Step 1 : Introduction to the question "What nickname did the USS Constitution earn during the War of 1812?"
...The USS Constitution earned the nickname Old Ironsides during the War of 1812 after British sailors reportedly saw cannonballs bouncing harmlessly off the ship’s thick wooden hull during fierce naval combat. Built with dense live oak, the frigate proved remarkably durable in battle, especially during its famous victory over HMS Guerriere in 1812. Launched in 1797, the USS Constitution remains the world's oldest commissioned naval warship still afloat and is preserved today as a historic vessel and tourist attraction in Boston Harbor.
