RMS Queen Mary entered service on her maiden voyage in 1936. The Cunard-White Star liner departed Southampton for New York on 27 May 1936, beginning a career as one of the best-known express passenger ships of the 20th century.
Queen Mary was constructed by John Brown & Company at Clydebank, Scotland. She was intended to compete with French, German and other British liners for the lucrative North Atlantic passenger trade. Her design emphasized speed, size and luxurious public rooms rather than the amenities associated with modern resort cruises.
During the Second World War, Queen Mary was converted into a troopship. After the war she returned to passenger service, later operating with Cunard Line. She completed her final commercial voyage in 1967 and is now permanently moored in Long Beach, California, where she functions as a hotel, museum and visitor attraction.