The Brief

The Queen Mary in Long Beach is many things — a popular tourist attraction, a music festival backdrop, and a source of haunted tales.

But before it permanently docked on Southern California’s shores, the Queen Mary was a symbol of British luxury and prowess. Nearly 100 years ago, the record-setting ship made its mark as a feat of engineering, commanding attention and awe on the ocean.

The ship’s origins

The Queen Mary sprang from a desire to bring something new to the waters.

The company Cunard Line wanted a set of fancy new ocean liners to replace the ships on its North Atlantic route.

In 1930, construction started on what was known as Hull No. 534 in a Scotland shipyard renowned for its building skills. This shipyard was the only one in Great Britain set up for design experiments. With the aim of being superfast and nimble on the water, crews ran over 7,000 performance tests with wax models.

But the ship almost didn’t materialize, as Cunard was hit hard by the Great Depression. The company was strapped financially, and the ship was estimated to cost about 4 million pounds, about $100 million in today's money. So, the British government stepped in with a loan to cover the cost to complete construction. The company was forced to merge with a rival in 1934 as part of the funding agreement.

Over 300,000 people were involved in the ship’s creation. It had an art deco interior with bright colors, geometric shapes, and different textures like wood and glass and velvet. Some mocked the ship for this kind of old money, conservative take on luxury sea travel, but the designers were trying to appeal to the world.

According to the Scotland design museum, V&A Dundee, a promotional brochure described it as pairing a cosmopolitan sense of culture “with the comfort of a country home.” It was also the first British liner to have a small synagogue onboard, largely in response to rising antisemitism in Germany.

As an upper-class British passenger ship, the royal family was quite involved. This was during the time of Queen Elizabeth II’s grandparents, King George V and Queen Mary. Family members would visit the ship to check on progress.

Hull No. 534 was originally going to be named in honor of the King’s grandmother, Queen Victoria, according to Washington Post editor Felix Morley in an autobiography. He alleged a Cunard executive told him why the name changed — swearing him to secrecy until his death.

Cunard’s custom was to give ships names ending with “ia.” But when the King was informed of the goal to name it after Victoria, considered “Britain’s most illustrious Queen,” he smiled and replied: “Mary will be pleased.”

The Queen Mary’s maiden voyage was a 470-mile round trip in May 1936, from one part of England to another. And those thousands of tests paid off. The ship was incredibly quick, at its best taking just four days to cross the Atlantic.

It set a record for fastest transatlantic crossing within its first year, cutting an hour and 25 minutes from the four-day journey.

The Gray Ghost

The ship would ferry thousands of wealthy passengers and millions in goods until World War II. Wartime stripped the Queen Mary of its opulence and beauty — but it would earn a historic spot in the war.

The ship was converted to carry not civilians but large numbers of troops. To make enough space, one of the dining rooms was converted to a large mess hall, and even the drawing room was turned into a sick bay for soldiers. Its sleek black, red, and white exterior was repainted gray, which eventually got it the nickname “Gray Ghost” for its speed and agility.

The Queen Mary arrives in New York City with thousands of U.S. troops on board on June 20, 1945.

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Courtesy Naval History and Heritage Command

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As the war continued, the Queen Mary was modified multiple times to carry more troops, P.O.W'.s and crew. In 1942, the expanded capacity made it the first ship with over 10,000 people on board — and it likely still holds the record for most people on a ship at one time (16,683).

In total, the Queen Mary transported 810,000 troops, contributing hugely to the war effort.

The ship’s speed also drew Hitler’s ire. It outran German boats so many times that the dictator put a $250,000 reward out to anyone who could sink it. The danger was so high that passengers were told to carry a life preserver, water canteen and rations on them at all times, according to a nurse’s personal account.

One time the ship encountered a rogue wave so fierce that it almost destroyed the ship. Fifteen thousand American troops were on board when a wall of water dozens of feet tall struck the side of the ship, almost capsizing it and flooding the decks. Some reports say it was up to 90 feet high. Crews were able to steady the Queen Mary and no passengers were lost.

The ship’s last wartime voyage was in 1946 to Southampton, England. It stayed there for months as crews restored it back to passenger service, painting it again with that iconic black, white and red. Pieces of its traditional interior had to be recovered from ports around the world.

Retiring to Long Beach

The Queen Mary continued passenger service for the next 20 years — but the ship was on borrowed time.

The cover of a first class menu aboard a 1950 Queen Mary voyage.

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Megan Garvey

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LAist

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The first class luncheon offerings on June 27, 1950.

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Megan Garvey

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LAist

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At the turn of the 1950s, sea travel popularity dipped because of the jet age. The Queen Mary was aging and losing money. Its era as the top ocean liner on the Atlantic was at an end, so Cunard was ready to sell the ship.

