HMS Victory is a 104-gun first-rate wooden sailing ship of the line. With 248 years of service as of 2026, she is the world's oldest naval vessel still in commission. She was ordered for the Royal Navy in 1758, during the Seven Years' War, and laid down in 1759. That year saw British victories at Quebec, Minden, Lagos and Quiberon Bay and these may have influenced the choice of name when it was selected in October the following year. In particular, the action in Quiberon Bay had a profound effect on the course of the war; severely weakening the French Navy and shifting its focus away from the sea. There was therefore no urgency to complete the ship and the signing of the Treaty of Paris in February 1763 meant that when Victory was finally floated out in 1765, she was placed in ordinary.
HMS Victory launched; Admiral Nelson's flagship at Trafalgar, 40 years later
HMS Victory is a 104-gun first-rate wooden sailing ship of the line. With 248 years of service as of 2026, she is the world's oldest naval vessel still in commission.
Historical Significance
HMS Victory is a 104-gun first-rate wooden sailing ship of the line.
Events Before
Parents of English novelist Jane Austen, cleric George Austen and Cassandra Leigh marry
Jane Austen (AW-stin; 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English writer known primarily for her six novels, which implicitly interpret, critique, and comment on the English landed gentry at the...
Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II (17) weds queen Maria Luisa of Spain (18) in Innsbruck, Austria
Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II (17) weds queen Maria Luisa of Spain (18) in Innsbruck, Austria
Future 2nd American President John Adams (28) weds Abigail Smith (19) in Weymouth, Massachusetts (marriage lasts 54 year
Future 2nd American President John Adams (28) weds Abigail Smith (19) in Weymouth, Massachusetts (marriage lasts 54 years)
A fire at Harvard University destroys Governor Winthrop's Telescope and its library of 5,000 books is mostly lost
A fire at Harvard University destroys Governor Winthrop's Telescope and its library of 5,000 books is mostly lost
St. Louis, Missouri founded as a French trading post by Pierre Laclède
Pierre Laclède Liguest or Pierre Laclède (22 November 1729 – 20 June 1778) was a French fur trader who, with his young assistant and stepson Auguste Chouteau, founded St.
Events After
Future Prime Minister William Cavendish-Bentinck (28) weds Dorothy Cavendish (16)
Future Prime Minister William Cavendish-Bentinck (28) weds Dorothy Cavendish (16)
Stamp Act declared unconstitutional in Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains.
Dutch governor Falck and King Keerthisiri Rajasinghe of Kandy sign Treaty of Batticaloa
Dutch governor Falck and King Keerthisiri Rajasinghe of Kandy sign Treaty of Batticaloa
Antonio de Ulloa takes possession of Louisiana Territory from the French
Antonio de Ulloa takes possession of Louisiana Territory from the French
Willem V (18) becomes governor of United Provinces
Willem V (18) becomes governor of United Provinces
More from the 1760s
Afghans defeat the Indian Maratha Empire in the Battle of Barari Ghat
Afghans defeat the Indian Maratha Empire in the Battle of Barari Ghat
Third Battle of Panipat: In one of the largest battles of the 18th century, the mostly Muslim Afghan Durrani Empire defe
Third Battle of Panipat: In one of the largest battles of the 18th century, the mostly Muslim Afghan Durrani Empire defeats the mostly Hindu Maratha Empire in northern India. An estimated 60,000 to 70,000 people are killed in the fighting, and about 40,000 Maratha prisoners are massacred afterward.
Treaty of Paris ends the French-Indian War, France agrees to surrender Canada to Great Britain
The Treaty of Paris, also known as the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763 by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement, following Great Britain and…
Austria, Prussia and Saxony sign the Treaty of Hubertusburg, marking the end of the French and Indian War and of the Sev
Austria, Prussia and Saxony sign the Treaty of Hubertusburg, marking the end of the French and Indian War and of the Seven Years' War
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happened on May 7, 1765?
- HMS Victory is a 104-gun first-rate wooden sailing ship of the line. With 248 years of service as of 2026, she is the world's oldest naval vessel still in commission. She was ordered for the Royal Navy in 1758, during the Seven Years' War, and laid down in 1759.
- Why is HMS Victory launched; Admiral Nelson's flagship at Trafalgar, 40 years later significant?
- HMS Victory is a 104-gun first-rate wooden sailing ship of the line.