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1850
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Sunday January 27th
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Edward John Smith born to Edward Smith (1805–1885) and Catherine (formerly Hancock, née Marsh, 1809–1893) in Hanley, Staffordshire, England
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1850
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8th March
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Edward John Smith's birth is officially registered.
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1865
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First job at the Etruria Forge aged 15, operating a Nasmyth steam hammer.
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1867
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5th of February
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At the age of 17, with his parents' consent, he travels to Liverpool and signs onto the Senator Weber as an ordinary sailor.
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1868
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January
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Smith promoted to Third Mate by his stepbrother Joseph Smith, the Captain of the Senator Weber, after 14 men desert ship at San Francisco.
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1870
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Serves aboard the Amoy as an able seaman
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1871
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August 12
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In Liverpool, receives his first qualification: Second Mate’s Certificate
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Record, as second mate,
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New Orleans run on the N. Mosher
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1873
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March
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Passes First Mate certification
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1873
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July
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Serves aboard the Arzilla, bound for Valparaiso, Chile, and Callao, Peru.
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1875
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May 26
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In Liverpool, Smith passes his Master's Certificate (#14102)
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1876
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Smith, at the age of 25, receives his first command as captain of the Lizzie Fennell
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1880
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January 31
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Smith sees the White Star Line’s Britannic and is inspired to switch to steam
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1880
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1st March - July
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Joins the White Star Line, as Fourth Officer of the Celtic
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3 July - 6 Feb 1882
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Becomes Third Officer of the Celtic
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1882
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6 February 1882
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Becomes Second Officer of the Celtic
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1882 - 1884
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March - March
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Second Officer of the Coptic, sister ship to the SS Arabic.
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1884 - 1885
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March
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15 transatlantic voyages as Second Officer on the Britannic
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1885
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20 July
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Chief Officer of the S.S. Republic
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1887
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Thursday 13th January
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Ted Smith marries Sarah Eleanor Pennington (1861–1931) at the parish church, Winwick, Lancashire
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1887
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18 April - 20 August
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Temporarily in command of the S.S. Republic
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1887
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20 August - 27 March 1888
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Returns as Chief Officer aboard the Britannic
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1888
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14 February
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Smith applies for his Extra Master’s certification, and fails Navigation
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1888
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20th February
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Passes Extra Master’s certification
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1888
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27 March - May
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Commands S.S. Baltic
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1888
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June - September
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Commands S.S. Britannic
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1888
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December
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Commands the cattle transporter S.S. Cufic for her maiden voyage
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1889
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January
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Command of S.S. Republic
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1889
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January 27
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While captain of the Republic, the ship runs aground off the coast of Sandy Hook, New Jersey for five hours resulting in a furnace flue to fracture, killing three men and injuring seven. Incidentally, this is the same date as Smith's birthday.
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1889
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April - July
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Commands S.S. Celtic
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1889 - 1890
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December - January
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Commands S.S. Coptic on a single voyage to New Zealand; this voyage took place after the Coptic was involved in a grounding in Rio dring the previous voyage, when Smith was not captain.
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1890 - 1891
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February- February
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Back to the North Atlantic as Commander of S.S. Adriatic
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1891
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March - April
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Commands S.S. Runic
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1891-1893
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May - May
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Commands S.S. Britannic
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1893
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June
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Briefly in command of S.S. Adriatic
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1892
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12th December
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Son-in-law Sidney Russell-Cooke born in Paddington to William Russell Cooke and Margaret Mary Smith.
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1893
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1st November
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Smith's 86 year old mother, Catherine Hancock, who lived in Runcorn, Cheshire, where Smith himself intended to retire, dies.
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1893-1895
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July - January
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Commands S.S. Britannic
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1895
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July - January
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Commands S.S. Germanic
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1895 - 1902
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July - November
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Smith's longest command, the S.S. Majestic, including two trips to South Africa, transporting troops to the Boer War. one in December 1899 and one in February 1900
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1898
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Ted and Eleanor are living at 17 Marine Crescent, Waterloo, Liverpool
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1898
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Saturday 2nd April
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Ted and Eleanor have a daughter, who would be their only one child, Helen Melville Smith (1898–1973), who was born in Waterloo, Liverpool, England
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1901
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8 October
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Captain Smith's mother-in-law (Eleanor's mother) dies and is buried in St Oswald's Church, Winwick, along with her husband who had died in 1881.
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1902 - 1903
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December - May
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Commanded S.S. Germanic, while Majestic was refitting.
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1903 - 1904
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May - June
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Again commands S.S. Majestic
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1904
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29 June
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Commands the new R.M.S. Baltic on her maiden voyage
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1904 - 1907
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June - March
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Commands the R.M.S. Baltic
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1906
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29 November
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Smith sends a letter to his 8 year old daughter Mel, while aboard the Baltic, with a hand drawn picture of a bird.
