"Enterprise" means "boldness, energy, and invention in practical affairs." CV-6 was named to commemorate six American warships which had previously borne the name:

1. A sloop used during the Revolutionary War
2. A Continental Navy schooner
3. A schooner (1799–1823)
4. A schooner (1831–1844)
5. A screw sloop-of-war
6. A non-commissioned motorboat

Image: NS098660401, The first Enterprise, a sloop-of-war, with the galley Congress and other ships at the Battle of Valcour Island on Lake Champlain New York, 11–13 October 1776. Photo from Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, via Robert Hurst.

The future USS Enterprise (CV-6) on the ways, fall 1936.

Naval History & Heritage Command photo, from a special photo article of the Baltimore Sun.

Enterprise building at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Virginia, 1 October 1936.

Final preparations for launch, October 1936.

On Saturday, October 3, 1936 Enterprise was christened by Mrs. Lucy ("Lulie") Lyons Hall Swanson, wife of Claude A. Swanson, Secretary of the Navy. She quoted William Shakespeare's Othello: "May she also say with just pride: I have done the State some service."

Mrs. Lucy ("Lulie") Lyons Hall Swanson, ship's sponsor, photographed when she was received at St. James Palace, London.

Launching the Big E.

"More Armor for America—Navy's New Ship, Into the water splashes the U.S.S. Enterprise, the giant new aircraft carrier, at Norfolk, Va. All armor is in place and her turrets and guns are mounted, almost ready to parade the seas. Mrs. Claude A. Swanson, wife of the Secretary of Navy, christened the ship. A.P. Photo."

The Sunday Star, Washington, D.C., 4 October 1936.

The future USS Enterprise (CV-6) in the James River after launching.

Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company photo.

"Mrs. Swanson, wife of the Secretary of the Navy, shown breaking the traditional bottle on the Enterprise's bow."

"U.S.[S.] Enterprise, giant new aircraft carrier, launched last October at Norfolk, Va. Mrs. Claude A. Swanson christened the ship and became a member of the Society of Sponsors."

The Sunday Star, Washington, D.C., 7 February 1937.

The future USS Yorktown (CV-5), left, and USS Enterprise (CV-6) at a Yard pier in Norfolk, during outfitting in 1937.

Newport News Shipbuilding photo, # DCS19-23-8.

USS Enterprise (CV-6), left, and USS Yorktown (CV-5) under construction at Newport News, Virginia, 8 February 1937. National Archives photo.

USS Yorktown (CV-5) foreground, and USS Enterprise (CV-6) under construction at Newport News, Virginia, 8 February 1937. National Archives photo.

Builder's plaque.

Port bow view of the yet to be commissioned Enterprise (CV-6), James River, Newport News, VA, 6 April 1938. The carrier is lying in stream after builder's preliminary trials. (Note this is not the same photo as NS020681.)

Broadside view of the yet to be commissioned Enterprise (CV-6), 6 April 1938. James River, Newport News, VA, lying in stream after builder's preliminary trial.

Aerial view of the yet to be commissioned Enterprise (CV-6), 6 April 1938.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) photo, # 80-G-463049.

At anchor, location unknown, early in her career.

At anchor, pre-war, exact date an location unknown.

USS Enterprise (CV-6) and USS New York (BB-34) at one of Norfolk Navy Base's piers in 1938. It appears a Captain's inspection is happening on Enterprise's aft flight deck and a smaller one on New York's. US Navy photo from the Bureau of Yards & Docks Record accession 71-CD now in the custody of the National Archives in College Park, Maryland.

At anchor, pre-war (1939?), location unknown. (Note this is not the same photo as NS020675.)

Off Puerto Rico, July 23, 1938.

"Shellback" Initiation. These photos were taken on August 20, 1938 as USS Enterprise (CV-6) headed south to Rio de Janeiro during her shakedown cruise.

Unknown sailor on Big E flight deck.

Circa 1939. From Our Navy magazine, 1 October 1943 issue.

Aerial, underway, aircraft on deck; April 12, 1939. Image # 80-G-463246.

"Norfolk, Va., April 12 [1939]—A plane carrier rides at anchor—The airplane carrier Enterprise, its decks loaded with the Navy's latest war planes, is shown riding at anchor in Hampton Roads after its arrival with three other carriers [Lexington (CV-2), Ranger (CV-4) and Yorktown (CV-5)] and scores of fighting craft today to take part in the greatest concentration of the Fleet here since 1907. On April 27 the Fleet will pass in review before proceeding to New York. AP wirephoto WRW41730CPG."

