Titanic: What Really Happened - National Geographic - April 2012

Front Cover of the National Geographic Magazine for April 2012. GGA Image ID # 103fef70fe

On the Cover

To create this image of the splitting of the Titanic's bow and stern, our artist drew upon a roundtable discussion among experts. Art by Nick Kaloterakis

The April 2012 issue of the National Geographic returns to the story of the most infamous ship ever built -- the Titanic of the White Star Line. This edition focuses on the crash scene and recreates the events on 14-15 April 1912 thanks to new technology.

National Geographic Magazine - April 2012

The Unseen Titanic. When the "Unsinkable" RMS Titanic sank at 2:20 a.m. 15 April 1912 along with 1,500 passengers and crew members, new technology offers intimate images of this famous vessel of the White Star Line.

VOL. 221 • NO. 4 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

April 2012 Contents

• The Climb of Her Life
  Her husband turned back. Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner plunged ahead in a risky effort to conquer K2.
  By Chip Brown Photographs by Tommy Heinrich
• Masks That Make Magic
  In Africa and its diaspora, a mask can turn you into a god—or send a message to the pooh-bahs.
  By Cathy Newman Photographs by Phyllis Galembo
• The Titanic, Illuminated
  One hundred years after the ship sent its SOS: "Now we know where everything is."
  By Hampton Sides
  Poster: How It Sank and Where It Rests
• Walking With Ghosts
  With the aid of robotic avatars, the filmmaker has spent nearly 500 hours exploring the Titanic.
  By James Cameron
• Flocking Flamingos
  They really do stick together—and that may increase their odds of survival in a perilous world.
  By Nancy Shute Photographs by Klaus Nigge
• Where Slaves Ruled
  In Brazil, they escaped plantations, created secret societies, and today fight for legal rights.
  By Charles C. Mann and Susanna Hecht
  Photographs by Tyrone Turner

DEPARTMENTS

• Editor's Note
• Letters
• National Geographic on TV
• Explorers Journal

VISIONS

• Your Shot

NOW

• The Better to Hear With -
  Copper loops help hearing aid users screen out the background noise.
• It's a Grand New Flag -
  Libya has revived its pre-Qaddafi banner, putting a spotlight on flag design.
• Bubbling Up
  A sea snail has an unusual way of sailing to the top of the water.
• Breaking the Ice
  Long-separated bowhead whales get together as the Arctic melts.

NEXT

• Gemstone DNA
  New science can help determine if a gem was mined in a war zone.
• Shade Shifters
  In 700 milliseconds a squid can change skin color and pattern.
• Multigun Salute
  The Prez gets 21. Who gets 17? 11?
• 80 Billion Photos a Year -
  Camera phones help drive an increase in consumer photography.
• NG Connect
• The Moment
• Flashback

E-GEOGRAPHIC

• Here are the coolest extras in our electronic editions.
  Tapping Into the Titanic
  • Spin our exclusive model of the wreck.
  • Watch how the ship broke up after it hit the iceberg.
  • Tap on a map of the debris field for more info. iPad Exclusive
  Mountain Woman
  • See Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner at the summit of K2.
  • Explore a 3-D animation of the "Savage Mountain."

The National Geographic Magazine Is the Journal of The National Geographic Society Founded 1888