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1907
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Smith family move to Southampton, purchasing a red brick, twin-gabled house they name "Woodhead"
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1907 - 1911
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May - 15th May 1911
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Commands the new R.M.S. Adriatic
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1909
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Tuesday 17th August
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New York Times reports Smith's cigars confiscated in an article entitled "Hold-Up and Search of Steamship Captains"
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1909
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November 4
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Adriatic runs into a mud bank along the Ambrose Channel at 3:00 A.M.
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1911 - 1912
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15th May - March 1912
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Commands the new R.M.S. Olympic
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14 June
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Maiden voyage of R.M.S. Olympic
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20th September
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R.M.S. Olympic collides with British cruiser HMS Hawke
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1912
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14th January
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The Olympic encounters tremendous gale while west-bound for New York. Captain Smith remembered it as the worst storm he had ever seen in his career and that the wave that tore off the hatch cover was at least 60 feet (18 meters) tall.
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24 February
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The RMS Olympic throws a propeller blade after striking a submerged object, while on its way from New York to Southampton and has to return to Belfast for repairs.
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1 April
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Joins the new Titanic in Belfast for her sea trials
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4 April
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Smith in command of Titanic brings her to dock at berth 44 in Southampton
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6 April
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Smith receives a personal report from White Star Line of possible Atlantic obstruction: ship mast
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10 April
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7am leaves house in Winn Road, Southampton
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07.30am Arrives onboard Titanic
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8am - 9am Crew muster
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10.30am photographed on Titanic's bridge and boat deck
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1200pm Titanic departs Southampton and immediately is involved in a near collision with the New York.
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06.35pm Titanic arrives four hours later in the French port of Cherboug
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08:10 p.m Titanic departs Cherboug bound for Queenstown. On Smith's orders Titanic makes a series of long S turns, to test performance.
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Thursday 11 April
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11.30am Titanic arrives at Cork Harbour on the south coast of Ireland. Has last two photographs taken onboard.
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Friday 12 April
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Is allegedy overheard in the evening discussing speed with Bruce Ismay, chairman and managing director of the White Star Line, although this conversation is in despute.
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Sunday 14 April
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10:30 a.m.Captain Smith leads the first-class interdenominational worship service in the dining saloon until 11.15am.
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12:30pm Smith gives Second Officer Lightoller an ice warning message to read
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01:42pm, An ice report from the RMS Baltic is passed to Smith, Ismay puts it in his pocket, returned only when Smith requested it at about 7.30 that evening.
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05:30pmSmith turns "The Corner" directing the ship towards the entrance of New York harbour.
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07:00pm Smith is guest of honour at a dinner in the First Class restaurant hosted by passengers George and Eleanor Widener.
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8.55pmSmith discusses weather conditions on the bridge with Second Officer Charles Lightoller.
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9.20pmSmith goes to his cabin quarters.
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11:40pmSmith rushes onto the bridge and is informed by Officer of the Watch, First officer William Murdoch, they have collided with an iceberg.
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11:41pm Captain Smith changes the engine room telegraph to "Half-Ahead."
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11:42pm Smith orders Quartermaster Olliver to go and find the ship's carpenter and have him sound for damage.
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11:43pm Boxhall returns from taking a trip forward (on his own initiative) and reports he cannot see any signs of damage. However Smith does not trust this initial report and asks Boxhall to find the ship's carpenter to sound the ship.
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11:46pm Smith sends Quartermaster Olliver with a note to Chief Engineer Bell, probably asking for a damage report.
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11:47pm Smith changes the engine room telegraph to "Stop."
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11:49pm J.Bruce Ismay arrives on the bridge asking why they have stopped and Captain tells him they have struck ice and that it is serious.
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11:52pm Smith visits the Marconi room and tells the wireless operators to 'get ready to send out a call for assistance. But don't send it until I tell you.'
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11:53pm Smith and Thomas Andrews inspect the ship.
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Monday April 15
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12:05am Smith orders the officers to uncover the lifeboats, swing them out and get passengers wearing lifebelts. Chief Officer Wilde is ordered to muster the deck crew and uncover the boats, First officer Murdoch to rouse the passengers and Sixth officer Moody to to find the list for the lifeboat stations.
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12:10am Smith orders Quartermaster Walter Wynn to ready the two emergency boats first, before helping uncover the rest.
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12:15am Smith vists the Marconi room and orders "Send the call for assistance…the regulation internationa call for help." He supplies their position 41°,44'N, 50°, 24'W.
