Once the grandest ocean liner in the world, RMS Queen Mary is now a luxury Long Beach hotel in California, United States. And now, as it celebrates the 80th anniversary of its first sail, the history of the great vessel and stories throughout the centuries were on show as the ship opened its doors for a day's free admission. The Queen Mary was built by John Brown & Company in Clydebank, Scotland, launched in 1934 on the River Clyde for the Cunard Line, and set on its maiden voyage in 1936 from Southampton to New York. Scroll down for video
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The ship provided a luxury trans-Atlantic voyage in its early years
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Clark Gable, Bob Hope and Winston Churchill were big fans
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In 1939 it transformed into a troopship for the Second World War
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Decomissioned in 1967, the ship is now a hotel in Long Beach, California
Vibrant: The public were treated to entertainment on board the @placeholder