On July 21, 1997, the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) set sail on her own for the first time in over a century. First launched in 1797, she earned her legendary status during the War of 1812.
The 1997 voyage capped a massive restoration effort aimed at returning the ship to her original structural integrity.
As hundreds of thousands watched from the Boston shoreline, the undefeated warship glided through the water under wind power alone for the first time since 1881—proving she remained not just a museum piece, but a fully commissioned Navy vessel.