This was Long Beach’s opportunity. The city was itching for a major attraction — so why not a famous ocean liner? There were 18 bids in total for the ship, including an offer from New York to turn it into a floating Brooklyn high school, but Long Beach won. In 1967, the city paid $3.5 million for the Queen Mary to become its historic maritime museum and hotel.

The ocean liner 'RMS Queen Mary' at Southampton Docks, UK, October 1967. Shortly after she sailed to a permanent mooring at Long Beach in California.

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Evening Standard/Getty Images

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Hulton Archive

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The ship’s “last great cruise” left England for California on October 31 that year. The ship was packed with famous people for the 39 day trip, which crossed the Canary Islands, the eastern coast of Brazil, down to Cape Horn and around to the U.S.’s west coast. The ship faced some trouble in the hotter weather. It got so hot on board that a chef died from heat exhaustion and was buried at sea.

Still, it was a celebratory journey. Crews threw hundreds of bottles stuffed with notes overboard, according to former Long Beach councilmember Renee Simon. The notes asked would-be readers to reach out with their location in exchange for a Queen Mary memento.

Chief deck steward Joe Allen also was among the crew. He wrote a poem called “The Mary”. Line by line, he affectionately recounted its accolades in war and peace:

To injured seamen broken in fall
She dashed to their rescue at the S.O.S call
The time has come for this Old Beauty
To retire from Atlantic duty
Setting sail for Long Beach in atmosphere terse
She will "finish with engines", her grand crew disperse
The toast is ‘The Queen,’ the end of an era
Here’s to the ‘Mary,’ the greatest ship ever

It was supposed to stay private, but “The Mary” ended up being printed in the ship’s farewell booklet and read aloud by the captain. Allen’s words made people cry.

Thousands of spectators welcomed the Queen Mary when it arrived in Long Beach on December 9, 1967. It’s been a peaceful, if not quiet retirement — millions more have gotten to know the ship on land than were ever able to visit at sea.

Protesters are planning to gather in Downtown Los Angeles Saturday afternoon in reaction to the overnight airstrikes launched by the United States and Israel across Iran.

A coalition of organizations including the National Iranian American Council, the ANSWER coalition, and 50501 are holding an “emergency day of action” nationwide to protest the attacks and in opposition of a war with the country.

Locally, the demonstration is scheduled outside City Hall in Downtown Los Angeles beginning at 2 p.m.

LAPD to step up patrol

The office of L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement that the city is closely monitoring for "any threats" to the city and urges Angelenos to voice their views in a "peaceful" way.

“While there are no known credible threats at this time, LAPD has stepped up patrols near places of worship, community spaces, and other areas of the city, and we will remain vigilant in protecting our city," the statement reads.

What local lawmakers saying

A number of state and local lawmakers are weighing in on the attacks.

Rep. Judy Chu

“President Trump has launched an unlawful war with Iran despite no imminent threat to the United States, no long-term strategy, no support from the American public, and no authorization from Congress.”

Chu is a Democrat who represents California's 28th Congressional district, which includes parts of the San Gabriel Valley.

Sen. Alex Padilla

“At a time when millions of hardworking families face higher costs of living and skyrocketing health care to pay for tax breaks for billionaires, Donald Trump is now pushing the country toward a war that risks American lives without presenting a clear justification to the American people or any plan to prevent escalation and chaos in the region.”

Padilla is a Democrat who has represented California in the U.S. Senate since 2021.

Sen. Adam Schiff

“Trump is drawing our country into yet another foreign war that Americans don’t want and Congress has not authorized. The Iranian regime is a brutal and murderous dictatorship. But that does not give Trump the authority to unilaterally initiate a war of choice. Congress should immediately return to vote on the Kaine Paul Schiff Schumer War Powers Resolution.”

Schiff is a Democrat who has represented California in the U.S. Senate since 2024.

Rep. Jimmy Gomez

“By launching this operation on his own, the president has put Congress and the country in the worst possible position. He started a war first, and now Congress is being asked to deal with the consequences instead of deciding whether the war should begin at all.”

Gomez is a Democrat who represents California's 34th Congressional district which includes downtown L.S. and many neighborhoods in the central part of the city.

The U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday after weeks of threats from President Donald Trump over Iran's nuclear capabilities

Here's what you need to know about the US and Israeli attacks on Iran:

Israel and the US launched military strikes against Iran

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the goal of the joint US Israeli strikes is to quote "remove the existential threat posed by the terrorist regime in Iran."

Netanyahu said in a video: "Our joint action will create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands."

