{"id":1352694,"date":"2021-04-19T11:54:40","date_gmt":"2021-04-19T15:54:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/?p=1352694"},"modified":"2021-04-19T12:05:59","modified_gmt":"2021-04-19T16:05:59","slug":"incredible-story-r-norris-williams-lost-his-father-nearly-own-legs-titanic-disaster-before-winning-multiple-grand-slam-titles-olympic-gold-medal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/incredible-story-r-norris-williams-lost-his-father-nearly-own-legs-titanic-disaster-before-winning-multiple-grand-slam-titles-olympic-gold-medal\/","title":{"rendered":"The Incredible Story of R. Norris Williams, Who Lost His Father and Nearly His Own Legs in the Titanic Disaster Before Winning Multiple Grand Slam Titles and an Olympic Gold Medal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

R. Norris Williams (born Richard Norris Williams II) may not be one of the most well-known tennis players<\/a> of all time and if you've never before heard his story, it's quite remarkable. But if you've ever seen James Cameron<\/a>‘s 1997 blockbuster, Titanic<\/em>, you've actually seen a little piece of his life played out on the big screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You see, back on April 15, 1912, Williams and his father, Duane (born Charles Duane Williams), were aboard the RMS Titanic<\/em> when it famously struck an iceberg before sinking into the Atlantic Ocean. While the younger Williams survived, his father, who was instrumental in the founding of the International Tennis Federation, did not. But that's just the beginning of this incredible tale. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

R. Norris Williams freed a trapped passenger on the RMS Titanic<\/em>, inspiring a scene in the movie<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"R.
R. Norris Williams | George Rinhart\/Corbis via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Born in Switzerland to American parents in 1891, R. Norris Williams was 21 years old when he boarded the RMS Titanic<\/em> as a first-class passenger alongside his father in April 1912. Taught the game of tennis by his father, Williams had won the Swiss Championship the year before and had become one of the best young players in the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the Titanic<\/em> famously struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean, buckling her starboard side and opening six of the 16 compartments to the frigid water, the Williamses remained on board as long as they possibly could. R. Norris Williams even freed a trapped passenger at one point, breaking down a door to do so, at which point he was told by a steward that he'd have to pay for damaging White Star Line property. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So if you go back and watch that scene in Titanic<\/em> where Leo destroys a little property and you hear the steward say, “You'll have to pay for that, you know,” now you know where that came from. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He watched his father die and nearly lost his legs due to the Titanic<\/em> disaster<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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R. Norris Williams... pic.twitter.com\/ABkHS5Qc4N<\/a><\/p>— UberFacts (@UberFacts) June 28, 2016<\/a><\/blockquote>