On June 12, 1957, the US hosted an International Naval Review that coincided with the 350th anniversary of the founding of the Jamestown colony.
Naval reviews are special events in which the US Navy presents its ships to the US president or secretary of the Navy. US ships are often accompanied by ships from other nations in international reviews. The first International Naval Review in the US was held in 1893 as part of the Columbian Exposition. In that review, President Grover Cleveland reviewed naval ships from aboard the USS Dolphin.
Theodore Roosevelt had several Naval Reviews during his administration, including his send-off and return of the Great White Fleet. William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Franklin D. Roosevelt also held their own Naval Reviews during their administrations.
In 1957, Hampton Roads hosted another International Naval Review in conjunction with the 350th anniversary of the founding of the Jamestown colony. The US State Department invited member-nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO to participate. They also invited countries considered to have special interest in the founding of Jamestown to send their ships for the review. About 80 US warships were joined by 30 ships from 17 other countries that attended the review.
On June 12, 1957, Secretary of Defense Charles E. Wilson inspected the double line of ships from the guided missile cruiser USS Canberra. According to one newspaper, the display was “one of the mightiest peacetime armadas in history.” In addition to the naval review, the 10-day celebration included a number of other events including a searchlight display, open houses at naval installations, and television specials.
Nineteen years later, President Gerald Ford oversaw another International Naval Review in New York Harbor as part of the US Bicentennial in 1976. Ronald Reagan oversaw another in 1986 for the re-dedication of the Statue of Liberty and Bill Clinton participated in another in 2000. There are plans for another naval review in 2026 to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence.
Click here for a video about the 1957 International Naval Review.
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There is a small typographical error in the last paragraph. “Nine years later†should read “Nineteen years later.†I was there in 1976 onboard the USS Mt. Whitney.
I went to the Naval Review with my cousin and his father. We left Hampton, Va at Fort Monroe by ferry to Willoughby Spit in Norfolk then to the Naval Base at Norfolk. What a great day. Most of the ships that were at the piers were open for visitors.
I remember going on the British aircraft carrier Ark Royal and its weird flight deck.
We had a grand time,it was awesome.
I was 13 years old.