Thomas Andrews | Timeline

Thomas Andrews, Jr. (7 February 1873 – 15 April 1912) was an Irish businessman and shipbuilder. He was managing director and head of the drafting department of the shipbuilding company Harland and Wolff in Belfast, Ireland. As the naval architect in charge of the plans for the ocean liner RMS Titanic, he was travelling on board that vessel during her maiden voyage when the ship hit an iceberg on 14 April 1912. He perished along with more than fifteen hundred others. His body was never recovered.

February 7, 1873 - Comber, County Down, Northern Ireland - Thomas Andrews is born

January(?) 1(?), 1884 - Belfast, Northern Ireland - Begins attending the Royal Belfast Academical Institution

January(?) 1(?), 1889 - Belfast - 16-year old Andrews begins a premium apprenticeship at Harland and Wolff, where his uncle, the Viscount Pirrie, was part owner

January(?) 1(?), 1895 - Belfast - After his 5-year apprenticeship he quickly rises to supervise construction of a number of smaller liners and to oversee the repair department of Harland and Wolff =(START)

January(?) 1(?), 1901 - Belfast - Andrews becomes the assistant shipyard manager, and later that year he becomes manager of the construction works

January(?) 1(?), 1904 - Belfast - Becomes assistant chief designer

January(?) 1(?), 1905 - Belfast - Becomes the chief of the design department, working directly under Lord William James Pirrie, chairman of the company

January(?) 1(?), 1907 - Belfast - Andrews is appointed the managing director and head of the drafting department at Harland and Wolff. He begins to oversee the plans for a new superliner, the RMS Olympic for the White Star Lane

June 24, 1908 - Belfast - Andrews marries Helen Reilly Barbour, daughter of textile industrialist John Doherty Barbour

July 29, 1908 - Liverpool, England(?) - Harland and Wolff presents the technical drawings of the Olympic-class to J. Bruce Ismay and other White Star Line executives

July 31, 1908 - Liverpool(?) - Ismay approves the design and signs three "letters of agreement", authorising the start of construction

December 16, 1908 - Belfast - The keel of the "RMS Olympic" is laid

January(?) 1(?), 1909 - Belfast - "RMS Olympic" and "RMS Titanic" begin construction

June 1(?), 1910 - Belfast - General Manager Alexander Carlisle retires from Harlan and Wolff in anger, after Lord Pirrie doesn't accept his recommendation on the number of lifeboats on board "RMS Olympic" and "RMS Titanic". Andrews replaces him as master ship builder

October 20, 1910 - Belfast - "RMS Olympic" is launched

November 27, 1910 - Belfast - Daughter Elizabeth Law-Barbour Andrews is born

June 14, 1911 - Southampton, England - The crew of the "RMS Olympic" buys a magnificent walking stick and present it to Andrews, who suffered from vericose veins, on the ship's maiden voyage

June 21, 1911 - New York City - RMS Olympic arrives at New York for the first time

June 28, 1911 - New York City - RMS Olympic departs for Southampton

July 5, 1911 - Southampton - RMS Olympic arrives in Southampton

April 2, 1912 - Belfast - RMS Titanic's sea trials

April 4, 1912 - Southampton, England - RMS Titanic reaches Southampton

April 10, 1912 - Southampton - RMS Titanic departs for New York in her maiden voyage, arriving in Cherbourg four hours after leaving Southampton

April 11, 1912 - Cork, Ireland - RMS Titanic arrives at Cork Harbour on the south coast of Ireland

April 15, 1912 - 400 miles S of Great Banks of Newfoundland - RMS Titanic collides with an iceberg on the night of 14th and sinks 2 hours and 40 minutes later. Thomas Andrews dies in the sinking , after an heroic role in saving women and children, aged 39 =(END)