Airplanes were still a novelty in the early decades of the 1900s, and the future of transatlantic travel, at least for a little longer, was thought to belong to the ship. International shipbuilding competition was in full swing, as Germany had made two ocean liners, Bremen and Europa, and in response Britain’s White Star Line laid down the keel for a 60,000 ton ship to rival the German two, while Cunard planned an even larger one — a 75,000 ton craft that would be called the Queen Mary.

On this day, September 26, in 1934, the RMS Queen Mary, one of the largest ships of its time, was launched. In attendance at the official ceremony were His Majesty, King George V, and his consort, Queen Mary, who allowed her name to be used for the ship.

A couple more years would pass for the finishing touches on the ship, and finally by summer of 1936 The Queen Mary was ready for her maiden voyage to New York May. With every space on it booked long in advance, the passenger list was a who’s who of European society: knights, ladies, dignitaries, entertainments stars, and even a couple of stowaways who were quickly remanded to Southampton to face justice.