Here are key events in Carnival’s 50 years of cruising

Miami’s Carnival Cruise Line, considered the pioneer of the modern-day cruising, celebrated its 50th anniversary on Friday. The cruise line has come a long way from being a fleet of one, to its parent company, Carnival Corporation, the world’s largest cruise operator.

Here are some key dates about one of Miami’s largest companies:

1972: Carnival Mardi Gras’ maiden voyage

Carnival Cruise Line embarked on its first sailing on March 11, 1972, from PortMiami. Things did not get off to a smooth start. The Carnival Mardi Gras ran aground on a sandbar off Miami Beach, sparking skepticism about the brand. Carnival’s founder, Ted Arison, bought the Mardi Gras secondhand. It was originally named Empress of Canada.

1982: Kathie Lee Gifford and TV ads

Carnival was the first cruise line to advertise on television, with its spokesperson Kathy Lee Gifford.

1987: Carnival Cruise Line goes public

Carnival Cruise Line had its initial public offering of stock shares on Wall Street in 1987, raising $400 million.

2003: Carnival acquires Princess Cruises

Carnival acquired British-American Princess Cruises, whose headquarters moved from the U.K. to California in 2001. The deal closed at $7.3 billion. Carnival beat out its rival Royal Caribbean, who had been in late-stage acquisition talks with Princess.

2017: Carnival Corp. hit with largest environmental fine

In 2017, Carnival’s Princess Cruises was fined $40 million for illegally dumping oily waste into the ocean and for falsifying logs to cover it up. All nine of Carnival’s brands were put on a five-year probation.

March 2020: Coronavirus pandemic shutdown

Carnival Corp. brands were early superspreaders in the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing sharp criticism for continuing to sail as the virus spread and then later for keeping crew onboard for months, sometimes without or with partial pay. The industry had to shut down for a year and a half.