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The American city of New York - the most populous in the country - is known by many names, such as 'the Big Apple' - a term that originated from a sports writer talking about horse-racing, 'the city that never sleeps' - because of the high level of activity and 'the city so nice they named it twice' - as it has the same name as its state; New York, New York, is the common way to refer to it. The city of New York, which is often wrongly thought to be the capital of the state - the city of Albany, 150 miles to the north, holds this honour - is not the only thing to be named after that state. In fact, seven United State Navy vessels have been named USS New York, with an eighth planned for commission in late 2009. The first such ship was an armed gondola built in 1776 that served in the Revolutionary War. Sadly she didn't see the end of the war as she was burned to avoid capture by the British. She was followed by a 36-gun frigate that was built in the state 24 years later. Her service was mainly in Europe, in the Mediterranean Sea, against Barbary Pirates but she too was burned - this time directly by the British. The British were the reason for the building of a third USS New York - one of a batch of nine ships that were created in order to discourage a future war. The tactic worked and as such she was never launched, however she too was burned - by union forces to ensure she wasn't captured during the American Civil War. The next in line, a screw sloop (a ship powered by a propeller rather than a paddle-wheel) built in 1863, was destined to have the name but she was never launched and was instead sold. Because she never sailed for the US navy, the debate continues as to whether this was an authentic USS New York. The fifth ship to be built, the ACR 2, was an armored cruiser that was the flagship of Rear Admiral William T Sampson during the Spanish-American War in 1898 and was involved in the destruction of the Spanish fleet in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba. The USS New York (ACR 2) was later renamed USS Saratoga and USS Rochester. USS New York (BB 34) was a battleship commissioned in 1914 that was used in both World War I and II. She was later used in the testing of atomic weapons near the Bikini Islands - and managed to survive both an atmospheric explosion and an underwater detonation. She saw her end in 1948 when she was sunk near Pearl Harbour, being used as a target ship. The most recent New York vessel, the SSN 696, was a submarine that was in service from 1979 to 1997. After the attacks on twin towers in 2001, the governor of New York wrote to the secretary of the navy requesting that a surface water warship be named after the state to fight against the War on Terror in honour of the victims of 9/11. The USS New York (LPD-21) is set to be commissioned in autumn of 2009 and is set apart from other vessels as recently state names have been reserved for submarines. Twenty-four tonnes of the steel used in the construction of the LPD-21 came from the rubble of the World Trade Centre. Coincidentally, the BB-34 had its keel laid 90 years before the terrorist attacks, on 11 September 1911. The status of the state is clear when the US navy repeatedly names vessels after it, but it's not just ships that take the name; hotels near New York - as well as restaurants, bars and cafes - often include the state's name in their own as they look to draw from the good reputation enjoyed by New York around the world. Isla Campbell writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.
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