Last living Titanic Survivors
Of the 712 survivors of the Titanic disaster in 1912 seven survivors were still alive by late 1997, around the time of the release of the Titanic film directed by James Cameron, which hugely increased public interest in Titanic. All were children at the time of the sinking and were traveling as either 2nd or 3rd class passengers.
By the start of the 21st Century there were five survivors still alive.
The last male living survivor of Titanic, Michel Marcel Navratil, died in January 2001.
By 2003 there were just three survivors remaining alive.
The last living survivor of Titanic with actual memories of the ship and sinking, Lillian Gertrud Asplund, died in May 2006, 94 years after the sinking. She was also the last living American survivor, leaving two British survivors remaining.
Around 10 years after the release of the Titanic film, Barbara Joyce West, the last living second class passenger, passed away in October 2007, leaving Titanic's youngest survivor, Millvina Dean, as the last living Titanic survivor.
Titanic's last living survivor, Millvina Dean, died on 31st May 2009, 97 years after the sinking, and on the 98th anniversary of the day Titanic was launched into the water at the place where she was built.
The last survivor to have been an adult over the age of 18 at the time of the sinking had been the last living Irish survivor Ellen Shine, believed to have been 20 at the time of the sinking, who passed away in 1993. Traveling alone in third class she was making her way to America to join family and settle there.
Aged 103 when she passed away in 1992, Marjorie Anne Newell was the last living first class Titanic passenger. She had been returning home to America from a trip to the Middle East. Late in life she did engage with those interested in Titanic.
Sidney Daniels, a steward serving third class passengers, was the last living member of Titanic's crew when he passed away in 1983. Assisting with the last lifeboat on the port side of the ship, he had ended up in the water during the sinking when Titanic sank beneath him. He managed to swim to and get aboard the lifeboat he was assisting with, Lifeboat B, which had floated off the ship upside down, the crew having run out of time to launch it.
Titanic's longest lived survivor, Mary Ann Charlotte Davis, lived until she was 104. Having been 28 years old aboard Titanic, she lived until 1987. Sailing aboard as a 2nd class passenger, she was moving across the Atlantic from Britain to America to join family. In her later years she is known to have been willing to talk about Titanic to those interested.
Titanic's seven last living survivors, still living in late 1997:
Eliza Gladys Millvina Dean - Traveling in third class with her family intending to move to America, she was the youngest passenger aboard Titanic, having been just 2 months old. Living until 31st May 2009 she become the last living Titanic survivor in 2007. She is noted to have devoted a lot of her time in her later years to those interested in Titanic.
Barbara Joyce West - At nearly 11 months old, she was moving from Britain to America with her family. Eventually becoming the last living 2nd class passenger, she was also the second last living survivor of the disaster, having passed away on 16th October 2007.
Lillian Gertrud Asplund - Returning to America from Sweden where they had been living for some time, at 5 years old, she was traveing in third class with her family. Living until 6th May 2006, she was the last person alive with actual memories of Titanic's sinking.
Winnifred Vera Quick - At 8 years old she was traveling in second class with her mother and sister, returning home to America from a visit to her native Britain. She lived for 90 years after the disaster, passing away on 4th July 2002.
Michel Marcel Navratil - A 3 year old French boy, traveling with his father and brother in second class. Living until 30th January 2001, he had been the last living male Titanic survivor since second class passenger Alden Gates Caldwell had died on 18th December 1992.
Eleanor Ileen Johnson - A one year old third class passenger sailing home to America from a visit to Finland with her mother and sister. She is remembered to have been involved with those interested in Titanic. She died on 7th March 1998.
Louise Laroche - A one year old second class passenger from France, traveling to Haiti with her family. She died on 28th January 1998.
Of the remaining survivors still living at the time the 1997 Titanic film was released, Eleanor Johnson is known to have watched the 1997 Titanic film, on more than one occasion, and Michel Navratil is said have had watched it late in his life. Millvina Dean is known to have seen bits of the film but is said to have never watched the whole film as she would have found it too upsetting to watch, as had been the case when she watched the 1958 Titanic film A Night to Remember. It seems it is not publicly known whether the other remaining survivors ever watched the film or not.
Related pages - Titanic Lookouts and Crow's Nest, All Titanic Pages