A person briefed on the operation told NPR it was expected to last a few days, with Israel's military focusing on targeting Iran's missile program.

Trump announced what he called "major combat operations"

President Trump announced what he called "major combat operations" that are "massive and ongoing" in Iran in a video posted to Truth Social at 2:30am ET. He said the objective was to "defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats" from Iran.

Attacks came after a week of US-Iran negotiations over the country's nuclear program

A third round of indirect negotiations between Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner failed to produce a diplomatic solution on Thursday.

The Israel strikes targeted Khamenei and the Iranian president

The Israel strikes targeted Khamenei and the Iranian president, trying to assassinate them, a person briefed on the operation told NPR's Daniel Estrin. A person briefed on the matter told NPR that Israeli assessments are that Khamenei was hit.

Iran's news agency IRNA says the US-Israeli strikes hit a girls school, killing at least 53 young female students and wounding dozens more.

Trump encourages overthrow

Trump encouraged innocent Iranians to "take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will probably be your only chance for generations" once what the Pentagon is calling "Operation Epic Fury" is over.

He previously said he was concerned about the Iranian regime's killing of protesters and has previously cited that as potential justification for US strikes.

Iran's response

Iran's foreign ministry has called the airstrikes by the U.S and Israel a "gross violation" of its national sovereignty, and vowed to respond decisively.

The UAE's Defense Ministry says Iranian ballistic missiles targeted the country, which hosts U.S. troops at several locations in the country

Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan have all been targeted by Iran. All of them have US troops present.

US Navy's Fifth Fleet service center in Manama, Bahrain was hit according to the government there. The other countries say the missiles were intercepted. The UAE says debris from a missile interception killed an Asian migrant worker. Loud booms have been heard over Dubai according to our correspondent there.

Copyright 2026 NPR

For decades, the Miller sign greeted drivers on the 210 freeway passing through Irwindale.

But, a year ago, during January’s wind storms, the crimson red and white “Miller” logo was damaged.

Then in December, a new sign — "City Brewing & Beverage” — went up, leading many commuters to wonder what happened.

To answer that question, let's go back to Irwindale's history.

An aerial view of the wind-damaged "Miller" sign at the Irwindale brewery in September 2025.

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Iris Espino

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City of Irwindale

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More than a brewery

Irwindale was once best known for its mining quarries, which were older than the city itself and were integral to the construction of L.A’.s freeway system.

Most of the quarries ceased operations in the 1970s, and with them, so went much of Irwindale’s industry.

Around that same time, the site of the old Irwindale Raceway, which used to be one of the few racetracks in the San Gabriel Valley, went up for sale.

And here came Miller beer.

“So Miller, according to legend, bought the property for a dollar and then they built the brewery,” said Anita Hernandez, communications manager for City Brewing who used to work for Miller.

As it turns out, the $1 land acquisition isn’t just a legend.

“No, that's actually true," said Iris Espino, assistant to Irwindale’s city manager. "So while it was just a dollar, the city thought it would build wealth over the next 30, 40, 50 years. And essentially, it did."

The Irwindale brewery under construction.

The Irwindale brewery under construction.

The Irwindale brewery at the beginning of construction in 1977.

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Iris Espino

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Irwindale Public Library

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The Irwindale brewery in the middle of construction in 1978.

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Iris Espino

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Irwindale Public Library

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The Irwindale brewery under construction.

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Iris Espino

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City of Irwindale

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Miller purchased the lot in 1977. The deal included 230 acres of land to build the brewery, which opened in 1980.

Three years later, the sign overlooking the 210 went up. The 48-by-34-foot structure rolled into Irwindale on three separate rail cars.

It rotated until the late 1990s, but faulty gears led the company to make it stationary. It's been facing both sides of the 210 Freeway ever since.

A sign of identity

Ownership of the brewery — which locals just called Irwindale brewery for convenience — changed hands over the years.

In 2021, City Brewing & Beverage moved in.

They decided to keep the “Miller” sign for all that it had brought to Irwindale.

“Over the last few decades, we have seen the jobs, the infrastructure and this economic identity that Irwindale is now this large industrial hub. And it started with Miller Brewery,” Espino said.

Other big manufacturers came in following Miller. Q & B Foods, which distributes Kewpie mayo in the U.S., moved there in 1986. Huy Fong Foods, the maker of
sriracha, broke ground on a new factory in 2010.

Ready Pac Foods moved there in 1993 and has become one of Irwindale's largest employers.

But Miller started it all.

“The sign, definitely iconic to residents, to just people that drive that 210 freeway every single day,” Espino said. “And we hear it. I can't tell you the amount of times we hear about that sign.”

The old "Miller" sign along the 210 Freeway.

