2. Mayflower: The Mayflower is the renowned vessel that carried the Pilgrim Fathers and Mothers from England to the shores of North America in 1620, establishing the Plymouth Colony. It is revered as a symbol of religious freedom, exploration, and the foundation of the United States.
3. USS Constitution: Also known as "Old Ironsides," the USS Constitution is a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate launched in 1797 for the United States Navy. She gained fame during the War of 1812 for defeating multiple British warships without suffering any significant damage. Preserved in Boston, she remains the world's oldest ship still in active commission.
4. Titanic: The RMS Titanic, considered the largest ship of its time, sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City on the night of April 14-15, 1912, after colliding with an iceberg. The tragedy resulted in the loss of over 1,500 lives, making it one of the deadliest maritime disasters in history.
5. Batavia: The Batavia was a Dutch East India Company ship that tragically wrecked off the coast of Western Australia in 1629, resulting in one of the most harrowing tales of survival and mutiny in maritime history.
6. Vasa: The Swedish warship Vasa was built at the beginning of the 17th century and famously sank on its maiden voyage in Stockholm harbor in 1628. Excavated and restored in the mid-20th century, it can now be seen at the Vasa Museum in Stockholm.
7. HMS Beagle: The HMS Beagle, despite being a modest surveying vessel, became renowned as the ship that carried Charles Darwin on his pioneering voyage around the world from 1831 to 1836. During this journey, Darwin developed the theory of evolution through natural selection.
8. USS Missouri: The USS Missouri, an Iowa-class battleship, gained prominence as the site where the surrender documents ending World War II were signed on September 2, 1945, in Tokyo Bay. Preserved in Pearl Harbor, it represents a pivotal moment in modern history.
9. Kon-Tiki: The Kon-Tiki was a balsa wood raft built by Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl and his crew in 1947 to reenact a prehistoric journey across the Pacific Ocean. Their voyage from South America to Polynesia aimed to prove that pre-Incan South Americans could have reached Polynesia through transoceanic travel.
10. Apollo 11 Command Module: The Apollo 11 Command Module, named "Columbia," was the spacecraft that carried Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins on their historic mission to the moon in 1969, marking humanity's first steps on another celestial body.