Keel Laid: December 27, 1956
         Christened: May 21, 1960
         Commissioned: April 29, 1961
         Decommissioned: May 12, 2009

         Builder: New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, N.J.
         Propulsion system: eight Steam Boilers
         Length, overall: 1046,5 feet (319 meters)
         Flight Deck Width: 252 feet (76.8 meters)
         Area of flight deck: about 4,5 acres 
         Beam: 129,6 feet (39.5 meters)
         Draft: 35,8 feet (10.9 meters)
         Displacement: approx. 82,200 tons full load
         Speed: 30+ knots
         Planes: approx. 66
         Crew: Ship: 2,900 Air Wing: 2,480
         Armament: 
          - two Mk 29 NATO Sea Sparrow launchers 
          - two 20mm Phalanx CIWS Mk 15 
          - two Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) Systems