England
Things you probably didn't know about Southampton
The port of departures — from the Mayflower to the Titanic.
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1912 — fact 1 of 4
The Titanic sailed from here
On 10 April 1912, the "unsinkable" ship left Southampton on her first and only voyage; 500 local crew were among the lost.
See what 1912 was like → -
1620 — fact 2 of 4
The Mayflower stopped here first
The Pilgrim Fathers departed from Southampton in 1620 aboard the Mayflower and Speedwell before crossing from Plymouth.
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1936 — fact 3 of 4
The Spitfire first flew here
R.J. Mitchell’s Spitfire had its maiden flight from Eastleigh (now Southampton Airport) in 1936.
See what 1936 was like → -
1380 — fact 4 of 4
Medieval walls you can still walk
Southampton retains large sections of its 14th-century town walls, including the Bar Gate.
Our Southampton collection is part of a growing local-history library — more cities and facts are being added.