1894
World’s first turbine vessel, the Turbinia, built in Newcastle, England.
1903
First diesel and electric ship, the Wandel, built in England.
1906
HMS Dreadnought, battlecruiser, built in a year and a day.
1912
The first ocean-going motor ship, Selandia, launched in Denmark.
1939-45
World War 11: precipitated tremendous increases in shipbuilding activity: e.g. in the US Henry Kaiser built 2,270 ‘Liberty’ ships; the Royal Navy grew to 3,500 ships including 57 carriers; the German navy commissioned over 1,000 submarines.
1954
USS Nautilus, world’s first nuclear-powered submarine, commissioned.
1961
World’s first nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine joined the US Navy.
1972
First plastic (GRP = glass reinforced plastic) warship launched, the minesweeper HMS Wilton.
1975
First of the ‘Nimitz’ class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers launched in the USA. She is still the largest warship in the world.
