No Matter How Many Times You Watched "Titanic," You Missed This. Heartbreaking.

We throw the word “love” around a lot these days. We bastardize it into “luv” in texts and wear it on our sleeve like a fashion statement; true love is becoming a bit of a blur. This is, to an extent, understandable with some of the statistics we’ve all read on modern marriage and longevity. Divorce is at an all time high, “Netflix and chill” has replaced third base and the generation that will be born to millennials are likely to hear “we both swiped right” when asking their parents how they met. Things are getting impersonal, fast!

The Pair We All Remember

James Cameron’s Titanic made its debut in 1997 and the world was never the same again. The film instantly became a cinematic wonder and restructured the romantic fantasies of teenage girls all over the world. When recalling the blockbuster, now nearly 20 years later (yes, it’s been that long), the love story depicted by Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet automatically comes to mind: Jack holding Rose at the bow of the Titanic, helping her “fly.” You may be surprised to find out, however, that this is not the only love story to unfold on the “unsinkable” ship.

Remember This Couple?

This shot was in the original trailer of the film and definitely catches your attention. An elderly couple spooning together as the icy waters of the Atlantic rise beneath them, accepting their fate as one. Most of us assumed the clip was of an imagined couple, artfully shot to drive home the tragedy of it all and punch you in the feels. What most people don’t know is that this clip was based on a real couple who died on the real Titanic — they also owned Macy’s department store. Yeah, blew our minds too!

The Rarest Love Of All

Isidor and Ida Straus have a legacy we see in plazas around the United States. The couple founded and owned Macy’s department store but, among friends and family, their deep love for one another was even more impressive. The two were, by all accounts, inseparable and had a long, harmonious marriage until “death did [them] part.” The two boarded the Titanic on April 14, 1912 to return home from their trip to Germany.

To Infinity And Beyond

As the Titanic began to sink, Isidor was offered a spot in one of the lifeboats. He refused immediately. The sinking ship was still full of women and children so the noble man did the unprecedented and gave up his place on the lifeboat. Ida may be a woman but she was a woman in love and would not get into a lifeboat without Isidor. Witnesses described the scene as a “most remarkable exhibition of love and devotion.”The two were last seen seated in chairs on the deck, holding hands and watching the crowd of panicked passengers struggle to get into a lifeboat. They clung to one another until a wave washed them into the sea. Isidor’s body was recovered but Ida’s was never found.

Main Image via Hollywood

Collage Image via Tickld