October 13 is traditionally celebrated as the birthday of the United States Navy, the date when the Second Continental Congress authorized a new maritime force that would be known as the Continental Navy. After being disbanded in 1784 at the end of the Revolutionary War, the nation’s sailing service returned with the Naval Act of 1794, which authorized the construction of six frigates to defend the newly established nation. One of those original frigates, the USS Constitution, is today the oldest commissioned warship still in service. Here’s a look at America’s “Ship of State.”