1. 25
   50
2. 100
   500

America owns 11 of the 41 nuclear-powered supercarriers operating in the world in 2018. Ten of the 11 belong to the Nimitz class, and are designed to carry around 100 aircraft and 6,000 crew members.

1. CV
   DW
2. LM
   PC

The U.S. Navy uses CV as the hull classification symbol for aircraft carriers. Variations on this symbol include CVA for attack carriers, CVN for nuclear carriers and CVL for light carriers.

1. 1955
   1965
2. 1975
   1985

The USS Nimitz was one of the largest and most advanced aircraft carriers in the world when she was commissioned on May 3, 1975. She was still operating in 2019, and nine more ships have been built in this class using a similar design since the '70s.

1. U.S. President
   French Prime Minister
2. Supreme Court Justice
   Navy Admiral

Navy Admiral Chester Nimitz served as the Admiral for the Pacific Fleet during WWII. After he died in 1966, the Navy decided to honor his legacy and contributions by naming the Nimitz class of ships after him.

1. 400 feet
   750 feet
2. 1,100 feet
   2,500 feet

Built at at cost of a billion dollars in 1975 dollars, the USS Nimitz measures 1,092 feet long and has a displacement just over 100,000 tons. She's nicknamed Old Salt, and her motto is "Teamwork, a Tradition."

1. Coal furnace
   Steam
2. Solar power
   Nuclear reactor

The Nimitz and other ships in her class utilize two nuclear reactors as their primary source of energy. This nuclear power allows Nimitz to travel 31.5 knots, or 36.2 miles per hour.

1. 10 years
   25 years
2. 50 years
   250 years

The Nimitz class ships have an expected life of 50 years. That means that the USS Nimitz herself, commissioned in 1975, is due for replacement in the 2020s.

1. Gerald R. Ford class
   George Washington class
2. Texas class
   Maryland class

The USS Gerald R. Ford is a supercarrier commissioned in July 2017. Designed to replace the Nimitz class, it is the first ship in the Gerald R. Ford class and is named for 38th president -- and Navy vet -- Gerald Ford.

1. Electromagnetics
   Gravity
2. Solar powered
   Wind powered

Nimitz class ships rely on a steam-powered catapult system to launch aircraft. The introduction of the Gerald R. Ford class of ships brought the use of an electromagnetic launch system to replace the more dated technology. Swapping to this new technology means more control over planes as they make their way into the skies.

1. Norfolk
   Los Angeles
2. New York
   Miami

Norfolk is the homeport for more supercarriers than any other U.S. city. The Gerald R. Ford and many Nimitz class ships are situated in this Virginia port town.

1. USS William Jefferson Clinton
   USS Ronald Reagan
2. USS John F. Kennedy
   USS Abraham Lincoln

Laid down in 2015, the USS John F. Kennedy is the second ship built in the Gerald R. Ford class, and features a similar design. Named after the 35th president, the ship shares its named with another aircraft carrier, CV-67, which was in operation from 1968 to 2007.

1. Nimitz subclass
   Roosevelt Subclass
2. Reagan Subclass
   Vermont Subclass

While Nimitz class ships all feature similar designs, they are divided into subclasses based on certain upgrades and features. These include the Nimitz, Roosevelt and Reagan subclasses, of which Roosevelt is the largest with five vessels.

1. USS George H.W. Bush
   USS Barrack Obama
2. USS Ronald Reagan
   USS Jimmy Carter

Commissioned in 2009, the USS George H.W. Bush was the final Nimitz class aircraft carrier built by the Navy. Its nickname is Avenger, and it goes by the motto "Freedom at Work."

1. Bill Clinton
   Theodore Roosevelt
2. Dwight Eisenhower
   Harry Truman

Of the 10 Nimitz class ships, seven are named for U.S. presidents. They include Eisenhower, Roosevelt, Lincoln, Washington, Truman, Reagan and Bush Sr.

1. USS Virginia
   USS Carl Vinson
2. USS New York
   USS George Washington

The U.S. launched Operation Enduring Freedom against Afghanistan shortly after the 9/11 attacks. The USS Carl Vinson was sent to the Arabian Sea, and some of the first airstrikes in the operation were launched from the carrier.

1. USS George Washington
   USS Abraham Lincoln
2. USS Harry S. Truman
   USS Manhattan

Nimitz class carrier USS Harry S. Truman was stationed at Norfolk when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. The Truman rushed to the New Orleans area so her crew could support the local citizens. In 2016, the vessel was deployed for eight months in a battle against ISIL.

1. USS Carl Vinson
   USS Gerald R. Ford
2. USS Dwight Eisenhower
   USS John F. Kennedy

The USS Carl Vinson made headlines in 2011 when the body of Osama bin Laden was buried at sea from her decks. Later that year, the vessel hosted the first NCAA game ever played on an aircraft carrier.

