Charlotte Caroline Collier was born on June 17, 1881, in Tilth, Cobham, Surrey, England. She grew up in a respectable family and, from a young age, was involved in church work and household duties. Charlotte later married Harvey Collier, and the couple settled in Bishopstoke, Hampshire, where they built a modest but happy life and had a daughter, Marjorie.
In April 1912, the Collier family boarded the RMS Titanic at Southampton as second-class passengers, intending to emigrate to the United States to start a new life. When the ship struck an iceberg on April 14, Charlotte and eight-year-old Marjorie were rescued in Lifeboat No. 14. Harvey Collier, however, perished in the disaster.
After the sinking, Charlotte gave testimony and appeared publicly, drawing the attention of journalists in both Britain and America. She and her daughter quickly became recognizable figures among Titanic survivors, often speaking about their experience.
Returning to England, Charlotte—already weakened by tuberculosis—never fully recovered her health. In 1914, she remarried, but her illness continued to progress. She died of tuberculosis on November 28, 1916, at the age of 35.
Her brief life after the Titanic tragedy, marked by public attention and declining health, reflected the deep personal and emotional toll of the 1912 disaster.

Dorothy Winifred Gibson was born on May 17, 1889, in Hoboken, New Jersey. Gifted with charm and stage presence, she became an actress and model in the early 20th century.
In 1911, she worked with the Éclair Film Company, appearing in several silent films and gaining recognition as one of the pioneering actresses of the era. In April 1912, Dorothy traveled to Europe with her mother and returned to New York aboard the RMS Titanic as a first-class passenger.
On the night of April 14, she was playing cards with friends when the ship struck the iceberg. She and her companions were placed aboard Lifeboat 7 and survived the sinking. In the following days, she was widely reported in the news as one of the most notable passengers rescued by the RMS Carpathia.
Shortly after her return, Dorothy starred in the 1912 film Saved from the Titanic, which dramatized the disaster. Remarkably, she wore the same evening gown during the sinking as she did in the film, creating not only a cinematic record but also one of the earliest cultural responses to the tragedy.
After leaving the film industry, Dorothy lived in Europe. She died in Paris, France, on February 17, 1946.

Madeleine Talmage Astor was born in Brooklyn, New York, on June 19, 1893.
She came from a comfortable and socially prominent family and received the education and social training typical for young women of her class. Raised within New York’s elite circles, she was known for her poise and refinement.
In September 1911, at the age of 18, she married Colonel John Jacob Astor IV — one of America’s wealthiest men, a celebrated inventor, and a notable public figure. The marriage attracted great attention due to their significant age difference and the Astors’ immense fortune.
In April 1912, the couple boarded the RMS Titanic as first-class passengers, returning to the United States from their honeymoon in Europe. Madeleine, who was then pregnant, survived the sinking of the ship on the night of April 14–15, 1912, after being placed in a lifeboat. Her husband, however, was among those who perished in the disaster.
The contrast between her narrow escape and his death made her one of the most talked-about survivors, drawing intense media and public attention. Upon returning to New York, Madeleine gave birth to their son, John Jacob Astor VI, on August 14, 1912.
In later years, she maintained a relatively quiet public presence, eventually remarried, and divided her time between family life and social obligations. Madeleine Astor died in Palm Beach, Florida, on March 27, 1940.
Her survival of the Titanic tragedy—while pregnant and newly married—along with her high social standing and sudden widowhood, ensured her a lasting place in history as one of the most memorable women connected to the disaster.

Violet Constance Jessop was born on October 2, 1887, on the Pampas near Bahía Blanca, Argentina. She was the eldest daughter of Irish immigrants. During her childhood, she helped her parents and survived a serious illness that nearly took her life. After her father’s death, the family moved to England, where Violet later sought work to support her mother.
Financial necessity led her to a career at sea. Trained as a stewardess, she joined the White Star Line — a job that demanded long hours, close contact with passengers, and strict discipline. Jessop became best known for her service aboard the famous Olympic-class liners. She was on board the RMS Olympic when it collided with HMS Hawke in 1911.
In April 1912, Violet was serving as a stewardess on the RMS Titanic and survived its sinking, later describing the chaos and fear she witnessed on deck as the ship went down. During World War I, she served as a nurse on the hospital ship HMHS Britannic, which sank in 1916 after striking a mine — an event she also survived.
After a long career at sea, Violet retired to Great Ashfield, Suffolk. She wrote her memoirs, recounting her extraordinary experiences, and became a figure of enduring public fascination for having survived three major maritime disasters. She died on May 5, 1971, at the age of 83.

Helen Churchill Candee was born on October 5, 1858, in New York City. She grew up in an educated and cultured family, developing an early interest in writing and the arts. After a brief marriage that ended in separation, Candee supported herself and her two children through her writing, gaining recognition for both fiction and non-fiction works.
Her 1900 book How Women May Earn a Living reflected her strong belief in women’s independence, while her later publications focused on travel, design, and Asian art. Candee became a respected lecturer and an influential figure in Washington, D.C.’s social and artistic circles.
In April 1912, Candee boarded the RMS Titanic at Cherbourg as a first-class passenger, returning to America from Europe. During the evacuation, she helped other women board the lifeboats before entering Lifeboat 6 herself. She sustained a leg injury but remained calm and supportive of the other survivors throughout the night. Before leaving the ship, she entrusted a small locket containing portraits of her children to a young man, fearing she might not survive. The locket was later recovered and returned to her after the disaster.
Following the tragedy, Candee continued her literary and artistic career, writing extensively about her travels in Asia and Europe. She remained active in cultural and social life until her death in York Harbor, Maine, on August 23, 1949.

