Southampton will be in the global spotlight today as commemorations get underway exactly 100 years since the Titanic sailed from the city.

Southampton lost 549 sons and daughters in the 1912 disaster when the White Star Line ship hit an iceberg and sank beneath the Atlantic as she sailed to New York on her maiden voyage.

The sinking left the city in shock and grief for many years.

Today, at the same berth in the city's docks where the ship set sail on April 10 1912, more than 650 descendants of those on board will be on the quayside for a special ceremony.

At noon - the exact moment RMS Titanic slipped her moorings - a recording of the ship's whistle will sound around the docks.

Prior to that, a minute's silence is due to take place in honour of the dead.

Titanic's departure will then be re-enacted when the tug tender Calshot, which was built in the same era to manoeuvre the world's greatest ocean liners, sails from berth 43/44 followed by a flotilla of craft.

The event is to be hosted by television broadcaster Fred Dinenage, whose great-uncle, James Richard Dinenage, was one of Titanic's stewards and perished along with more than 1,500 passengers.

It will take place in Ocean Terminal, which overlooks the Titanic berths.

In addition to the descendants, civic dignitaries, representatives of maritime organisations and business and community leaders are attending.

More than 600 Southampton schoolchildren will also pay a poignant tribute by parading through the city centre holding placards commemorating all those residents who served as crew members on the Titanic and who died when it sank on April 15 1912.

The names of the lost crew, along with any other known information will be inscribed on the back of the placards, with an image of the crew member on the front.

The event will help to mark the opening - also at the exact time the ship left the city - of the new £15 million SeaCity Museum which features a permanent Titanic exhibition.

The city council-organised children's parade will start from the Titanic Engineers' Memorial.

Councillor John Hannides said: ''This will be a truly fitting tribute to all those crew members who lost their lives on the Titanic.

''Southampton's new SeaCity Museum will tell the largely untold story of the crew on board the Titanic.

''Most of the crew of the Titanic lived in the city and more than 500 households in Southampton lost at least one family member.

''On April 10 2012, exactly a century after the famous ship departed from the city, Southampton City Council is set to open SeaCity Museum.

''This commemoration is a wonderful way to teach the city's children about Southampton's role in this tragic story.

''The poignant parade for the opening of the SeaCity Museum will be spectacular to see and I very much thank all those schools and children who are taking part.

''We have a world-class attraction which tells Southampton's incredible story.''

Find out more about Titanic

You can find out more about Titanic and the disaster's impact on Southampton with the Daily Echo.

Throughout the coming weeks, we will be showcasing unique content in our Titanic mini-site.

In the meantime, you can discover key sites across the city relating to the tragedy, the latest news relating to the ship or even find out some of the key facts behind the vessel, her demise and the people who perished and survived, including a list of all the crew members and the locations of their homes in Southampton.