The sinking of the RMS Titanic on April 15, 1912, has captivated people around the world for 110 years. The disaster was set against the stage of stories of heroism, tragedy, lessons and loss. In the wake of the sinking that resulted in the deaths of 1,496 men, women and children, there were no shortage of "what-if" stories, assignment of scapegoats, and the advancement of conspiracies and misinformation. Those debates continue today, prompting authors on both sides of belief to lay their case for truth before an ever-widening audience. Claims of insurance fraud, weak steel, crew incompetency, and a coal bunker fire have been claimed to be major factors in the ship's demise. 

From his days of childhood, Dan Cherry has been interested in history, from world to local events. He has always believed in sharing the results of his research through creating books and published columns. After graduating from college in 1993 with a degree in graphic design, Dan began his bookwriting journey in 1996 with a 225-page tribute to his hometown of Addison in Lenawee County. To date, Dan has written eight books and has two more in development. He has collaborated with other Michigan authors and his photo restoration work has appeared in several globally published books and publications. Across his career, Dan has worked at three newspapers as a graphic artist or writer — the Brooklyn Exponent in Jackson County, the Daily Telegram in Adrian in Lenawee County, and the Sturgis Journal in Sturgis, St. Joseph County. In addition to history, Dan enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, and photography. He currently lives in Sturgis, and is a graphic designer at Telemark Diversified Graphics.  Dan will share the findings and supported evidence of esteemed colleagues and his own collaborations with researchers to dispel the myths surrounding Titanic, as well as discuss the moral debate over recovering artifacts from the wreck site.