What was the nickname of the USS Constitution?

The nickname of the USS Constitution was “Old Ironsides.” The name became famous after the frigate defeated HMS Guerriere on August 19, 1812, during the War of 1812. British cannonballs appeared to bounce off Constitution’s unusually tough live-oak hull, prompting an American sailor to exclaim that her sides were made of iron.

The victory made Constitution a national hero, but the nickname meant more than battlefield toughness. In 1830, a newspaper report incorrectly suggested that the Navy planned to scrap the aging ship. Poet Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. responded with “Old Ironsides,” a poem that helped generate public support for preserving her.

Constitution was one of the six original frigates authorized by the Naval Act of 1794 and was launched in 1797. She also fought in the Quasi-War with France and the First Barbary War. Today, the historic wooden-hulled warship is preserved in Boston and remains the world’s oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat.