1. Spanish-American War
   Civil War
2. American Revolution
   War of 1812

The British had the strongest Navy in the world when the American colonists became engaged in what would eventually be known as the American Revolution. In 1775, Congress authorized the purchase of two ships, which formed the Continental Navy. A decade after the war, the Department of the Navy was established, mostly to keep pirates at bay.

1. Always real
   Always courageous
2. Forever fighting
   Always true

The official motto of the U.S. Navy is "Semper fortis," or "Always Courageous." The Navy also uses the oft-repeated unofficial motto "Non sibi sed patriae," or "Not for self, but for country."

1. Strong, Equal and Loyal
   Sea, Air and Land
2. Stand Equal and Live
   Solidarity Eases All Losses

Introduced in 1962, the U.S. Navy Sea, Air and Land teams, or SEALs, are a special operations team known for their extreme training and skill. They spend more than 7 months undergoing advanced training to test every aspect of their physical and mental abilities.

1. Annapolis
   West Point
2. Virginia Beach
   San Diego

Every year more than 1,200 plebes head to Annapolis, MD to start their studies at the U.S. Naval Academy. Founded in 1845, the school trains future officers for Naval careers. Admission is highly competitive, and students must secure a recommendation from a member of Congress to be accepted to the school.

1. Texas
   England
2. Australia
   Philippines

The largest battle in WWII and one of the largest naval battles in history took place in October 1944 at Leyte Gulf in the Philippines. The U.S. enjoyed a decisive victory which decimated Japanese forces and gave the Allies control of the Pacific front for the remainder of WWII.

1. 1790
   1890
2. 1940
   1970

The U.S. Military Academy of West Point took on the U.S. Naval Academy of Annapolis for the first time in 1890. The intense, yet friendly football rivalry has been televised since 1945, and each game ends with the teams singing each others' alma mater.

1. June 7th
   September 4th
2. December 7th
   December 25th

On Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese forced launched a major attack on Pearl Harbor near Honolulu. The attacks damaged 8 battleships and killed 2,400 seamen. President Roosevelt immediately declared war on Japan, thrusting the U.S. into the horrors of WWII.

1. Silent Service
   Special SEALS
2. Sunken Seamen
   Swimming Service

Believe it or not, the Navy has been using submarines since way back in 1775. The first Navy sub used in combat was named the Turtle, and looked more like a diving bell than a modern sub. Today all Navy submarine sailors, known as the Silent Service, serve aboard fully nuclear vessels.

1. Sailor in Training
   Assistant Commander
2. Seaman
   Admiral

All newly enlisted Navy members are known as seamen. They start at the rank (known in the Navy as rate) of Seaman Recruit before progressing to Seaman Apprentice and then full-fledged Seaman. After that, these enlistees move on to Petty Officer ratings.

1. 8 percent
   14 percent
2. 20 percent
   48 percent

As far back as the Civil War, women were permitted to serve as nurses in the Navy, but it wasn't until 1917 that they were permitted to enlist, and women weren't allowed to serve on submarines until 2015. By 2018, roughly 20 percent of the Navy was made up of females.

1. Blue Angels
   Red Devils
2. Yellow Buzzers
   Silver Smokers

When you're one of the world's best pilots sitting in one of the fastest jets on the planet, it's only natural to want to show off a little. Elite Navy pilots can try out for the Blue Angels, a team of flyers who have been putting on shows for the public since the 1940s.

1. Florida
   California
2. Hawaii
   Virginia

Norfolk is situated in Virginia's southeast corner, and is part of the largest Hampton Roads area. Since 1917, it's also been home to the Norfolk Naval Station. Its four miles of waterfront makes it one of the world's largest naval bases, with space for 75 mega-sized ships.

1. "Born of the Fourth of July"
   "Top Gun"
2. "Glory"
   "Iron Eagle"

Tom Cruise flew high as elite Navy flier Maverick in the 1986 film "Top Gun." Today this exclusive Navy training program for flight officers and aviators is known as the Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program, or SFTI. In operation since the '60s, it trains instructors to teach fighter jet flying and navigational skills.

1. 1917
   1942
2. 1946
   1956

A tiny Pacific island called Midway was the site of a brutal sea battle between Japan and the U.S. in June 1942, just 6 months after Pearl Harbor. The U.S. completely trounced the Japanese navy, marking a turning point in WWII.

1. Naval
   National
2. Ninth
   Nevada

Believe it or not, the Navy has its very own law enforcement agency known as the Naval Criminal Investigations Service. Immortalized on television with the series "NCIS," itself a spin-off of "JAG," the real NCIS consists of around 2,500 mostly civilian employees responsible for prosecuting crimes involving the Navy and Marines.

1. Battleships
   Submarines
2. Destroyers
   Frigates

Frigates are a class of warships that are smaller than destroyers, and are designed to protect other ships and engage in anti-submarine tactics. They are famous for the 50+ ships of the Oliver Hazard Perry class, the last of which was decommissioned in 2015.

1. Virginia class
   George Washington class
2. Independence class
   San Diego class

The SSN Virginia was the first of more than 16 Virginia class attack submarines commissioned since 2004. Designed to seek and destroy engine submarines and ships, the Virginia class is equipped with Tomahawk missiles and can stay below the sea indefinitely as long as food supplies are adequate.

