The largest ship in the world is the Pioneering Spirit, a heavy lift vessel used for the installation and decommissioning of oil and gas platforms. It is 1,253 feet long and can lift structures weighing up to 48,000 tons. ¹⁾

The oldest commissioned ship still afloat is the USS Constitution, a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy. It was launched in 1797 and is currently berthed in Boston Harbor. ²⁾

The fastest ship in the world is the Spirit of Australia, a hydroplane boat that holds the world water speed record of 318.75 mph. ³⁾

The largest passenger ship in the world is the Symphony of the Seas, an Oasis-class cruise ship owned by Royal Caribbean International. It is 1,188 feet long and can carry up to 6,680 passengers and 2,200 crew members. ⁴⁾

The longest and widest ship ever built is the Prelude FLNG, a floating liquefied natural gas platform. It is 488 meters long and 74 meters wide and is considered the largest offshore facility ever constructed. ⁵⁾

The famous RMS Titanic was a British passenger liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean in 1912, after hitting an iceberg during its maiden voyage. The ship was considered unsinkable, but the disaster resulted in the deaths of over 1,500 people. ⁶⁾

The USS Monitor was a United States Navy ironclad warship, the first one ever built during the American Civil War. It was the first ironclad warship commissioned by the Union Navy. ⁷⁾

The British ship Mayflower transported the Pilgrims from Plymouth, England to Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620. The Mayflower Compact was signed on board prior to arrival, setting basic principles for self-government in the new colony. ⁸⁾

The HMAS Sydney was a Royal Australian Navy cruiser that was sunk by the German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran in 1941, off the coast of Western Australia. All 645 crew members were lost. ⁹⁾

The French ship La Belle was one of the ships in Rene-Robert Cavelier's expedition to colonize the Gulf Coast of Texas. La Belle sank in Matagorda Bay in 1686 and was discovered by divers in 1995. ¹⁰⁾

The Greek ship Olympias is a reconstruction of an ancient Athenian trireme, an ancient warship powered by three levels of rowers. It was built using the same techniques and materials as the original ships and is considered the most authentic reconstruction of the ancient trireme. ¹¹⁾

An Egyptian ship built during the reign of Pharaoh Amenhotep II was discovered in the waters of the Nile river in the city of Luxor. It is the most complete ship of its era ever discovered, and it was used to transport the pharaoh and his entourage. ¹²⁾

The Pinta, Niña, and Santa Maria were the three ships of Christopher Columbus's expedition to the Caribbean in 1492. The expedition was financed by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain and was intended to find a westward route to Asia. ¹³⁾

The Beagle, a British survey ship, was made famous by naturalist Charles Darwin, who served as a naturalist on a five-year voyage around the world, during which he gathered the observations that formed the basis of his theory of evolution. ¹⁴⁾

The USS Missouri is an Iowa-class battleship and was the last battleship commissioned by the United States Navy. It is best known as the site of the formal. ¹⁵⁾