[ News
| Homes
| Life
| Entertainment
| History
| Science
| Community
| Shop ]
| Sport
| Culture
| Cars
| Money
| Broadband
| Learning
| Health
| Dating
| Games ]
[ Text Only: Homepage ]
[ Graphical: Channel4 Homepage ]
1838 The Sirius completes the first transatlantic crossing under continuous steam power in 15 days at 8.2 knots.
1840 Samuel Cunard wins the Blue Riband with the mail and passenger ship Brittania.
1847 The American Collins Line challenges Cunard with the Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic and Baltic.
1854 The rivalry ends after the Arctic collides with a French steam ship – 391 passengers and crew are lost, including the proprietor's wife and children.
1854 Cunard, the White Star Line and the American Inman Company continue the competition.
1897 On 19 September, the German Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse shocks Britain, winning the Blue Riband with a passage of 5 days, 22 hours and 30 minutes at a speed of 21.39 knots.
1907 Cunard retaliates with the Lusitania and the Mauretania. The Blue Riband passes back and forth between the Cunarders.
1912 White Star's 'unsinkable' Titanic hits an iceberg with the loss of 1500 lives.
1929 Germany's Bremen steals the Blue Riband from the Mauretania.
1930 In December, Cunard begins work on Hull 534 (Queen Mary) in Clydebank – a new breed of liner over four times bigger than Britannia.
1931 In January, work begins on hull T6 (Normandie) at St Nazaire in France.
1931 Work is suspended on Hull 534. It dominates the Clydebank skyline – she is a poignant symbol of the Depression.
1932 T6, Normandie, is launched on 26 October by the French president's wife.
1933 Sir Harold Hales MP commissions a trophy for the fastest transatlantic crossing.
1934 Work resumes on Hull 534 in April.
1934 Queen Mary launches Hull 534 on 26 September and honours the ship with her name.
1935 Normandie wins the Blue Riband on her maiden voyage of 29 May with a passage of 4 days, 3 hours and 2 minutes, travelling at 29.98 knots.
1936 Queen Mary makes her maiden voyage on 27 May. With bad weather and mindful of the Titanic tragedy, she reduces her speed and fails to win back the Blue Riband.
1936 Queen Mary finally claims the Blue Riband from Normandie on 30 August in the first transatlantic passage under 4 days (3 days, 23 hours and 57 minutes) at a speed of 30.63 knots. Over the next three years, the prize passes back and forth between the two ships.
1939 Queen Mary is the holder of the Blue Riband. However, she is requisitioned for the Second World War, stripped of her luxurious interiors and painted battleship grey. The 'Grey Ghost' carries 765,429 troops throughout war.
1942 In February, Normandie is also requisitioned, but during her re-fit, a fire breaks out and she is destroyed in New York harbour.
1947 In July, Queen Mary is re-fitted with her pre-war interior and resumes her passenger service.
1952 On 15 July SS United States takes the Blue Riband from the Queen Mary with a 3 day, 12 hour and 12 minute passage. Travelling at a speed of 34.51 knots, she is last of the great ocean liners to hold the Blue Riband
1967 On 19 September, Queen Mary is withdrawn from service after 1001 crossings and becomes a floating hotel, moored in Long Beach, California.
1990 A different class: Hoverspeed Great Britain smashes previous records with a crossing of 3 days, 7 hours and 54 minutes, travelling at 36.6 knots.
1998 The ferry Catalonia holds the Blue Riband for a matter of weeks before the Cat-Link V, a 91-metre car and passenger catamaran makes the crossing in 2 days, 20 hours and 9 minutes at a speed of 41.3 knots.
2003 Cunard builds the world's largest ever ocean liner, the Queen Mary 2. Ironically, it is constructed at St Nazaire in France.
Cutty Sark and the Great Clippers
Graphics version (includes layout and images)