topic Re: Do You Remember This? in Community Chat

Do You Remember This?

Kachina624 — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 19:40:16 GMT

Th8s weekend was the anniversary of the collision of the Andrea Doria and the Stockholm. It's memorable for me because it's the first actual disaster I can remember being broadcast live on TV. It was the interviews with survivors as they arrived in NYC that they broadcast live. I remember being glued to the TV for hours, even though I was just a kid. There were a couple of movie stars among those interviewed.

Re: Do You Remember This?

FancyPhillyshopper — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 21:46:21 GMT

Sorry, Kachina, I was not even born yet when this happened!!

Re: Do You Remember This?

shoekitty — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 22:33:12 GMT

@Kachina624 I sort of remember I was about 8. In those days disasters, mass murders and such didn't occur like they do today. Something like this was huge!!!! I can still remember mom talking to friend on phone about it

Re: Do You Remember This?

Twoaces — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 12:10:25 GMT

Yes, I do remember! I believe there were news updates as the ship was sinking slowly, and it was terrifying to me to think about the circumstances of those on board. That event is one of those childhood memories that remains beneath the surface until something, or someone, brings it back.

Re: Do You Remember This?

jlkz — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 12:52:39 GMT

@Kachina624

Yes, I remember watching it on our first black and white TV. Never wanted to go on a boat / ship since !!!

Re: Do You Remember This?

beckyb1012 — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 13:04:08 GMT

I knew of the event but years before my birth.

Re: Do You Remember This?

faeriemoon — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 13:30:25 GMT

Before I was born, but when it comes up I am always reminded of the Seinfeld episode.

Re: Do You Remember This?

Still Raining — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 14:08:41 GMT

I was a kid but do not recall at all.

Re: Do You Remember This?

DREAMON — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 16:21:18 GMT

Not born yet but do know the story

Re: Do You Remember This?

MissRose722 — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 22:11:10 GMT

@Kachina624

Thank you so much for posting this. The Andrea Doria affected my mother's family in a very tragic way. Two of the 51 lives lost were my mother's cousin's wife and their son. The collision happened shortly after 11:00 PM near Nantucket, MA; the Andrea Doria was scheduled to arrive in New York Harbor early the next morning. My mother's cousin decided to go on the upper deck to have a cigarette, just before the collision; because he was on the upper deck, he survived. Sadly, his wife and son were in their cabin in the lower section, close to where the collision occurred; they did not survive. Upon the news of the collision, my uncle (my mom's older brother) raced down to New York Harbor wearing a jacket over his pajamas. I was told that the cousin received a substantial amount of money from the Insurer of the Andrea Doria due to the loss of his wife and son, but no amount can replace their lives. There is a website about the Andrea Doria chronicling the history of this great ocean liner. The website lists the survivors along with the deceased; two of the deceased are the names Lucia DeGrandi, age 23 and Giuseppe DeGrandi Jr., just 1-1/2 years old. This beautiful family was traveling from their native Sicily to start a new life in the United States. May God rest Lucia's and little Giuseppe's souls, along with the other lives lost on the Andrea Doria and the Stockholm.

Re: Do You Remember This?

San Antonio Gal — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 17:14:09 GMT

I was not aware @Kachina624 . I was born in the 60's.

Very tragic.

Re: Do You Remember This?

Kachina624 — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 19:22:07 GMT

@MissRose722. What a tradegy your family suffered. I'm glad you told us about them. It make the incident more personal and relatable. 8 th8nk when I saw those survivors interview it was my first experience with a person who'd suffered a tragedy. I remember them being dressed in ragtag attire...whatever they could grab. Very sad.

Re: Do You Remember This?

MissRose722 — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 19:43:25 GMT

@Kachina624

Thank you for your reply, it is much appreciated. It was indeed very sad. I was born two years after the Andrea Doria tragedy; when I was in my teens, my mother told me about what happened. If I recall, she also mentioned how this was broadcast live on television. Back then in 1956, television was still a new medium, so the reporting was historic. Among the survivors, as you mentioned in your previous post, there were some celebrities. One of the celebrities was the actress Ruth Roman. She survived along with her 3 year old son.

Re: Do You Remember This?

Tinkrbl44 — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 20:00:26 GMT

I was a kid, but I don't remember this.

My mother had a tendency to keep us away from "bad things" on the news.

@Kachina624

Did many die on the Stockholm?

Re: Do You Remember This?

MissRose722 — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 20:24:56 GMT

@Tinkrbl44

If I may, I can answer that question - 46 people died on the Andrea Doria (all passengers) and 5 people died on the Stockholm (all crew members) for a total of 51 lives lost.

Re: Do You Remember This?

Tinkrbl44 — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 01:32:18 GMT

@MissRose722 wrote:
@Tinkrbl44

If I may, I can answer that question - 46 people died on the Andrea Doria (all passengers) and 5 people died on the Stockholm (all crew members) for a total of 51 lives lost.

@MissRose722 @Kachina624

Thank you. I always wonder why, with the oceans so big and ships out there with radar and whatnot, it's even possible that two ships could collide.

Certainly they have the ability to change speed and direction, a couple of miles before they come in contact with each other ... so why does it ever happen?

Re: Do You Remember This?

Kachina624 — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 01:41:06 GMT

@Tinkrbl44. Well have to find and ask a mariner. I know there's a lot of fog in the Nantucket area and perhaps radar was not as great in the '50s as it is now. Ships, like trains, can't turn or stop on a dime. Too much weight to move.

Re: Do You Remember This?

shoesnbags — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 01:51:19 GMT

I would have been 7 years old but I have no memories of this, other than the name Andrea Doria is familiar. As someone else said, I think my parents would have shielded me from watching this on TV.

Re: Do You Remember This?

Stray — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 15:11:16 GMT

I not only remember it but we lived in NJ atop the Palisades & we could see the Hudson River from our home. I saw the MS Stockholm arrive in NYC & saw the big hole in the hull of the ship.

Re: Do You Remember This?

Effie54 — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 15:18:14 GMT

It's before I was born, but I do remember hearing about it.