USS Nautilus (SSN571) was the world's first nuclear-powered vessel. President Harry S. Truman laid her keel on June 14, 1952, at the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut. On January 21, 1954, Mrs. Dwight D. Eisenhower launched Nautilus into the Thames River by breaking the traditional bottle of champagne across her bow. On the morning of January 17, 1955, commanding officer Commander Eugene P. Wilkinson ordered all lines cast off and signaled the historic message "Underway On Nuclear Power." On August 3, 1958, Commander William R. Anderson guided the submarine past the North Pole, making Nautilus the first vessel in the world to complete a Polar crossing. After steaming almost a half million miles in 25 years of service, Nautilus was decommissioned in 1980. In 1982 the National Park Service designated her a National Historic Landmark, and Connecticut dedicated her as the state's ship. In 1986 Nautilus returned home to become a public exhibit at the Submarine Force Museum.

Photo: Michael Herrick

Photo: Michael Herrick

Photo: Michael Herrick

Gales Ferry, Connecticut · USA