As you may know the 239th Birthday of the U.S. Navy (well, technically begun as the Continental Navy) is this week. In the interest of a birthday salute in addition to our regular Warship Wednesday, we have for your viewing pleasure a series of shots of the 44-gun frigate USS Constitution. Launched on Oct. 21, 1797, she is still in commission and is the most tangible time capsule of the past three centuries I could think of and her 217th birthday is next week.
USS Constitution vs HMS Guerriere during the War of 1812. USNHC photo
Celebration of Washington’s Birth Day at Malta on Board the USS Constitution, Commodore Jesse D. Elliot, 1837″, oil on canvas b James G. Evans
Courtesy U.S. Naval Academy.
USS Constitution seen as a receiving ship in Boston, Massachusetts sometime between 1903 and 1907
Constitution 1909, LOC photo, after a three year refit to restore her to a more correct 18th century rig
USS Constitution, 18th August 1914
1934 Constitution- alongside battleships USS Texas and the USS New York
July 21st, 1997 off the coast of Massachusetts.USS Constitution the worlds oldest commissioned war ship fires its port and starboard guns while underway in Massachusetts Bay, MA. Constitution is escorted by the frigate USS Halyburton (FFG 40) (center) and the destroyer USS Ramage (DDG 61) (right), while the Navy’s Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron passes overhead. Commissioned on October 21st, 1797, Constitution set sail unassisted for the first time in 116 years. Constitution will celebrates her 200th birthday on October 21st of this year after completing a 40 month overhaul. U.S. Navy Photo by Journalist 2nd Class Todd Stevens (Released)
BOSTON (Oct. 21, 2010) USS Constitution returns to her pier after an underway to celebrate her 213th launching day anniversary. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kathryn E. Macdonald/Released)
