There was a lot of excitement aboard the Queen Mary, Friday morning, so you could forgive the official who likened the ship’s standing in Long Beach to the Eiffel Tower’s in Paris.

Fresh off its annual fireworks show, Thursday, during which the ship was joined it what was billed as a “Royal Rendevous” by the Cunard Line’s Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mary hosted a gathering to celebrate the opening of “The Cunard Story” a permanent exhibit telling the luxury line’s near-180-year history as well as influence on immigration and the significant role it played during World Wars I and II.

Told through artifacts, photographs, film and video, the Cunard Story encapsulates the legacy of a brand responsible for many innovations seen today in modern day cruising. But Cunard ships have also figured prominently on the world stage; the sinking of Cunard’s Lusitania is considered a major factor in America’s entry into World War I and Cunard ships such as the Queen Mary played a major role in helping many Jewish families flee Nazi Germany ahead of the Holocaust.