USS Nautilus
Nautilus was commissioned in 1954 and retired in 1980. As the first US nuclear sub, it achieved many firsts and records. It was the first sub to pass under the polar ice cap in 1958, which was a big deal in blowing a raspberry at the Russians who were revelling in their Sputnik success. In the museum's section on the Cold War they quoted a rare Stalin speech in 1956 when he said that Communism and Capitalism were basically incompatible, and war in the 1950's was inevitable! That prompted Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech. Scary times: no wonder the arms race took off.
Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the origina... ... read more 
