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Heterosexuality

Heterosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction or sexual behavior between people of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to people of the opposite sex; it "also refers to a person's sense of identity based on those attractions, related behaviors, and membership in a community of others who share those attractions." Someone who is heterosexual is commonly referred to as straight.

Along with bisexuality and homosexuality, heterosexuality is one of the three main categories of sexual orientation within the heterosexual–homosexual continuum. Across cultures, most people are heterosexual, and heterosexual activity is by far the most common type of sexual activity.

Scientists do not know the exact cause of sexual orientation, but they theorize that it is caused by a complex interplay of genetic, hormonal, and environmental influences, and do not view it as a choice. Although no single theory on the cause of sexual orientation has yet gained widespread support, scientists favor biologically based theories. There is considerably more evidence supporting nonsocial, biological causes of sexual orientation than social ones, especially for males.

The term heterosexual or heterosexuality is usually applied to humans, but heterosexual behavior is observed in all other mammals and in other animals, as it is necessary for sexual reproduction.

Terminology
Hetero- comes from the Greek word ἕτερος [héteros], meaning "other party" or "another", used in science as a prefix meaning "different"; and the Latin word for sex (that is, characteristic sex or sexual differentiation).

The current use of the term heterosexual has its roots in the broader 19th century tradition of personality taxonomy. The term heterosexual was coined alongside the word homosexual by Karl Maria Kertbeny in 1869. The terms were not in current use during the late nineteenth century, but were reintroduced by Richard von Krafft-Ebing and Albert Moll around 1890. The noun came into wider use from the early 1920s, but did not enter common use until the 1960s. The colloquial shortening "hetero" is attested from 1933. The abstract noun "heterosexuality" is first recorded in 1900. The word "heterosexual" was listed in Merriam-Webster's New International Dictionary in 1923 as a medical term for "morbid sexual passion for one of the opposite sex"; however, in 1934 in their Second Edition Unabridged it is defined as a "manifestation of sexual passion for one of the opposite sex; normal sexuality".

Hyponyms of heterosexual include heteroflexible.

The word can be informally shortened to "hetero". The term straight originated as a mid-20th century gay slang term for heterosexuals, ultimately coming from the phrase "to go straight" (as in "straight and narrow"), or stop engaging in homosexual sex. One of the first uses of the word in this way was in 1941 by author G. W. Henry. Henry's book concerned conversations with homosexual males and used this term in connection with people who are identified as ex-gays. It is now simply a colloquial term for "heterosexual", having changed in primary meaning over time. Some object to usage of the term straight because it implies that non-heterosexual people are crooked.

Demographics
In their 2016 literature review, Bailey et al. stated that they "expect that in all cultures the vast majority of individuals are sexually predisposed exclusively to the other sex (i.e., heterosexual)" and that there is no persuasive evidence that the demographics of sexual orientation have varied much across time or place. Heterosexual activity between only one male and one female is by far the most common type of sociosexual activity.

According to several major studies, 89% to 98% of people have had only heterosexual contact within their lifetime;   but this percentage falls to 79–84% when either or both same-sex attraction and behavior are reported.

A 1992 study reported that 93.9% of males in Britain have only had heterosexual experience, while in France the number was reported at 95.9%. According to a 2008 poll, 85% of Britons have only opposite-sex sexual contact while 94% of Britons identify themselves as heterosexual. Similarly, a survey by the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) in 2010 found that 95% of Britons identified as heterosexual, 1.5% of Britons identified themselves as homosexual or bisexual, and the last 3.5% gave more vague answers such as "don't know", "other", or did not respond to the question. In the United States, according to a Williams Institute report in April 2011, 96% or approximately 250 million of the adult population are heterosexual.

An October 2012 Gallup poll provided unprecedented demographic information about those who identify as heterosexual, arriving at the conclusion that 96.6%, with a margin of error of ±1%, of all U.S. adults identify as heterosexual. The Gallup results show:

In a 2015 YouGov survey of 1,000 adults of the United States, 89% of the sample identified as heterosexual, 4% as homosexual (2% as homosexual male and 2% as homosexual female) and 4% as bisexual (of either sex).

Bailey et al., in their 2016 review, stated that in recent Western surveys, about 93% of men and 87% of women identify as completely heterosexual, and about 4% of men and 10% of women as mostly heterosexual.

Biological and environmental
No simple and singular determinant for sexual orientation has been conclusively demonstrated, but scientists believe that a combination of genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors determine sexual orientation. They favor biological theories for explaining the causes of sexual orientation, as there is considerably more evidence supporting nonsocial, biological causes than social ones, especially for males.

Factors related to the development of a heterosexual orientation include genes, prenatal hormones, and brain structure, and their interaction with the environment.

Prenatal hormones
The neurobiology of the masculinization of the brain is fairly well understood. Estradiol and testosterone, which is catalyzed by the enzyme 5α-reductase into dihydrotestosterone, act upon androgen receptors in the brain to masculinize it. If there are few androgen receptors (people with androgen insensitivity syndrome) or too much androgen (females with congenital adrenal hyperplasia), there can be physical and psychological effects. It has been suggested that both male and female heterosexuality are the results of this process. In these studies heterosexuality in females is linked to a lower amount of masculinization than is found in lesbian females, though when dealing with male heterosexuality there are results supporting both higher and lower degrees of masculinization than homosexual males.

Animals and reproduction
Sexual reproduction in the animal world is facilitated through opposite-sex sexual activity, although there are also animals that reproduce asexually, including protozoa and lower invertebrates.

Reproductive sex does not require a heterosexual orientation, since sexual orientation typically refers to a long-term enduring pattern of sexual and emotional attraction leading often to long-term social bonding, while reproduction requires as little as a single act of copulation to fertilize the ovum by sperm.

