Built at the John Brown & Co Shipyard in Clydebank, the Queen Mary was, at 81,237 tons, the largest ocean liner in the world when she was launched on the 26th September 1934, although soon overtaken in size by her French rival Normandie which had been especially enlarged. The Queen Mary was only slightly smaller than the Queen Elizabeth, launched at Clydebank four years later. The Queen Mary proved faster than the Normandie capturing the Blue Riband in 1936 and again in 1938, holding the record until 1952. With a passenger capacity of 2139, she was a successful liner before and after the Second World War whilst, during the hostilities, she served as a troop-ship.
She was retired in 1967 and since 1971 has been permanently berthed at Long Beach (California, USA). The ship has been used as a location in several Holywood films.