In this May 25, 2011, sailors stand on the deck of the USS Iwo Jima as it passes by the Statue of Liberty to kick off Fleet Week in New York. After a year's absence, Fleet Week is coming back to New York City. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
Fleet Week in New York City as we know it now began in 1988. However, the first celebration of sailors docked at the Big Apple’s ports goes back more than 120 years to the Spanish–American War.
In 1898, Commodore George Dewey was hailed as the hero of Manila Bay in a city-wide celebration.
“Fleet Week is an unparalleled opportunity for the citizens of New York and the surrounding areas to meet Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, as well as witness firsthand the latest capabilities of today’s maritime services,” according to the New York Navy League. “Each year, we plan many events to show our active-duty visitors, the local public and the national media how the Navy League values and honors those who uphold the traditions of the maritime services.”
Over the years, photographers have captured the events of Fleet Week and catalogued them for viewers. Here are some of the best.
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Decorated for Fleet Week, circa 1910. Exact date and location not known. Original photo from a postcard, postmarked USS CONSTELLATION (US Navy/Courtesy of Donald M. McPherson)
The colors are presented during the dedication ceremony of the newly constructed Pier 1, part of Navy Fleet Week activities in New York City 1989. (U.S. Navy)
The USS Leyte Gulf, a U.S. Navy guided missile cruiser, passes the Statue of Liberty in New York on Wednesday, May 21, 2008. The Leyte Gulf, home-ported in Norfolk, Va., is visiting the city as part of Fleet Week NYC 2008. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan)
The US Navy aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy cruises up the Hudson River to mark the beginning of "Fleet Week" in New York City, Wednesday, May 25, 2005. (AP Photo/J. David Ake)
Stephanie E. Maurer, left, of Fountain, Mich., a sailor from the USS WASP, look up with sailors from the USS Samuel Elliot Morison, from left, Jose R. Vaquera of Houston, Jeffrey D. Erwin of Temple, Ariz., Jim W. Branton of Minden, La., and Felipe Garcia of Gillette, Wyo., in New York's Times Square, Friday, May 28, 1999. Navy ships are anchored at the West Side piers for Fleet Week and open for visitors during this Memorial Day weekend. (AP Photo/Ed Bailey)
FILE- In this May 25, 2011, file photo, sailors stand on the deck of the USS Iwo Jima as it passes by the Statue of Liberty to kick off Fleet Week in New York. After a year's absence, Fleet Week is coming back to New York City. Three Navy ships and two Coast Guard cutters are scheduled to arrive in New York Harbor on Wednesday, May 21, 2014, the start of the week. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
Crew members of the Her Majesty Canadian Ship Athabaskan stand guard as they sail past lower Manhattan, Wednesday, May 25, 2016. The annual Fleet Week is bringing a flotilla of activities that includes a parade of ships sailing up the Hudson River and docking around the city. The events continue through Memorial Day. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
A group of sailors make their way through Times Square, Friday, May 24, 2019, during Fleet Week New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
Sarah Sicard is a Senior Editor with Military Times. She previously served as the Digitial Editor of Military Times and the Army Times Editor. Other work can be found at National Defense Magazine, Task & Purpose, and Defense News.
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