August 19 in American History

August 19, 1812 — "Old Ironsides" earns her name

USS Constitution defeated HMS Guerriere in a brutal half-hour duel — British cannonballs visibly bounced off her live-oak hull, and a sailor shouted "Huzzah! Her sides are made of iron!" She's still a commissioned U.S. Navy warship in Boston Harbor, and you can walk her deck for free.