The character known and loved by fans as Jack Dawson, pictured left above and played by Leonardo DiCaprio, was entirely fictional (via Screen Rant). According to BuzzFeed, cinematic visionary James Cameron wanted to focus the film around a lighthearted, lovable guy who was both free-spirited and penniless. In doing so, the film was able to explore social class inequality, as it existed on the ship and in the lives of everyday viewers.

In reality, any love affair between a first-class passenger and a third-class passenger would have been difficult, if not impossible. Third-class passengers were isolated from the wealthy aristocrats on the Titanic for a wide variety of reasons. So, Jack and Rose would never have gotten that first glimpse that initially heated up the screen.

In a bitter twist of irony, there actually was a third-class passenger aboard the Titanic by the name of J. Dawson. This fact was unbeknownst to writers at the time of filming and was only revealed later when avid fans began placing flowers on this late J. Dawson's grave (via Screen Rant).

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