What is it called when the Navy crosses the equator?
The U.S. Navy has well-established line-crossing rituals. Sailors who have already crossed the Equator are nicknamed Shellbacks, Trusty Shellbacks, Honorable Shellbacks, or Sons of Neptune. Those who have not crossed are nicknamed Pollywogs, or Slimy Pollywogs.
What is it called when you cross the International Date Line in the Navy?
Shellback variations. The shellback is simple enough: a sailor on official duty “crosses the line” of the equator. A golden shellback is more impressive; it means they’ve crossed at or near the International Date Line.
When did the ships cross the equator?
14 July 1787
14 July 1787. Crossing the equator, which marked the change from the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere, was celebrated at sea by ‘crossing the line’ ceremonies.
Who was the first sailor to cross the equator?
Lopes Gonçalves
Lopes Gonçalves or Lopo Gonçalves was a Portuguese explorer of the African coast. He was the first European sailor to cross the equator, the first to reach the point where the coast turns south and the first to reach Gabon….
| Lopes Gonçalves | |
|---|---|
| Known for | First European sailor crossing Earth’s equator |
What happens in the Navy when you cross the equator?
THE SHELLBACK CEREMONY When a ship crosses the equator or “crossing the line”, King Neptune comes aboard to exercise authority over his domain and to judge charges brought against Pollywogs that they are only posing as Sailors and haven’t paid proper homage to the god of the sea.
What’s a Golden Shellback?
In the U.S. Navy, when a ship crosses the equator a time-honored ceremony takes place. This is a Navy tradition and an event no sailor ever forgets. A Golden Shellback is one who has crossed the equator at the 180th meridian.
What happens when you cross the International Date Line in the Navy?
Perhaps the most well-known is the “Order of the Shellback,” given to those sailors who have crossed the equator. If you cross the equator at the International Date Line (about 900 miles east of Nauru), you become a “Golden Shellback” (since those who cross the International Date Line are called Golden Dragons).
What happens when you sail across the equator?
It was a way for sailors to be tested for their seaworthiness. When a ship crosses the equator, King Neptune comes aboard to exercise authority over his domain and to judge charges brought against Pollywogs that they are only posing as sailors and haven’t paid proper homage to the god of the sea.
Where did the US Navy Cross the equator?
NH 81447. Equator crossing ceremonies on board Wisconsin. Courtesy of Mrs. Worth Sprunt; from the collection of Rear Admiral B. F. Hutchison, USN; U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command photograph. Download image. Back to top.
What happens when a ship crosses the equator?
When a ship crosses the equator, King Neptune comes aboard to exercise authority over his domain and to judge charges brought against Pollywogs that they are only posing as sailors and haven’t paid proper homage to the god of the sea.
Who was the commanding officer during the crossing of the equator?
Maine ‘s commanding officer greets King Neptune and Royal Party at beginning of equator crossing ceremonies. Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation, Washington, DC; collection of Rear Admiral Harold M. Bemis; U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command.
Who was the first sailor to cross the equator with a Shellback?
The US Navy and Shellbacks may have participated more recently but no one knows for sure the date that the first sailor crossed the line. Sailors in observance of this time honored tradition of crossing the equator would witness the transformation of a sailor passing from a slimy Pollywog to a trusty Shellback.