
The Big U's Rival in the Pacific
The SS United States was nationally renowned as both a triumph of design and engineering and a symbol of national unity. After claiming the Blue Riband on her maiden voyage, she came to be known as "The World's Fastest Ocean Liner." And, though the years have brought about many changes for America's Flagship, it's a title she can still rightly came — to this day, no liner has made a faster roundtrip crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. But did you know that the Big U almost had so

Inaugural "William Francis Gibbs Interscholastic Engineering and Design Competition" Held
The SS United States remains an icon of American design and engineering, inspiring the next generation of young scientists and innovators. The month, the legacy of the Big U's groundbreaking designer, William Francis Gibbs, was honored with the naming of a high school STEM competition: the "William Francis Gibbs Interscholastic Engineering and Design Competition," held at Tenafly High School, NJ, on May 1st. On site at the "William Francis Gibbs Interscholastic Engineering an

The "Most Famous Ship that Didn't Sink": The SS United States vs. The Titanic
The most famous ship in history is unquestionably the RMS Titanic. The ill-fated luxury liner inspired countless books, poems, songs, and movies after striking an iceberg on April 14, 1912, and taking 1,500 passengers to a watery grave. Today, over 100 years after her sinking, the Titanic continues to capture the minds of millions, even though the era of the great Atlantic passenger liners is long behind us. The SS United States, however, remains as a floating reminder of thi

Design 12201: William Francis Gibbs' Confidential Plans for the Record-Breaking SS United States
On February 6, 1946, naval architect William Francis Gibbs presented "Design 12201" to General John M. Franklin of United States Lines for the very first time. This ambitious plan, for the construction of the vessel that would become the SS United States, would change the course of maritime history — introducing the world to the fastest, safest and most advanced ocean liner ever constructed. On March 13th, 1946, the United States Lines board approved "Design 12201," on the co