There are many ships with a claim to fame due to how they were build while others are due to some significant historical event(s) that they were involved in. Whatever the reason, this select number of vessels has left a permanent imprint in our minds.
One of the most recognized navel disasters of the early 20th century; the RMS Titanic was quoted by The Shipbuilder Magazine as "practically unsinkable". Nearly 100 years later, the story of this great ship’s demise is still shrouded in controversy. Regardless, the Titanic has left an enduring legacy for many historians, treasure seekers, and enthusiasts alike.
There have been many vessels with this recognizable name; some factual and some fictional. Regardless of history or myth, The Enterprise in its various personas has grown into a cultural phenomenon. Some of the most notable crafts include the USS Enterprise nuclear aircraft carrier and the Space Shuttle Enterprise currently on display at the Smithsonian’s Air & Space museum.
The most famous ship of the Royal Navy, the HMS Victory is mostly remembered when Admiral Horatio Nelson commanded her between 1803 and 1805. She’s the oldest commissioned warship in the world and currently rests in Portsmouth.
The Cutty Sark
The world’s only surviving extreme clipper ship; the Cutty Sark is mostly remembered not as a sailing vessel but as one of many significant sites to see in the south-east London. Even after an accidental fire in 2007, the ship was restored through charity efforts and is one again on display for all to see.
Originally designed as a trade cargo ship, the Mayflower is most known for its transportation of English Separatists across the Atlantic between 1620 and 1621. After reaching Cape Cod, the surviving Pilgrims stayed behind while the ship then returned to London.
A sister ship to the Titanic, the HMHS Britannic would start as a luxury ocean liner but then be commissioned as a hospital ship for the First World War. In 1916, she would be struck with a mine off the coast of Greece and quickly sink into the Mediterranean.
The USS Constitution is most recognized as one of the few navel vessels with a perfect battle record. Nicknamed "Old Ironsides", the ship was later dry-docked and converted into a museum in Boston, Massachusetts as a symbol of longevity and American might.
The USS Arizona is one of the US navel ships which was subsequently attacked and sank during the Japanese attack in Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941. Its remains are still in Pearl Harbor as a memorial to that historical day and to those who lose their lives.
The Niña, Pinta & Santa Maria
The Niña, Pinta, and Santa Maria will always be remembered as the trio of ships that carried Christopher Columbus and crews across the Atlantic. Despite the loss of the Santa Maria in Haiti, the other two ships was used on many of Columbus’ later voyages as well.
Romanticized by Hollywood, the mutiny upon the HMS Bounty in 1789 is most well known for its aftermath of its crew through various stages of trials, tribulations, and betrayal. Lt. Bligh was eventually acquitted and descendants of the mutineers still live on Pitcairn Island to this day.