Their dreams became reality in 1954 when the first-nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, was built. This type of sub-surface vessel was the first true submarine because all previous submarines had to surface after hours underwater to restore its electric power and re-supply its air, which actually made these vessels submersibles and not true submarines. During its first voyage, the nautilus traveled underwater for about 1,380 nautical miles from New London, Connecticut, to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The submarines’ second voyage made history when it transited from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, to Portland, England, where the Nautilus became the first underwater vessel to travel across the North Pole.

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