1. Cash
   A big stick
2. Your heart in your hands
   Your friends

Roosevelt was known for the idea of big stick diplomacy. It's no surprise then, that the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier goes by the nickname "The Big Stick."

1. USS Abraham Lincoln
   USS George Washington
2. USS Harry S. Truman
   USS Carl Vinson

In 2003, then-President George W. Bush stood on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln and declared that the U.S. had prevailed against its Iraqi enemies. At the time, a banner displayed behind Bush on the vessel declared "Mission Accomplished." Bush's speech and the banner have been the source of much criticism since that time, because 2003 was just the beginning of the warfare between the U.S. and insurgents in Iraq.

1. Pakistan
   India
2. Iran
   China

In 1980, the U.S. launched Operation Eagle Claw/Operation Evening Light in an attempt to rescue dozens of Americans taken hostage at the Iranian embassy. Eight of the choppers used in the mission launched from the deck of the USS Nimitz.

1. Collision
   Fire
2. Tsunami
   Prate Invasion

On May 22, 2008 a fire broke out aboard the USS George Washington as the crew sailed from South America to San Diego. Three dozen sailors were injured and the boat suffered $70 million in damage. The cause of the fire? A sailor smoking in an off-limits area.

1. British Prime Minister
   Army General
2. Senator
   Doctor

John C. Stennis represented Mississippi for 42 years in the U.S. Senate. The USS John C. Stennis, commissioned in 1995, relies on its motto "Look ahead."

1. "And Justice for All"
   "Give 'em Hell"
2. "Peace above all"
   "Brothers in Arms"

The battle flag on the USS Harry S. Truman features a pair of crossed cannons and the slogan "Give 'em Hell." The words come from Truman's own 1948 re-election campaign.

1. USS Ronald Reagan
   USS Barrack Obama
2. USS Lyndon B. Johnson
   USS George H.W. Bush

Christened in 2001 and commissioned in 2003, the USS Ronald Reagan was the first carrier named for a living president. Her motto is "Peace through strength," and her nickname is The Gipper, of course.

1. Braking
   Steering
2. Launching planes
   Cooking

CATOBAR, or catapult-assisted takeoff barrier arrested recovery is a technology used to launch aircraft on major carrier vessels. Standard on the Nimitz class ships, it includes a steam-powered launcher and a system of wires for "catching" the plane and slowing it as it lands.

1. 1856
   1913
2. 1945
   1971

Originally known as the USS Jupiter, the USS Langley was commissioned in 1913. She used turbo-electric technology, which was cutting edge at the time, and was designed to carry 36 planes.

1. Essex
   New York
2. Montana
   Vermont

The 1940s were a busy time for American aircraft carriers thanks to WWII, The Navy ordered 24 Essex class carriers during the decade, each of which was capable of carrying as many as 100 aircraft.

1. USS Harry S. Truman
   USS George Washington
2. USS Hornet
   USS Dwight Eisenhower

The USS Hornet picked up the Apollo 11 astronauts as they descended back to Earth in 1969. The deck of this Essex class ship was marked with the men's first footprints back on Earth.

1. Lincoln class
   Morning class
2. Independence class
   Cruiser class

The Navy ordered nine Independence class carriers during the period around WWII. Each measured 622 feet long and could carry up to 30 aircraft.

1. USS California
   USS John F. Kennedy
2. USS Hornet
   USS Princeton

The Navy operated nine Independence class carriers during the 1940s. Just one, the USS Princeton, was lost after a 1943 air attack while stationed near the Philippines.

1. Midway
   Enterprise
2. Hornet
   Vista

The Navy ordered three Midway class carriers in the mid-1940s, and these ships were designed to carry as many as 130 planes. The flagship, the USS Midway, now serves as a museum in San Diego.

1. George Washington class
   Saipen class
2. New Bern class
   Morning class

The Saipen class of carriers was completed after WWII, and served as a light duty alternative to larger aircraft carriers of the period. The two ships in the class -- USS Saipen and USS Wright -- could each carry just over 40 aircraft.

1. USS California
   USS Essex
2. USS Forrestal
   USS MacArthur

Named for Secretary of Defense James Forrestal, the USS Forrestal became the nation's first supercarrier. She was one of four ships in her class, and designed to carry 85 planes and 5,000 sailors.

1. Key West
   Texas
2. Kitty Hawk
   Miami

The four ships in the Kitty Hawk class of supercarriers were commissioned between 1961 and 1968. In addition to the lead ship, the class included the USS America, John F. Kennedy and Constellation.

1. Nuclear power
   Space for 500 aircraft
2. Speed in excess of 100 mph
   Complete robot control

The USS Enterprise supercarrier was the very first vessel on Earth to incorporate nuclear power. The ship was in service from the 1960s all the way through Operation Iraqi Freedom, and was the only ship built in her class.