Titanic disaster, showing the gentlemanly attitudes of the time and the near obliviousness of the real impending danger. Now I'm not going to tell you that was a mistruth spread over time - the survivors list resolutely shows that - but how it came about, and the attitude behind it, isn't something quite as institutionalised as legend suggests.

The rule had been a maritime law for decades, and when it became clear Titanic's time was numbered Captain Smith stated "women and children in and lower away", which was taken by Second Officer Lightoller to be women and children only. This led to some major confusion as the night went on, with boats launching half full despite men clamouring to get on board.

Lightoller is widely regarded as a key hero of the Titanic disaster (mainly because he was the highest ranking officer to survive), and indeed he was, commanding an upturned lifeboat after the ship went under, but he did regrettably propagate a costly confusion.