USS Constitution, launched in 1797, is the world’s oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat and a notable America250 symbol.
The United States Navy frigate was launched at Boston on October 21, 1797. Designed for the early national navy, it carried heavy guns and unusually strong live-oak construction. During the War of 1812, Constitution defeated HMS Guerriere, HMS Java, HMS Cyane, and HMS Levant.
The ship earned the nickname “Old Ironsides” after reports that enemy shot appeared to bounce from its hull. The phrase became famous through a poem by Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. in 1830, which helped inspire public support for preserving the vessel.
USS Constitution is still a commissioned U.S. Navy ship. It is berthed at Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, where it is maintained and interpreted as a historic vessel. The ship is often confused with the later USS Constitution Museum or with other famous American frigates, but the commissioned warship itself is the answer.