Title: Ships Facts, History & Quizzes | Mental Floss
Open Graph Title: Ships Facts, History & Quizzes | Mental Floss
X Title: Ships Facts, History & Quizzes | Mental Floss
Description: Discover fun ship facts, trivia, and surprising stories on Mental Floss—content that entertains, educates, and satisfies your curiosity.
Open Graph Description: Discover fun ship facts, trivia, and surprising stories on Mental Floss—content that entertains, educates, and satisfies your curiosity.
X Description: Discover fun ship facts, trivia, and surprising stories on Mental Floss—content that entertains, educates, and satisfies your curiosity.
Opengraph URL: https://www.mentalfloss.com/transportation/ships
Domain: www.mentalfloss.com
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{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/history/mystery/five-maritime-mysteries-that-have-actually-been-solved","headline":"5 Maritime Mysteries That Have Actually Been Solved","description":"From underwater crop circles to the Bermuda Triangle, these deep sea mysteries actually have pretty logical explanations.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Lorna Wallace"},"datePublished":"2026-02-22T15:00:00Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T15:00:00Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/history/mystery/five-maritime-mysteries-that-have-actually-been-solved"}}
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/history/maritime-disasters-worse-than-the-titanic","headline":"7 Forgotten Maritime Disasters Worse Than the Titanic","description":"These seven nautical tragedies surpassed the horror of the RMS Titanic, yet few people know their names.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Colin Scanlon"},"datePublished":"2026-02-19T15:00:01Z","dateModified":"2026-02-19T15:00:01Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/history/maritime-disasters-worse-than-the-titanic"}}
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{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/history/mystery/maritime-mysteries","headline":"6 Strange Maritime Mysteries","description":"From the Bermuda Triangle to the ‘Mary Celeste,’ here are some of the most puzzling enigmas of the deep.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Claire Cock-Starkey"},"datePublished":"2019-07-12T14:00:00Z","dateModified":"2025-07-11T17:02:08Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/history/mystery/maritime-mysteries"}}
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/entertainment/movies/story-of-orca-ii-jaws-movie-stunt-boat","headline":"The Bizarre Tale of the ‘Orca II,’ the Stunt Boat from ‘Jaws’","description":"The replica boat ‘Orca II’ was the unsung star of 1975's ‘Jaws.’ But what happened after filming ended was worse than any shark attack.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Jake Rossen"},"datePublished":"2019-07-26T16:30:00Z","dateModified":"2025-06-17T14:30:14Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/entertainment/movies/story-of-orca-ii-jaws-movie-stunt-boat"}}
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/science/archaeology/real-life-shipwreck-that-may-have-inspired-the-goonies","headline":"The Real-Life Shipwreck That May Have Inspired ‘The Goonies’ ","description":"‘The Goonies’ turns 40 this year—and to make the film, director Steven Spielberg may have drawn inspiration from a real-life shipwreck that occurred off Oregon’s coast. It’s known as the Beeswax Wreck.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"AJ DiCosimo"},"datePublished":"2025-05-29T17:58:00Z","dateModified":"2025-05-29T17:58:00Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/science/archaeology/real-life-shipwreck-that-may-have-inspired-the-goonies"}}
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{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/animals/cats/americas-first-domestic-cats-16th-century-shipwreck","headline":"Remains of What Could Be America’s First Domestic Cats Came From a 16th-Century Shipwreck","description":"A sunken ship near Florida holds clues to the early history of cats in the U.S.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"CaLea Johnson"},"datePublished":"2025-05-08T22:02:00Z","dateModified":"2025-05-08T22:02:00Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/animals/cats/americas-first-domestic-cats-16th-century-shipwreck"}}
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/history/titanic/titanic-3d-model-reveals-new-details","headline":"‘Violently Torn Apart’: 3D ‘Titanic’ Model Reveals New Details of the Ship’s End","description":"A digital double promises fresh insight into the tragedy of the ‘Titanic.’","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Jake Rossen"},"datePublished":"2025-04-14T18:00:50Z","dateModified":"2025-04-14T18:00:50Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/history/titanic/titanic-3d-model-reveals-new-details"}}
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/transportation/why-airplane-ship-passengers-are-called-souls","headline":"Why Do We Refer to Airplane and Ship Passengers as ‘Souls’?","description":"Hearing the phrase ‘souls on board’ usually portends bad news. Why do we use it?","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Jake Rossen"},"datePublished":"2025-04-04T22:01:00Z","dateModified":"2025-04-04T22:01:00Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/transportation/why-airplane-ship-passengers-are-called-souls"}}
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/history/george-pollard-inspiration-for-moby-dick","headline":"George Pollard Jr., Unlucky Captain of the Ship That Inspired ‘Moby-Dick’","description":"When Captain George Pollard Jr.’s ship was rammed by a whale, he had no idea it would help make literary history.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Lucas Reilly"},"datePublished":"2019-01-29T11:00:00Z","dateModified":"2025-02-14T21:09:33Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/history/george-pollard-inspiration-for-moby-dick"}}
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/transportation/ships/ss-ship-meaning","headline":"What Does the Ship Designation ‘SS’ Mean?","description":"The initialism was originally a bit of shipbuilder marketing—and now there are many different kinds of ship designations.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Paul Anthony Jones"},"datePublished":"2025-02-10T15:02:00Z","dateModified":"2025-02-10T15:02:00Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/transportation/ships/ss-ship-meaning"}}
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{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/transportation/ships/whats-difference-between-boat-and-ship","headline":"Ship vs. Boat: What’s the Difference?","description":"You will instantly reveal yourself as a landlubber if you refer to a ship as a boat. Here’s how to tell the difference.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Matt Soniak"},"datePublished":"2013-01-22T09:30:00Z","dateModified":"2025-02-03T18:25:37Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/transportation/ships/whats-difference-between-boat-and-ship"}}
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