1839 18th July
SS Great Britain
Construction begins on Brunel's iron-hulled transatlantic steamship SS Great Britain.
Brunel engineering · permanent subject timeline
SS Great Britain
The pioneering iron-hulled, screw-propelled transatlantic steamship. This page combines historical context with 13 matching records drawn directly from the World History Database Brunel chronology.
Historical context
SS Great Britain: overview and significance
What happened?
SS Great Britain combined an iron hull with screw propulsion on an unprecedented scale for an ocean-going passenger vessel. Built at Bristol and launched in 1843, it represented a major change in large-ship design.
Why was it important?
The ship brought together two technologies that became fundamental to modern ocean shipping: iron construction and screw propulsion. Its design helped move maritime engineering away from wooden paddle steamers.
World History Database records
SS Great Britain timeline
The records below are selected from the 361-record Brunel chronology and are rendered as static HTML in chronological order.
1839
1840
1840 December
SS Great Britain
Brunel orders SS Great Britain to be redesigned for screw propulsion instead of paddle wheels.
1843
1843 19th July
Prince Albert Attends Great Britain Launch
Prince Albert attends the public launch of SS Great Britain in Bristol's Floating Harbour.
1843 19th July
SS Great Britain
SS Great Britain is launched as the largest ship in the world and a pioneering iron screw steamship.
1843
Great Britain Six-Masted Rig Completed
SS Great Britain is equipped with a six-masted schooner rig designed to reduce the sailing manpower required.
1844
1844 March
SS Great Britain
SS Great Britain is completed for service but remains delayed by limitations in Bristol Harbour.
1844 December
SS Great Britain
SS Great Britain finally leaves Bristol Floating Harbour after modifications are made to the harbour locks.
1845
1845 26th July
SS Great Britain
SS Great Britain departs Liverpool for New York on her first transatlantic voyage.
1845 July
SS Great Britain
SS Great Britain is completed and prepared for transatlantic passenger service.
1845 August
SS Great Britain
SS Great Britain reaches New York after becoming the first iron steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
1846
1846 22nd September
SS Great Britain
SS Great Britain runs aground in Dundrum Bay during a transatlantic voyage.
1846
SS Great Britain
SS Great Britain completes two transatlantic round trips during her second season of passenger service.
1847
1847 25th August
SS Great Britain
SS Great Britain is refloated after remaining stranded in Dundrum Bay for nearly a year.
Editorial provenance
Sources and editorial review
Compiled and edited by World History Database
Historical context is editorial material; the chronology is generated from World History Database Brunel records.
Last reviewed: September 2026.
Brunel Museum · Brunel's SS Great Britain · Science Museum Group Collection
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