Cultural aftermath and wreckage
When was the wreck of the Titanic discovered?
Sinking of the RMS Titanic
"Titanic"'s sinking became a cultural phenomenon, commemorated by numerous artists, film-makers, writers, composers, musicians and dancers from the time immediately after the sinking to the present day. On 1 September 1985 a joint US-French expedition led by Robert Ballard found the wreck of "Titanic", and the ship's rediscovery led to an explosion of interest in "Titanic"s story. In 1997, James Cameron's eponymous film became the first movie ever to take $1 billion at the box office, and the became the best selling soundtrack recording of all time. Numerous expeditions have been launched to film the wreck and, controversially, to salvage objects from the debris field. Although many artefacts have been recovered and conserved, the wreck itself is steadily decaying, turning to oxide at a typical marine rate of 0.5-1 ton per day (assuming one ten-thousandth of an inch per day on all surfaces). In time, "Titanic"s structure will collapse into a pile of iron and steel fragments. Eventually she will be reduced to a spot of rust on the seabed, with the remaining scraps of the ship's hull mingled with her more durable fittings, like her propellers, the bronze capstans and the telemotor.