Historic Queen Mary Celebrates 80th Launch Anniversary
By Kayla Turner
"Today we come to the happy task of sending on her way the stateliest ship now in being. It has been the nation’s will that she should be completed, and today we can send her forth no longer a number on the books, but a ship with a name in the world, alive with beauty, energy and strength! May her life among great waters spread friendship among the nations!" – King George V on the Queen Mary launch
The Queen Mary’s creation and launch was nothing short of extraordinary and her story is rich with history, elegance and grandeur. From the time her construction began in 1930 in Clydebank, Scotland, the Queen Mary was destined to stand in a class all her own. The Queen Mary was purpose built, made to carry tons of people quickly from Europe to America, but did so in the highest style. This world class passenger ship set the new standard for travel well into the 1950s. On October 31, 1967, the Queen Mary departed on her final cruise, arriving in Long Beach, California, on December 9, 1967. She has called Southern California her home ever since.
September 26, 2014 marked the 80th anniversary of the Queen Mary’s launch. Commemorations included the reading of letters by King George V at the ship's launch on Sept. 26, 1934, and a recent congratulatory message from Queen Elizabeth II on the ship's 80th anniversary. To celebrate the ship's 80th 'birthday', the Queen Mary commissioned TV celebrity baker, Jose Barajas to create a grand cake that's worthy of a grand ship. Weighing almost 600 pounds and measuring over 15 feet long, the anniversary cake was an exact replica of the Queen Mary as flour and frosting allows. Following remarks by attending dignitaries, Commodore Everette Hoard read the Royal Letters. He then officiated the ceremonial cutting of the Queen Mary's 80th Anniversary Cake.
Additionally, the Queen Mary announced its plan to open a new onboard museum and learning center, with a 2016 opening goal – the 80th anniversary of the ship’s maiden voyage. This maritime museum will differ from others as its focus will be on the golden age of maritime travel – large, iron-clad powered ships, transoceanic voyages, and ships still in use today.
“The museum will consist of a science center, a 4D theater, as well as classrooms. We think it is important to teach the Queen Mary’s history to the children in Orange County, as well as visitors. We will also be integrating the STEM Program (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) into the lessons. Fundamental math skills are lacking today, you cannot take a ship anywhere if you don’t have a solid math background. So we are also using this opportunity to work with local educators to integrate maritime issues into schools,” Jenkins stated.
“Community support is important to us as it continues to drive interest for U.S. West Coast travel. But it is also important to us that the maritime community supports us as they makes us who we are, we want them involved and to have a say. At the end of the day, the Queen Mary is an ocean liner. The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are close by. This is a great opportunity to raise awareness of the abundance of career opportunities in the maritime industry,” he continued.
Aside from the sheer iconic state of the Queen Mary, she is also a functional hotel. Another unique benefit of the new museum is the built-in public flow that other museums don’t have. With an after-hours profile consisting of weddings, and other events, the human traffic is ideal as opposed to other museums.
There are an average of 1.4 million visitors annually to Queen Mary, with 550 overnight guests daily.
On a regular basis, people come to the Queen Mary with amazing stories and touching memories. Jenkins recalled: “An older man came to the ship and pulled a crumpled envelope out of his pocket, he proceeded to show a crewmember the hair clippings inside of it. It was Clark Gables’ hair. The man was a barber on the Queen Mary many years ago and apparently kept multiple celebrity samples.”
The Queen Mary is interested in launching a global scavenger hunt. So if you have an interesting Queen Mary artifact or story, contact them and be a part of living history!