Events in Europe, however, reached a crisis, the United Kingdom gathered her fleet in the Mediterranean and the U.S. Fleet was immediately ordered back to the Pacific, six weeks ahead of schedule (see NS020617). The naval review (in connection with the opening of the New York World's Fair early in May) was cancelled.

In the Panama Canal, en route to the Pacific, 27 April 1939.

USS Enterprise (CV-6) entering San Francisco Bay, 1 July 1939. Official U.S. Navy photo.

USS Enterprise (CV-6) en route to Pearl Harbor, 8 October 1939. Photographed from USS Minneapolis (CA-36).

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (photo # 80-G-13554).

USS Enterprise (CV-6) photographed circa 1940, with TBD and SBC aircraft parked on her flight deck, aft.

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives (photo # 19-N-29688).

A U.S. Navy Northrop BT-1 of Bombing Squadron (VB) 6 in flight. VB-6 was assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6). Circa 1940.

National Naval Aviation Museum photo, # 1996.253.1973.

Aerial view of USS Enterprise (CV-6) at sea in January 1940. During this period, "EN" was painted on the forward and rear areas of the flight deck, to facilitate identification of the ship from the air.

Item part of a scrapbook assembled by CDR William H. Balden, USNR, documenting his World War II service.

National Naval Aviation Museum, photo #2007.084.001.510.

USS Enterprise (CV-6). LIFE magazine photo by Carl Mydans taken in Hawaii in 1940.

Closeup of the bridge, superstructure and stack of USS Enterprise (CV-6), during U.S. Aircraft Carrier Operations off of Hawaii in April 1940 for Fleet Problem XXI.

LIFE magazine photo by Carl Mydans, shared by Peter DeForest.

USS Enterprise (CV-6) at Hawaii in 1940–1941. LIFE magazine, 11 photos for educational, non-commercial use.

USS Enterprise (CV-6) at Hawaii in 1940. LIFE magazine photo for educational, non-commercial use.

Crew removing plane [SBC-3 Helldiver, # 0524] which has made a slight crash landing aboard the aircraft carrier Enterprise (CV-6) during the US Navy's Pacific Fleet maneuvers in 1940.

Crew aboard the aircraft carrier Enterprise (CV-6) listening to instructions during the US Navy's Pacific Fleet maneuvers around Hawaii in 1940.

Broadside port view of USS Enterprise (CV-6), probably at Honolulu, mid-September 1940. The Yorktowns had a large, open hangar deck (a feature introduced with Ranger and common to other U.S. carriers designed before 1945), equipped with sliding steel shutters that provided weather protection.

Naval History & Heritage Command, photo # NH 67732.

USS Enterprise (CV-6) operating in the Pacific, circa late June 1941. She is turning into the wind to recover aircraft. Note her "natural wood" flight deck stain and dark Measure One camouflage paint scheme. The flight deck was stained blue in July 1941, during camouflage experiments that gave her a unique deck stripe pattern.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (photo # 80-G-K-14254).

Douglas TBD-1 Devastator torpedo plane landing on board USS Enterprise (CV-6), in about July 1941. Note landing signal officer is in the foreground, and plane guard destroyers in the center distance. The original photo caption gives a date of 8 April 1942, which is highly improbable as the plane is in mid-1941 vintage overall gray paint and the destroyers are wearing peacetime light gray paint.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (photo # 80-G-17531).

Cake and celebration of the 44,000th landing aboard USS Enterprise (CV-6), made by Ensign Lloyd Thomas, USN, Torpedo Squadron (VT) 6, on 24 August 1941.

Then LT(JG) Lloyd Thomas gave his life in his squadron's immortal attack in the Battle of Midway, 4 June 1942, and was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism and courage in combat.

Photos from the LIFE magazine archive.

Douglas SBD-2 Dauntless scout bombers, of Scouting Squadron Six (VS-6). Composite photograph of 9 planes in flight, with USS Enterprise (CV-6) and a plane guard destroyer below. The original photo is dated 27 October 1941. Note differences in ocean surface wave patterns between the upper and lower images, skillfully blended to combine the two photographs.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), # 80-G-6678.