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Iris Espino

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City of Irwindale

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For people in Irwindale, it’s still a point of pride to have worked at the business that started the economic boom.

Ben Maillete is plant manager for City Brewing. He started working at the brewery in 2014, back when it was owned by Miller. He said there was one easy way to explain to people where he was employed.

“I was like, ‘Well, you know that sign on the highway?’ " he said.

Three construction workers inside the Irwindale brewery sign work on replacing the old "Miller" sign with the new "City Brewing & Beverage Irwindale" sign, December 2025.

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Anita Hernandez

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City Brewing & Beverage

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A sign for a new era

Employees at the Irwindale brewery debated on whether to restore the sign or make a brand new one when it was damaged during last year’s January wind and fire storms.

A third of the City Brewery's current employees worked for Miller and felt a connection to the original sign, so the company decided update the sign but keep the iconic structure and shape as a tribute.

The new Irwindale brewery sign near the 210 Freeway January 2026.

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Anita Hernandez

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City Brewing & Beverage

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“I don't think anybody knew that City Brewery and Beverage was operating here, and now they do,” Maillete said.

He said it’s their way of giving a nod to the past while also looking toward the future.

News came this week that a buyer is in sight for the so-called "graffiti towers" in downtown L.A. — known in its better days as Oceanwide Plaza before falling on hard times to become, to its critics, a landmark of shame.

The purchase, priced at $470 million, is subject to final court approval that could happen in a couple of months.

Construction of the $1 billion luxury high-rise residential and hotel project began in 2015 with the aim to transform downtown Los Angeles. Four years later, the three towers sat skeletal after their Chinese developer ran out of money to finish the job. The buildings gained worldwide notoriety in 2024 when a video of its thoroughly tagged up exteriors, sprouting hundreds of feet above ground, went viral.

For the would-be joint owners — KPC Group and Lendlease — one of the first orders of business will be to strip away all the graffiti.

A view of the so-called Graffiti Towers, where graffiti writers tagged 40 floors of an unfinished luxury skyscraper development on March 20, 2024 in Los Angeles, California

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Mario Tama

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Getty Images

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So how would it be done?

Dustin Coad is the owner of Kaptive Construction and Preservation, a firm that mainly specializes in restoring the facades of historic buildings.

"So tile, brick stone, marble, terracotta, concrete, and then also any type of historic windows," Coad said.

Kaptive, which has been in the business for more than three decades, has done graffiti removal work on a number of architectural gems, including the Merritt building on Broadway in downtown L.A.

With Oceanwide Plaza, as with any other structures, graffiti removal methods depend on the building materials.

If the frames of the towers were made with poured concrete, Coad said you could apply a chemical stripping agent on the surface and leave it soaking overnight.

"And then you kind of peel them off," he said. " And that's hopeful."

Another option is to blast the paint off with tiny little beads of glass.

 "[They] are pressurized and hit the building and kind of explode and would pull the paint off without damaging the concrete or the substrate," Coad said.

That's the method Kaptive used to remove decades-old graffiti from the marble facade of the Merritt building — a more damage-prone material than concrete.

"We deal with concrete all the time — but old concrete — newer concrete is more solid and should be easy to remove," he said.

The so-called Graffiti Towers in 2024.

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Mario Tama

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Getty Images

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The tough part

While the exterior — if it is indeed poured concrete — is a relatively straightforward job, the windows are not.

"The vast majority of the graffiti is on the windows," he said. "I have no idea what films or elements or whatever [else] may be on that glass. The chemical agent may work poorly with whatever is applied to that glass."

So the first thing Coad would do is to call up the manufacturer for recommendations, and then test things out.

"Option 1 is to remove it. Option 2 is to replace everything," Coad said. "And Option 1 will be significantly cheaper, but it will not be cheap."

Above all, safety first

The so-called Graffiti Towers behind Crypto.com Arena in 2024.

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Mario Tama

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Getty Images

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Another major consideration is safety. After all, each of the towers is more than 500 feet tall, with graffiti on multiple floors.

"Number one is looking at it from how would we access all of the panes of glass from the exterior of the buildings," he said, adding that he would work with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) from the get-go to put in place the safest possible work environment for his crew.

"Everybody will be harnessed in. There'll be the main line, there'll be a safety line, and I think we would want to erect some sort of netting or railing," he said.  "I want to make sure if they slip that nothing's going to happen to them other than maybe a bruise."

Time line and price tag

Coad said it's going to require spending time out at the towers, followed by mockups and sample strip tests to arrive at an accurate quote and timeframe for the project. Ballpark-wise, " hundreds upon hundreds of hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not in the million range."

One thing he is certain about.

" It's not gonna be cheap," he said. "It will take a very long time."