1. Supreme Commander
   Fleet Admiral
2. Lieutenant at Arms
   Commander of Vessels

While admiral is the highest ranking naval officer position during periods of peace, the Navy reserves the title of fleet admiral for the top brass during wartime. This rank was last used during WWII, with Navy legends like Chester Nimitz and William Halsey Jr. holding the title.

1. Battle of Midway
   Battle of Gettysburg
2. Battle of Gibraltar
   Battle of Mobile Bay

In what is probably the most famous quote ever associated with the U.S. Navy, First Admiral David Farragut doubled down during the Civil War Battle of Mobile Bay, ordering his men to forge ahead despite heavy fire. Farragut became a midshipman at the age of nine, and was so revered that he served as a pallbearer for President Abraham Lincoln.

1. 1876
   1901
2. 1920
   1940

It wasn't long after the Wright Brothers made their first flights that the Navy recognized the need for aircraft carriers at sea. They commissioned the USS Langley as America's first aircraft carrier in 1920. Capable of carrying 36 aircraft, she was scuttled after severe damage in 1942.

1. Beverage
   Disease
2. Flag
   Ship

The Naval Jack is a maritime flag flown aboard U.S. Navy vessels. For most of U.S. history, Navy ships flew a blue flag with white stars. Since the September 11th attacks, the Jack features red and white stripes with a slithering snake and the words "Don't tread on me."

1. John F. Kennedy
   Abraham Lincoln
2. Gerald Ford
   Theodore Roosevelt

While the majority of presidents had a history of military service, it wasn't until JFK that a former Navy sailor settled into the White House. Kennedy famously helped his men survive after their vessel was destroyed by Japanese forces in 1943, earning the future president a Purple Heart.

1. St. Louis class
   William Halsey Jr. class
2. Gerald R. Ford class
   California class

The Navy's Nimitz class of supercarriers includes some of the most advanced and largest aircraft carriers on the planet. Nimitz was replaced by a whole new line of ships when the Gerald R. Ford, scheduled to be the first in its class, was launched in 2017.

1. Behavior
   Years of service
2. Age
   Willingness

Life on a submarine can be tough, even for sailors accustomed to months at sea. To ensure they only assign willing participants to subs, Navy officers limit submarine sailors to those who volunteer for the position.

1. Beer
   Clothes
2. Weapons
   Shoes

In the early days of the Navy, sailors would go ashore and order beers from local barkeeps, who would keep track of each pint or quart ordered so he could collect the cash on payday. Naval wisdom encouraged sailors to mind their p's and q's, pints and quarts, by staying sober enough to at least keep track of their consumption.

1. Pilot
   Welder
2. Instructor
   Driver

The U.S. Naval Construction Battalions, C.B.'s, or Seabees, are responsible for Navy-related construction jobs. Founded in 1942, their motto is "Contruimus Batuimus," or "We build, we fight."

1. Saddam Hussein
   El Chapo
2. Benito Mussolini
   Osama bin Laden

Named for a U.S. congressman from Georgia, the USS Carl Vinson was the site of a pair of unusual events in 2011. First, terrorist Osama bin Laden was buried at sea from the carrier's deck. Later that year, the ship hosted the first NCAA basketball game at sea.

1. 2
   4
2. 8
   16

The Japanese struck eight American battleships at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Four ships, the USS Arizona, Oklahoma, West Virginia and California, all sank that day. Four more were damaged, but stayed afloat.

1. Submarines
   Supercarriers
2. Dock landing ships
   Destroyers

The Navy's Arleigh Burke vessels are guided missile destroyers that rank among the largest destroyer ships on Earth. First commissioned in 1991, more than 60 ships in this class were completed by 2018.

1. USS Constitution
   USS George Washington
2. USS California
   USS Houston

The newly formed Navy commissioned six ships in the 1790s, including the USS Constitution. Nicknamed Old Ironsides, the Constitution is the only one of these six ships still floating, and serves as a museum in Massachusetts.

1. Navy Improvement Act
   Victory at Seas Act
2. Big Navy Act
   Fighting Navy Act

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson promised to build the U.S. Navy into the greatest navy in the world. Congress quickly signed the Naval Act of 1916 in response. Also known as the Big Navy Act, this action devoted hundreds of millions to expanding the Navy and making it more powerful than any other on the planet.

1. New Mexico
   Los Angeles
2. Dwight Eisenhower
   Avenger

The USS Los Angeles was commissioned in 1976 and became the first of more than 60 submarines within the Los Angeles class. Also known as the 688 class, more than half of all attack submarines active in 2018 are part of this group.

1. 1794
   1816
2. 1915
   2001

Not every brave sailor who fights for the U.S. Navy can fight full-time. Some serve just one weekend a month and two weeks a year as part of the Navy Reserves, which were founded back in 1915 as WWI dawned.

1. Empire
   Gladiator
2. Nautilus
   Arizona

Sharing a name with the vessel from "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," the Nautilus became the Navy's first nuclear-powered submarine when it was commissioned in 1954. Since 1982, it's served as a museum and historical landmark in Groton, Connecticut.

1. Aircraft carrier
   Mine countermeasure
2. War time attacks
   Transport sailors

The Avenger class ships are designed to remove and disable enemy mines that have been left in the sea. The class consists of 14 ships built between 1987 and 1994, all of which have tough names like Defender, Gladiator, Warrior and Devastator.