It's May 31st, 1911.

We're in Belfast, the heart of Britain's shipbuilding industry.

To be specific, the north yard of Harland and Wolfe's vast 80-acre construction site.

And for the tens of thousands of men who work here, it's a red letter day. Up in the grandstands

specially built for the occasion, a 74-year-old man takes his seat. He's an imposing figure,

six foot two with broad shoulders, piercing eyes, and a fearsome war-russ moustache.

Not to mention a bulbous purple nose, a kind generally attributed to excessive drinking.

Not that anyone seated around this gentleman would dare suggest anything of the kind, Because he also happens to be one of the richest

men in the world. John Pierpont Morgan, otherwise known as J.P. He's come to Belfast specially to get a good look at his latest investment.

It's the biggest sea-going vessel ever built.

In fact, the biggest movable object in history.

And today it's about to move for the first time.

A hundred thousand spectators aligning the banks of the River Largan. All eyes are on slipway number three,

where the magnificent new ship stands bolt upright,

perfectly still.

A giant black hull glimmering in the midday sun.

To the Harland and Wolf Shipwrights, she's known as SS401.

To everyone else, Titanic.

Even without her four majestic funnels, those will be winched into place later. The new liner is an overwhelming sight.

She towers a hundred feet from top to bottom, and almost 900 feet long. Her rudder alone

is the size of a cricket pitch. Those who weren't lucky enough to score an official invite

have climbed onto the nearby rooftops to get a good view.

...