The Titanic International Society is a US 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history of the Titanic and the events surrounding the great ocean liner's sinking on April 15, 1912, when more than 1,500 people died. The society holds biennial conventions and occasional special events, such as memorial ceremonies at sites associated with the Titanic and a tribute to Titanic writer Walter Lord in his Baltimore hometown. It is one of several organizations worldwide dedicated to the memory of the Titanic.