On This Day
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The world's largest ocean liner, RMS Queen Mary 2, makes its maiden voyage

RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2) is a British ocean liner. She has served as the flagship of the Cunard Line since April 2004, and as of 2026, is the only active, purpose-built ocean liner still in service.

RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2) is a British ocean liner. She has served as the flagship of the Cunard Line since April 2004, and as of 2026, is the only active, purpose-built ocean liner still in service. Queen Mary 2 sails regular transatlantic crossings between Southampton and New York City, in addition to short cruises and an annual world voyage.

She was designed by a team of British naval architects led by Stephen Payne, and was constructed in France by Chantiers de l'Atlantique. At the time of her construction, Queen Mary 2 was the longest, at 1,131.99 ft (345.03 m), and largest, with a gross tonnage of 148,528 GT, passenger ship ever built.

Historical Significance

RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2) is a British ocean liner.

Events Before

  1. Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates during reentry into the Earth's atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts aboard.

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  2. An estimated 6-11 million people around the world take to the streets to protest against war with Iraq

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  3. Bill Maher's political talk show "Real Time with Bill Maher" debuts on HBO

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  4. Actor Paul Rudd (33) weds publicist Julie Yaeger

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  5. The journal Nature reports that 350,000-year-old footprints of an upright-walking human have been found in Italy

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Events After

  1. Shirley Chisholm dies

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  2. Britain's Ellen MacArthur becomes the fastest person to sail solo around the world, taking 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes

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  3. Online video-sharing site YouTube is founded in San Mateo, California, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim

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  4. Kyoto Protocol comes into force following its ratification by Russia, committing industrialized nations to limit and red

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  5. President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak orders the constitution changed to allow multi-candidate presidential elections, asking

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death

Shirley Chisholm dies

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Gisborne, New Zealand, with a population of approximately 32,754, is the first city in the world to welcome the new Mill

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on January 12, 2004?
RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2) is a British ocean liner. She has served as the flagship of the Cunard Line since April 2004, and as of 2026, is the only active, purpose-built ocean liner still in service. Queen Mary 2 sails regular transatlantic crossings between Southampton and New York City, in addition to short cruises and an annual world voyage.
Why is The world's largest ocean liner, RMS Queen Mary 2, makes its maiden voyage significant?
RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2) is a British ocean liner.

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January 12 in HistoryYear 2004