50 Most Iconic Warships in Naval History

USS Enterprise (CVN-65) was the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, and at 1,123 feet, the longest naval vessel ever built. Commissioned in 1961, she served for an astonishing 51 years, participating in the Cuban Missile Crisis blockade just one year into her career and continuing through combat deployments in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan before decommissioning in 2012.

Enterprise's eight nuclear reactors (later carriers used only two) could propel her 93,000-ton hull at over 33 knots and operate for 20 years between refuelings. She could carry over 60 aircraft and steam more than 400,000 miles on a single reactor core load. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Enterprise helped enforce the naval blockade of Cuba that brought the world back from the brink of nuclear war. She launched strikes over Vietnam, provided support after the September 11 attacks, and earned 25 battle stars. "Big E" was the most-deployed carrier in the fleet and a symbol of American naval power throughout the Cold War and beyond.