In the last moments of RMS Titanic, as depicted in the 1997 film, we saw an elderly couple lying in bed, holding each other in an embrace, slowly awaiting their death.
Jack and Rose may have been fictional characters, but that elderly couple was actually based on Isidor and Ida Straus, and the film was able to depict the gist of their true-to-life story. Granted, they were not holding each other in bed, but they did decide to not get on the lifeboats and sink with the ship instead.
Isidor and Ida were both Jewish immigrants from Germany, married in 1871, and had seven children. Isidor's father had a pottery business which later became part of Macy's, and through Isidor's hard work, he eventually became a co-owner of Macy's.
Originally, the couple had no intention of traveling on the RMS Titanic, and they weren't even supposed to be in Europe at the time. However, the untimely death of Isidor's business partner, A. Abraham, caused them to take a vacation in Europe instead of southern California.
At the time, the couple had brought their newly-hired English maid, Ellen Bird, with them. As fate would have it, the ship they were supposed to board had to give its coal to the Titanic, and so they went with the luxury liner.
When the Titanic had begun to sink and the lifeboats were being filled, Ida Straus was urged by Col. Archibald Gracie, who had struck up a friendship with Isidor along the voyage, to get on one of the lifeboats. But Ida was adamant, telling Isidor, "We have lived together for many years. Where you go, I go."
We see the generosity of the couple as they made sure that their new maid was able to get on a lifeboat, and Ida even gave her long mink fur coat so that Ms. Bird could keep herself warm. Later on, Isidor's body was found, but neither Ida's nor their valet's was ever recovered.
Afterward, Ellen Bird got in touch with the couple's daughter, Sara Straus Hess, to give back Ida's coat. Sara thanked her but refused to take the coat back as she believed her mother would have wanted Ms. Bird to keep it.
In honor of the couple, a bronze statue in Straus Park (also named after the couple) in Manhattan has been dedicated to them.
(Image credit: 20th Century Fox; Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons)