USS Constitution, U.S. Navy’s oldest commissioned ship, sets sail

BOSTON, Mass. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - The oldest commissioned ship in the U.S. Navy marked the Fourth of July with an annual cruise in boston harbor and a 21-gun salute.

A crowd gathered, on the shore and in the water, to watch as "Old Ironsides" took her annual cruise in the Boston Harbor.

While cruising, the Declaration of Independence is read to those on board.

The USS Constitution's Fourth of July turnaround cruise began in the 1950s as a way to evenly weather the hull.

USS Constitution is the world's oldest commissioned warship afloat and was undefeated in battle.

She earned the nickname "Old Ironsides" during the war of 1812 when British cannonballs were seen bouncing off the ship's wooden hull.