Marian Longstreth Thayer was born on November 9, 1872, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, into a well-established Quaker family. In 1892, she married John Borland Thayer II, a prominent railroad executive and vice president of the Pennsylvania Railroad. The couple lived near Philadelphia and had four children, including their son, John “Jack” Thayer III.
In April 1912, the Thayers boarded the RMS Titanic as first-class passengers for the ship’s maiden voyage, accompanied by their younger son Jack and Marian’s maid, Margaret Fleming. When the ship struck the iceberg, Marian, Jack, and Fleming were placed into a lifeboat and survived. Her husband, John Borland Thayer II, remained on board and was among those who perished.
After the disaster, Marian spoke about the evacuation and the conduct of both crew and passengers during the sinking, offering a calm and factual account of the tragedy. Following her return home to their estate, “Redwood,” in Haverford, Pennsylvania, she resumed a private yet socially active life.
In the years after the sinking, she publicly expressed gratitude to Captain Arthur Rostron of the Carpathia and to fellow survivors who assisted during the rescue. The Thayer family remained connected to the public memory of the Titanic through later statements made by her son, Jack Thayer, who became one of the best-known eyewitnesses to the tragedy.
Marian Longstreth Thayer died at her home, “Redwood,” in Haverford, Pennsylvania, on April 14, 1944 — the 32nd anniversary of the Titanic disaster.

Elizabeth W. Shutes was born on May 10, 1861, in Newburgh, New York. She grew up in a comfortable household and later worked as a governess and companion for several prominent families.
By 1912, Shutes was employed by American heiress Margaret Graham and was accompanying her and her daughter, Margaret Graham Jr., on a trip through Europe. In April 1912, she boarded the RMS Titanic at Cherbourg as a first-class passenger, traveling with the Grahams on their return to the United States.
When the ship struck the iceberg, Shutes recalled the confusion and difficulty passengers faced in locating lifeboats. Eventually, she and the Grahams were placed in Lifeboat 3 and survived the disaster. Later, she described the harrowing darkness of the night, the cries from the freezing waters, and the terror among those who were eventually rescued by the RMS Carpathia.
After the tragedy, Shutes returned to the United States and continued her private life, remaining active in domestic service and close to the families she had long served. Unlike some survivors, she avoided the public spotlight, though her written recollections provide valuable testimony about the Titanic disaster from the perspective of a governess rather than a wealthy passenger.
Elizabeth W. Shutes died in Tarrytown, New York, on September 27, 1949.

Elsie Edith Bowerman was born on December 18, 1889, in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. She was educated at Wycombe Abbey and later attended Girton College, Cambridge, where she developed a strong interest in politics and social reform. In her early twenties, Bowerman joined the Women’s Social and Political Union and worked alongside other suffragists in the struggle for women’s right to vote prior to 1912.
In April 1912, Bowerman traveled first class aboard the RMS Titanic with her mother. When the liner struck the iceberg, both women were placed in Lifeboat 6 and later rescued by the RMS Carpathia. The lifeboat also carried Margaret “Molly” Brown, an episode Bowerman would later recall in her memoirs and interviews.
During World War I, Bowerman served with the Scottish Women’s Hospitals unit and witnessed the harsh realities of the front, experiences that deeply influenced her later political work. After the war, she studied law and became one of the first women to practice as a barrister, working at the Old Bailey and paving the way for future generations of women in law.
Bowerman remained active in public life for most of the 20th century. She died in London on October 18, 1973, remembered both as a survivor of the Titanic and as a pioneer in women’s professional and political advancement.

Lucy Noël Martha Dyer-Edwards was born on December 25, 1878, in Kensington, London, into a comfortable and well-connected English family. Raised between urban and rural residences, she moved into high social circles and, in 1900, married Norman Leslie, 19th Earl of Rothes, becoming Countess of Rothes. The couple had two sons.
In April 1912, Noël boarded the RMS Titanic with her parents, a cousin, and her maid, traveling to join her husband. She traveled as a first-class passenger and was in her cabin when the liner struck the iceberg. Shortly after the collision, she reached the deck and was placed in Lifeboat 8, one of the first boats launched from the starboard side.
Noël quickly gained recognition for her leadership during the evacuation. She and Able Seaman Tom Jones helped manage Lifeboat 8, keeping the occupants calm and organized until rescue by the RMS Carpathia. Her composure, determination, and cheerfulness under pressure were praised by fellow passengers and later historians, establishing her as one of the heroic figures of the disaster.
After being rescued, Noël continued her prominent social and philanthropic life. She remained active in the British community, gave interviews about her experience, and engaged in church and charitable activities for many decades.
Noël Leslie died in Hove, Sussex, on September 12, 1956. She was buried at Leslie House in Fife.

Rotha Mary Abbott was born on January 14, 1873, in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. She later moved to the United States, where she married Stanton Abbott, a British boxer. Together they settled in America and had two sons, Rosmor and Eugene.
In 1911, Rotha decided to return to England with her sons, but planned to eventually go back to the United States. In April 1912, the family boarded the RMS Titanic at Southampton as third-class passengers.
When the ship struck the iceberg, Rotha and her sons tried to reach the lifeboats. In the chaos, she was the only member of her immediate family to survive. Tragically, both Rosmor and Eugene perished.
Rotha was one of the few women known to have been rescued from the freezing Atlantic waters, being pulled aboard Lifeboat A. After the disaster, she returned to England to recover from the trauma, and later went back to the United States. She lived a quiet life, holding steady employment and avoiding the public attention that surrounded many survivors.
Rotha Abbott died in London on February 18, 1946, remembered as one of the most tragic yet remarkable survivors of the Titanic.