Sep 22, 2026 · 30 min · 17 segments
Whether it’s changing your jacket just before you leave the house, or booking a spontaneous weekend getaway, we make last minute decisions every single day. But, crazy as it sounds, did you know there…
The Titanic has gone down as the most infamous shipwreck in history.
And it's no wonder, with more than 1,500 passengers tragically losing their lives as the near 900-foot-long cruise liner crashed into a giant iceberg in April 1912.
But well-known as the Titanic is, little is known about the fact the ship was doomed by a last-minute change of personnel.
Shortly before the ship embarked on its journey from Southampton to New York, an officer shake-up from the White Star Line meant the second officer, David Blair, was swapped out with Charles Leidoler.
No big deal, right? Well, as he was removed from his position, Blair accidentally carried a crucial key off the ship with him.
Blair, in his rush to leave, had unwittingly taken with him the key to a locker containing binoculars for the ship's lookout.
For the first four days of the Titanic's voyage, no one even noticed the key was missing.
However, that all changed on the night of April 14th.
As the Titanic sailed its way towards an iceberg, the ship's lookout, Frederick Fleet, was none the wiser.
After all, there were foggy conditions, and of course, he couldn't get his hands on the binoculars.
It wasn't until the Titanic was bearing down on the iceberg that Fleet noticed it.
Immediately, the ship's engines were stopped as the captain attempted to steer the vessel around, but given the distance to the iceberg, disaster was inevitable.
Just moments later, the Titanic struck the 400-foot-long iceberg, sending the supposedly unsinkable ship and most of its passengers down into the Atlantic Ocean.
At an official US inquiry following the shipwreck, Frederick Fleet stated that had he had access to the binoculars, he reckoned he'd have been able to see the iceberg earlier, allowing the Titanic to avert the collision.
Yep, the Titanic disaster could have all been avoided if Blair had just bothered to check his pockets.
The Titanic has gone down as the most infamous shipwreck in history.
And it's no wonder, with more than 1,500 passengers tragically losing their lives as the near 900-foot-long cruise liner crashed into a giant iceberg in April 1912.
But well-known as the Titanic is, little is known about the fact the ship was doomed by a last-minute change of personnel.
Shortly before the ship embarked on its journey from Southampton to New York, an officer shake-up from the White Star Line meant the second officer, David Blair, was swapped out with Charles Leidoler.
No big deal, right? Well, as he was removed from his position, Blair accidentally carried a crucial key off the ship with him.
Blair, in his rush to leave, had unwittingly taken with him the key to a locker containing binoculars for the ship's lookout.
For the first four days of the Titanic's voyage, no one even noticed the key was missing.
However, that all changed on the night of April 14th.
As the Titanic sailed its way towards an iceberg, the ship's lookout, Frederick Fleet, was none the wiser.
After all, there were foggy conditions, and of course, he couldn't get his hands on the binoculars.
It wasn't until the Titanic was bearing down on the iceberg that Fleet noticed it.
Immediately, the ship's engines were stopped as the captain attempted to steer the vessel around, but given the distance to the iceberg, disaster was inevitable.
Just moments later, the Titanic struck the 400-foot-long iceberg, sending the supposedly unsinkable ship and most of its passengers down into the Atlantic Ocean.
At an official US inquiry following the shipwreck, Frederick Fleet stated that had he had access to the binoculars, he reckoned he'd have been able to see the iceberg earlier, allowing the Titanic to avert the collision.
Yep, the Titanic disaster could have all been avoided if Blair had just bothered to check his pockets.
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