1908
Olympic Class Construction Programme
Directs Harland and Wolff's programme to construct the Olympic-class liners for White Star Line.
RMS Titanic · permanent subject timeline
William Pirrie
Harland and Wolff chairman during Titanic's design and construction. This page combines historical context with 5 matching records drawn directly from the World History Database Titanic archive.
Historical context
William Pirrie: overview and significance
What happened?
Lord Pirrie chaired Harland and Wolff during the development and construction of the Olympic-class liners and was a major figure in Belfast shipbuilding.
Why was it important?
Pirrie's position linked the industrial and corporate history of Titanic to White Star Line's expansion and the design decisions examined after the disaster.
World History Database records
William Pirrie timeline
The records below are selected from the 241-record RMS Titanic archive and rendered as static HTML in chronological order.
1908
1909
1909
Yard Number 401 Construction
Harland and Wolff begins building Titanic as Yard Number 401 under Pirrie's chairmanship.
1911
1911 31st May
Titanic Launch
Harland and Wolff launches Titanic from Slipway Number 3 in Belfast.
1912
1912 2nd April
Titanic Completion
Harland and Wolff completes Titanic after more than three years of construction and fitting out.
1912 April
Titanic Loss Response
Responds publicly and corporately to the loss of Titanic as chairman of Harland and Wolff.
Editorial provenance
Sources and editorial review
Compiled and edited by World History Database.
Historical context is editorial material; the chronology is generated from World History Database Titanic records.
Last reviewed: September 2026.
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