Pirates & Shipwrecks · Italian liner, 1956
SS Andrea Doria
Off Nantucket, Massachusetts
What happened
On a foggy night in July 1956 the Andrea Doria was nearing New York when it collided with another liner, the Stockholm, south of Nantucket. The Andrea Doria listed heavily, rescue ships arrived in the night, and it sank the next morning.
Why it matters
About 1,660 people were rescued, one of the largest rescues at sea in peacetime. Both ships had radar, and the crash led to lessons about how to use it safely.
What came next
The two shipping companies settled privately, so no official cause was published.
Did you know?
A 14-year-old passenger, Linda Morgan, was thrown from her bed and landed on the deck of the Stockholm, and she survived.
Timeline
- June 1951The Andrea Doria is launched in Genoa, Italy.
- 25 July 1956It collides with the Stockholm in heavy fog.
- 26 July 1956The Andrea Doria sinks.