USS Constitution defeats the British frigate HMS Guerriere off Nova Scotia.

It is the first frigate-to-frigate battle of the War of 1812 and one of the great naval battles in history. During the encounter, the ship earns its subsequent nickname when a sailor exclaims, “Huzza! Her sides are made of iron!” Prior to the war, Capt. Isaac Hull, commander of the Constitution, had bet his hat with Capt. Dacres, commander of the Guerriere, that if the two ships met in battle, his would prevail. After the battle, Dacres and his crew are taken on board the Constitution, which returns to the Charlestown Navy Yard, and the victory is celebrated in Boston on August 30, 1812. Capt. Hull is a resident of the Exchange Coffee House, which is where Captain Dacres stays until he returns home.