Shipwrecks History

From the day it crashed in the fog below the cliffs of Palos Verdes Estates, the 441-foot Greek freighter Dominator has stood helpless against the onslaught of surf and salt winds. The wreck has been a landmark for 40 years, eerie and ever-corroding. Its ruptured hull once rose in bold contrast to the yellow-white cliffs at Rocky Point.

From the day it crashed in the fog below the cliffs of Palos Verdes Estates, the 441-foot Greek freighter Dominator has stood helpless against the onslaught of surf and salt winds. The wreck has been a landmark for 40 years, eerie and ever-corroding. Its ruptured hull once rose in bold contrast to the yellow-white cliffs at Rocky Point.

In the maelstrom of history, most events flow by unremarked, some get a moment or two in the spotlight, and a few grip the public consciousness and are seared into peoples' minds in a way that changes thought. The sinking of the Titanic on April 15, 1912, a ship whose very name mocked the dangers of the sea, was one such event. There have been many shipwrecks in history, and many other disasters--including those with greater loss of life. But few have the staying power of the Titanic.