⚓ History of the SS United States

---

Launched in 1952, the SS United States was more than a ship — she was a statement to the world. At 990 feet long, built almost entirely of aluminum, and powered by engines derived from U.S. Navy warships, she was designed to be both the fastest ocean liner ever built and a potential military asset in times of war.

On her maiden voyage, she shattered records — crossing the Atlantic in just 3 days, 10 hours, and 40 minutes — a record that still stands today. For nearly two decades, she carried presidents, royalty, celebrities, and Cold War secrets across the Atlantic with unmatched speed, elegance, and security.

But the arrival of commercial jet travel in the 1960s made even the fastest ships obsolete. By 1969, the SS United States was retired, her glory days behind her. For decades, she has sat in silence — too iconic to be forgotten, too costly to revive.

Now she exists as a legend: the last great American liner, the “Big U”, still holding the title of the fastest passenger ship ever built.