USS Constellation

Three ships of the United States Navy have borne the name USS Constellation, in honor, according to the US Congress, of the "new constellation of stars" on the flag of the United States.

• The first Constellation, 38, a frigate, was the first ship to be commissioned in the United States Navy; the first US Navy vessel to put to sea; and the first US Navy vessel to engage, defeat, and capture an enemy vessel.

• The second Constellation was a sloop of war that served from 1855 to 1933, and as of 2003 is preserved as a National Historic Landmark in Baltimore, Maryland.

• A battlecruiser Constellation (CC-2) was laid down in 1920 but cancelled in 1923.

• The third Constellation (CV-64) is a Kitty Hawk-class aircraft carrier.