The liner RMS Queen Mary was launched - On this day in history

The RMS Queen Mary was launched on 26 September 1934 by Queen Mary, the wife of King George V. The ship was built at Clydebank by John Brown & Co and cost £3.5 million - part of which was lent by the British govermment to the owners Cunard White Star Line during the Great Depression.

A portion of the River Clyde was widened to accommodate the launch of the 80,000 ton ship, which performed trans Atlantic crossings until the 1960s. The ship's interior was famously lavish, featuring two indoor pools, libraries and a dining room with a map of the winter and summer routes which the Queen Mary took across the Atlantic.

The Queen Mary acted as a troop ship during World War II, before returning to normal service until she was retired to Long Beach, California in 1967.