Ellen Shine facts for kids

Ellen "Nellie" Shine (born December 30, 1891 – died March 5, 1993) was an amazing woman who lived to be 101 years old! She was the last adult survivor of the famous RMS Titanic disaster who was still alive at the time of the sinking. She was also the last survivor of Irish background.

Nellie's Early Life

Nellie Shine grew up in a quiet part of Ireland, near a town called Newmarket in County Cork. After her parents passed away, she lived with her older sister. When her sister took in a baby who had no parents, Nellie decided to move to the United States. She was going to live with her brother there.

Aboard the RMS Titanic

Nellie boarded the huge ship, the RMS Titanic, in Queenstown, Ireland. She was a third-class passenger, meaning her ticket was for one of the more affordable sections of the ship. She was traveling to the United States to join her brother.

When she got on the ship, Nellie was a young adult, either 19 or 20 years old. Before she left, a teacher from her town gave her a special religious medal. It was a local tradition to pray to the saint on the medal for protection during a journey, and then return the medal afterward. Sadly, Nellie lost the medal during the sinking of the Titanic. She was very upset about losing it because she believed the prayers and the medal had helped save her life.

Nellie's story about what happened during the sinking was shared in many newspapers, including The Times in London and The Denver Post in the United States.

Later Life

After the Titanic disaster, Nellie Shine married a man named John Callaghan. They made their home in northern Manhattan, which is a part of New York City. Nellie lived there for the rest of her long life. She passed away in 1993, at the impressive age of 101.