[Unidentified newsreader, saying:] "In the beginning, they called it the 'incredible bird.' And it was."

Boeing's 747 jumbo jet is an icon of aviation.

Dubbed the "Queen of the Skie," it revolutionized air travel - allowing the masses to go further, faster, and in style.

But its reign is almost at an end, with production wrapping up in 2022.

Let's go back to where it all started.

Some 50,000 mechanics and engineers built the first of the jets in 16 months.

They were dubbed "The Incredibles" for their feat, crafting what was then the world's largest civilian airplane.

The 747 had its maiden flight in 1969, entering service the following year.

It democratized air travel in the 1970s, making long-haul travel cheaper thanks to its size and range.

Its tail towered as high as a six story building, and the wing spanned wider than a baseball court.

With that space came new frills, making the 747 synonymous with luxury and glamour.

It soon became the world's most recognizable jetliner - with its iconic humped fuselage and four engines.

A British Airways 747 broke a subsonic speed record, crossing between New York and London in just under five hours, according to Flightradar24.

It became the carrier of history, bearing the likes of John Paul II as he staged the first visit to Ireland by a pope in 1979.

Ayatollah Komeini returned from exile to Iran on an Air France jumbo during the Islamic Revolution.

It's known its fair share of tragedy, too, with a career spanning the Cold War and the rise of plane attacks.

In 1983, a Soviet fighter shot down a Korean Air Lines 747 that went off course.

In 1988, Pan Am flight 103 was blown up over Lockerbie in Scotland.

Though the 747 boasts a strong safety record, it suffered the worst-ever single plane accident in history.

A Japan Airlines jet crashed after a failure caused by faulty repair, killing 520 people on board.

Nowadays, modern twinjets are displacing older four-engined airliners like the 747.

But despite falling orders and pricing pressure, the jumbo managed to reach its 50 year flying anniversary in 2019, propped up by a cargo market boom fueled by online shopping.

Weak demand eventually ended its lifespan.

The last order for a passenger version came in 2017 - but it was a big one to bow out on.

The U.S. government asked Boeing to repurpose two of the latest model for use as the new Air Force One presidential plane, set to be delivered in 2024.