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6:30am Monday 1st June 2009
MILLVINA Dean, the last survivor of Titanic, died yesterday at the age of 97.
Miss Dean was just nine weeks old when the historic liner sank in 1912 after hitting an iceberg on her maiden transatlantic voyage from Southampton.
She died yesterday morning after being cared for at a nursing home in Woodlands, in the New Forest.
Elizabeth Gladys Dean, known to friends as Millvina, was born on February 2, 1912 and boarded the doomed ship with her parents Bertram Frank and Georgette Eva and her elder brother Bertram.
The family, who were third class passengers, were emigrating to Wichita, Kansas, where her father had hoped to open a tobacconist shop.
When the accident happened, her father felt the ship shudder and quickly told his family to get on deck.
Miss Dean, her mother and brother were among the first steerage passengers to escape the sinking liner, but Mr Dean was unable to get onto a lifeboat and perished in the disaster.
They returned to England aboard the Adriatic where "Millvina became quite a spectacle: that such a tiny baby could have came through the ordeal alive," according to Encyclopedia-Titanica.
Miss Dean's family returned to Southampton and she did not find out that she had been on board the vessel until she was eight and her mother was planning to remarry.
Earlier this month Hollywood actors Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, who starred in the film Titanic, donated cash to help pay Miss Dean's nursing home fees.
She was forced to auction off personal belongings and memorabilia associated with the sinking of the liner to help cover £3,000 per month for care.
Irish author Don Mullan, a friend of Miss Dean, launched the Millvina Fund to secure her future, and sold photographs of the pensioner to raise profits for the fund.
It is believed that Winslet, DiCaprio and director James Cameron donated £22,000.
fatboy, Southampton says...
8:51pm Sun 31 May 09
Glen Wiffen, Holbury says...
8:55pm Sun 31 May 09
saturn, says...
10:07pm Sun 31 May 09
dbuxey52, Southampton says...
10:39pm Sun 31 May 09
eurogordi, Totton says...
11:05pm Sun 31 May 09
Arcane, Southampton says...
11:10pm Sun 31 May 09
fatboy, Southampton says...
11:13pm Sun 31 May 09
eurogordi wrote:Gosh................
My daughter and I were privileged to meet Millvina a few years ago when she was shopping in Totton. It was an amazing experience to speak with someone who was part of such a well known historic event and maritime tragedy. However, can I also point out a couple of rather intriquing facts that the Echo has failed to mention? The hull of 'Titanic' was launched on 31st May 1911 ... Millvina Dean, the last surviving passenger, died on 31st May 2009. The 'Titanic' began to sink shortly before midnight on 14th April 1912 ... Bertram Dean, Millvina's brother, died on 14th April 1992.
Lone Ranger, Southampton says...
8:45am Mon 1 Jun 09
hulla baloo, Turkey says...
8:51am Mon 1 Jun 09
bumblysaint, new forest says...
10:33am Mon 1 Jun 09
Old Jester, Butts Ash says...
2:36pm Mon 1 Jun 09
fatboy wrote:Wouldn't the probability for the two events be 365 squared? That'd be, more like 13,000 to 1.
eurogordi wrote:Gosh................
My daughter and I were privileged to meet Millvina a few years ago when she was shopping in Totton. It was an amazing experience to speak with someone who was part of such a well known historic event and maritime tragedy. However, can I also point out a couple of rather intriquing facts that the Echo has failed to mention? The hull of 'Titanic' was launched on 31st May 1911 ... Millvina Dean, the last surviving passenger, died on 31st May 2009. The 'Titanic' began to sink shortly before midnight on 14th April 1912 ... Bertram Dean, Millvina's brother, died on 14th April 1992.
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...........oh, and big deal! only a 365 to 1 chance of that happening then.
fatboy, Southampton says...
5:05pm Mon 1 Jun 09
Old Jester wrote:Sorry, I was'nt thinking. but "that'd be, more like" is not to precise either?
fatboy wrote:Wouldn't the probability for the two events be 365 squared? That'd be, more like 13,000 to 1.eurogordi wrote: My daughter and I were privileged to meet Millvina a few years ago when she was shopping in Totton. It was an amazing experience to speak with someone who was part of such a well known historic event and maritime tragedy. However, can I also point out a couple of rather intriquing facts that the Echo has failed to mention? The hull of 'Titanic' was launched on 31st May 1911 ... Millvina Dean, the last surviving passenger, died on 31st May 2009. The 'Titanic' began to sink shortly before midnight on 14th April 1912 ... Bertram Dean, Millvina's brother, died on 14th April 1992.Gosh................ .................... .................... .................... .................... ...........oh, and big deal! only a 365 to 1 chance of that happening then.
damehippy, calmore says...
6:24pm Mon 1 Jun 09
Old Jester, Butts Ash says...
9:55pm Mon 1 Jun 09
fatboy wrote:Sorry fatboy, I was wrong, it should have been 133225 to 1. It was early in my part of the world when I wrote that and I hadn't had my first cup of tea!
Old Jester wrote:Sorry, I was'nt thinking. but "that'd be, more like" is not to precise either?
fatboy wrote:Wouldn't the probability for the two events be 365 squared? That'd be, more like 13,000 to 1.eurogordi wrote: My daughter and I were privileged to meet Millvina a few years ago when she was shopping in Totton. It was an amazing experience to speak with someone who was part of such a well known historic event and maritime tragedy. However, can I also point out a couple of rather intriquing facts that the Echo has failed to mention? The hull of 'Titanic' was launched on 31st May 1911 ... Millvina Dean, the last surviving passenger, died on 31st May 2009. The 'Titanic' began to sink shortly before midnight on 14th April 1912 ... Bertram Dean, Millvina's brother, died on 14th April 1992.Gosh................ .................... .................... .................... .................... ...........oh, and big deal! only a 365 to 1 chance of that happening then.
TitanCarpath, Dublin Ireland says...
10:58pm Mon 1 Jun 09
haisey, west end says...
10:43am Tue 2 Jun 09
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Saint Rob, Southampton, Freemantle says...
8:49pm Sun 31 May 09