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Interesting US History
A Website Devoted to Interesting Events in U.S. History

 

 
 

 

ON THIS DAY IN UNITED STATES HISTORY

January 21, 1954

The First Nuclear-powered Submarine is Launched

On this day in 1954, the first Nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, was launched in Groton, Connecticut.

She set out on her shakedown May 10, 1955 to San Juan,Puerto Rico covering 1,200 nautical miles in less than ninety hours. At the time, it was the longest submerged cruise ever by a submarine.

The USS Nautilus is 323 ft., 9 in. long, and 27 ft., 8 in wide.  It was able to reach speads of 22 knots (approx. 25 mph) on the surface and 20 knots while submerged.

It was commissioned on September 30, 1954, decommissioned on March 3, 1980, and two years later designated a National Historic Landmark. It now resides back in Groton, CT as part of the US Sub Force Museum.