| 1836 | Company is established, sailing from London to Spain and
Portugal. A service to India was is also operated, with an overland
journey between Alexandria and Port Suex (Egypt) |
| 1845 | Services are extended to Singapore and the Far East |
| 1853 | Southampton - Capetown - Australia sailings start |
| 1880-1900 | Rapid growth makes P&O the main British shipping company.
It builds cargo liners and carries emigrants to Australia
P&O ships no longer call at Southampton; instead they serve
London |
| 1910-20s | P&O embarks on a spending spree - buying several shipping
companies, including the British India Steam Navigation Company,
New Zealand Shipping Company, Federal Line, Orient Line, General
Steam Navigation Company and Hain Steam Ship Company
Under chairman Lord Inchcape, P&O`s fleet numbered nearly 500
ships, including passenger liners, colliers, pleasure steamers and
cargo liners |
| 1930s | The "Strath" liners are painted in a new white livery, in place
of the usual black hull and funnels |
| 1971 | The P&O General Cargo division is formed in to operate all
the subsidiary companies` cargo ships as one fleet. Their
individual company names disappear |
| 1974 | P&O abolishes separate passenger classes and acquired
Princess Cruises |
| 1980s | The group takes control of Overseas Containers and buys ferry
group European Ferries. |
| 1996 | P&O Containers and Neddloyd Lines merge to form P&O
Neddloyd, one of the largest container shipping companies in the
world. |
| 1998 | P&O Neddloyd buys up Blue Star Line.
P&O and Stena merge their cross-Channel ferry services between
Dover, Calais and Northern Europe |
