During the 1960s, passenger traffic through Southampton declined because travellers to America preferred to use quicker aircraft services. A government report paved the way for Southampton to be developed as a container port. A Freightliner terminal was opened at the new container berths to handle the increasing traffic. Today, Southampton is the UK`s second largest container port. Passengers once again flood to the port, following a revival of cruising. Southampton is now the UK`s premier cruise port, handling vessels from across the world - including the new Queen Mary 2.

1960	HMS Dreadnought, the first nuclear-powered submarine is launched
1962	Ownership of Southampton docks transfers to the new British Transport Docks board
1967	Donald Campbell dies attempting to break his world water speed record on Conniston Water Queen Elizabeth 2 is launched on Clydebank. A week later Queen Mary arrives in Southampton at end of her last transatlantic voyage
1968	The first berth of the new Southampton Container Terminal opened
1969	Maiden flight of Concorde aircraft
1975	The first North Sea oil comes ashore After eight years of closure, the Suez canal reopens
1976	Concorde enters supersonic passenger service
1977	After 141 years, the River Itchen floating bridge is closed and replaced with a fixed bridge
1982	Henry VII`s warship Mary Rose is raised from the bed of the Solent. She sank in 1545 Britain is involved in the Falklands War
1985	The wreck of Titanic is discovered
1994	The Channel Tunnel opens to traffic
1995	Land reclamation at Southampton Container Terminal is completed
2004	The world`s largest passenger ship Queen Mary 2 is launched, with a gross tonnage of 150,000 tonnes - nearly twice that of Queen Mary

Before 1830 | 1830 - 1850 | 1850 - 1880 | 1880 - 1900 | 1900 - 1920 | 1920 - 1939 | 1939 - 1945 | 1945 - 1960 | After 1960

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