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12:20am Captain Smith confirms to Fourth officer Boxhall, uncovering the boats, that 'Mr Andrews tells me that he gives her from an hour to an hour and a half' and orders Boxhall to calculate their current position (which he calculates at 41°,46'N, 50°, 14'W).
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12:22am Captain Smith confirms to Second officer Lightoller to "Yes, swing out" the lifeboats
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12:24am Third Officer Pitman asks Captain Smith about putting passengers in the lifeboats on the starboard side - Smith says "Go ahead. Carry on."
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12:25am Captain Smith orders the lifeboats to be loaded with passengers.
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12:30am Captain Smith is seen speaking seriously to first class passengers JJ Astor and George Widener and is heard announcing to all to put their lifejackets on.
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12:35am Captain Smith at lifeboat no.4, port side, orders lamp trimmer Samuel Hemming to put lights in all of the lifeboat.
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12:36am Captain Smith orders all women and children waiting to enter lifeboat no. 4 to go down to A deck and enter from there, an order which Second Officer Lightoller follows through on.
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12:40am Wireless operator Bride reports to Captain Smith in the wheelhouse that the Carpathia was turning around and heading their way. Smith goes to Marconi room and orders them to send SOS instead of the CQD distress call. Smith calculates the Carpathia's position as 58 miles away, which will take 4 hours.
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12:45am Captain Smith is made aware by Fourth Officer Boxhall of a steamer on the horizon about 5 to 10 miles away and orders him to begin sending distress rockets every five or six minutes. He also order him to signal the mystery ship by Morse lamp to 'come at once, we are sinking.' inbetween firing the rockets.
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01:05am Smith is seen by Seaman Frank Evans and dining steward William Burke during the lowering of lifeboat no.1 on the starboard side.
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01:06am Smith is seen by many crew and passengers including first class steward Alfred Crawford and Countess of Rothe's and her maid Roberta Maioni helping with loading of lifeboat no.8 on the port side.
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01:10am Captain Smith is seen by passengers helping with loading of no.6 on the portside and is seen using a megaphone to urge "Women and children first."
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01:15am Second Officer Lightoller leds Captain Smith along with Chief Officer Wilde and First officer Murdoch to the locker in Murdoch's cabin where the guns were kept and they were handed out along with ammunition.
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01:30am Captain Smith reports to the wireless operators that the engine room was flooding and Phillips broadcasts the message.
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01:40am Captain Smith orders Boxhall into Boat no.2 during loading.
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01:41am Smith orders Quartmaster Rowe to continue firing rockets and to use the Morse code lamp to contact the 'mystery ship..
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01:45am Smith shouts to Boxhall while lifeboat no.2 is being lowered to take his boat round to the starboard gangway hatch and load more passengers from there.
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02:00am Captain Smith tells Quartermaster Rowe to stop firing rockets and enter collapsible C.
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02:05am Captain Smith relieves Philips and Bride wireless operators with "You had better look out for ourselves."
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02:10am At collapsible B Trimmer Samuel Hemming sees Captain Smith calling out "Everyone over to the starboard side to keep the ship up as long as possible." and then later, several report seeing Captain Smith shotuting through a megaphone. "It's everyman for himself"
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02:15am Bridge goes under; Captain Smith is never seen again, presumed drowned.
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18th April
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Message from Eleanour, grief-stricken widow of Captain Smith, is posted outside the White Star Line offices in Southampton.
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1913
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16th April
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A plaque and portrait on one of the walls of the Hanley Town Hall. A week later there is a similar ceremony at his Etruria School, with two portraits and a brass tablet in his memory.
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1913
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November
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Smith's old friends and passengers, notably the Bishop of Willesden, Lady Astor and the Duchess of Sutherland, form the Captain Smith Memorial Committee
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1914
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29 July
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A statue, sculpted by Kathleen Scott, wife of Antarctic explorer Robert Falcon Scott, is unveiled at the western end of the Museum Gardens in Beacon Park, Lichfield.
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1921
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Smith's half-sister Thyrza dies.
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1922
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Mel Smith marries Sidney Russell-Cooke
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1923
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18 June
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Mel Smith gives birth to twins
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1930
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3 July
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Sidney Russell-Cooke dies after accidentally shooting himself.
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1931
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28 April
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Eleanor Smith is struck by a taxi in front of her London home and dies from the resulting injuries
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1944
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22 March
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Mel’s son, Simon, who never married, is killed in action as an RAF pilot during World War II
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1946
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Priscilla Russell-Cooke, the granddaughter of Captain Smith, passes away at age 23, after contracting polio.
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1973
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Mel Smith dies.
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1991
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10 September
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Satirical tabloid the Weekly World News runs an article with the headline "Titanic Captain Found in Lifeboat"
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