Sexual fluidity
Often, sexual orientation and sexual orientation identity are not distinguished, which can impact accurately assessing sexual identity and whether or not sexual orientation is able to change; sexual orientation identity can change throughout an individual's life, and may or may not align with biological sex, sexual behavior or actual sexual orientation. Sexual orientation is stable and unlikely to change for the vast majority of people, but some research indicates that some people may experience change in their sexual orientation, and this is more likely for women than for men.
 * The American Psychological Association distinguishes between sexual orientation (an innate attraction) and sexual orientation identity (which may change at any point in a person's life).
 * The American Psychological Association distinguishes between sexual orientation (an innate attraction) and sexual orientation identity (which may change at any point in a person's life).
 * The American Psychological Association distinguishes between sexual orientation (an innate attraction) and sexual orientation identity (which may change at any point in a person's life).

A 2012 study found that 2% of a sample of 2,560 adult participants reported a change of sexual orientation identity after a 10-year period. For men, a change occurred in 0.78% of those who had identified as heterosexual, 9.52% of homosexuals, and 47% of bisexuals. For women, a change occurred in 1.36% of heterosexuals, 63.6% of lesbians, and 64.7% of bisexuals.

A 2-year study by Lisa M. Diamond on a sample of 80 non-heterosexual female adolescents (age 16–23) reported that half of the participants had changed sexual-minority identities more than once, one third of them during the 2-year follow-up. Diamond concluded that "although sexual attractions appear fairly stable, sexual identities and behaviors are more fluid."

Heteroflexibility is a form of sexual orientation or situational sexual behavior characterized by minimal homosexual activity in an otherwise primarily heterosexual orientation that is considered to distinguish it from bisexuality. It has been characterized as "mostly straight".

Sexual orientation change efforts
Sexual orientation change efforts are methods that aim to change sexual orientation, used to try to convert homosexual and bisexual people to heterosexuality. Scientists and mental health professionals generally do not believe that sexual orientation is a choice. There are no studies of adequate scientific rigor that conclude that sexual orientation change efforts are effective.

Society and culture

A heterosexual couple, a man and woman in an intimate relationship, form the core of a nuclear family. Many societies throughout history have insisted that a marriage take place before the couple settle down, but enforcement of this rule or compliance with it has varied considerably.

Symbolism

Heterosexual symbolism dates back to the earliest artifacts of humanity, with gender symbols, ritual fertility carvings, and primitive art. This was later expressed in the symbolism of fertility rites and polytheistic worship, which often included images of human reproductive organs, such as lingam in Hinduism. Modern symbols of heterosexuality in societies derived from European traditions still reference symbols used in these ancient beliefs. One such image is a combination of the symbol for Mars, the Roman god of war, as the definitive male symbol of masculinity, and Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty, as the definitive female symbol of femininity. The unicode character for this combined symbol is ⚤ (U+26A4).

Historical views
There was no need to coin a term such as heterosexual until terms emerged with which it could be compared and contrasted. Jonathan Ned Katz dates the definition of heterosexuality, as it is used today, to the late 19th century. According to Katz, in the Victorian era, sex was seen as a means to achieve reproduction, and relations between the sexes were not believed to be overtly sexual. The body was thought of as a tool for procreation – "Human energy, thought of as a closed and severely limited system, was to be used in producing children and in work, not wasted in libidinous pleasures."

Katz argues that modern ideas of sexuality and eroticism began to develop in America and Germany in the later 19th century. The changing economy and the "transformation of the family from producer to consumer" resulted in shifting values. The Victorian work ethic had changed, pleasure became more highly valued and this allowed ideas of human sexuality to change. Consumer culture had created a market for the erotic, pleasure became commoditized. At the same time medical doctors began to acquire more power and influence. They developed the medical model of "normal love", in which healthy men and women enjoyed sex as part of a "new ideal of male-female relationships that included.. an essential, necessary, normal eroticism." This model also had a counterpart, "the Victorian Sex Pervert", anyone who failed to meet the norm. The basic oppositeness of the sexes was the basis for normal, healthy sexual attraction. "The attention paid the sexual abnormal created a need to name the sexual normal, the better to distinguish the average him and her from the deviant it." The creation of the term heterosexual consolidated the social existence of the pre-existing heterosexual experience and created a sense of ensured and validated normalcy within it.

Religious views
The Judeo-Christian tradition has several scriptures related to heterosexuality. The Book of Genesis states that God created women because "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him,", and that "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh"

For the most part, religious traditions in the world reserve marriage to heterosexual unions, but there are exceptions including certain Buddhist and Hindu traditions, Unitarian Universalists, Metropolitan Community Church, some Anglican dioceses, and some Quaker, United Church of Canada, and Reform and Conservative Jewish congregations.

Almost all religions believe that sex between a man and a woman within marriage is allowed, but there are a few that believe that it is a sin, such as The Shakers, The Harmony Society, and The Ephrata Cloister. These religions tend to view all sexual relations as sinful, and promote celibacy. Some religions require celibacy for certain roles, such as Catholic priests; however, the Catholic Church also views heterosexual marriage as sacred and necessary.

Heteronormativity and heterosexism

Heteronormativity denotes or relates to a world view that promotes heterosexuality as the normal or preferred sexual orientation for people to have. It can assign strict gender roles to males and females. The term was popularized by Michael Warner in 1991. Feminist Adrienne Rich argues that compulsory heterosexuality, a continual and repeating reassertion of heterosexual norms, is a facet of heterosexism. Compulsory heterosexuality is the idea that female heterosexuality is both assumed and enforced by a patriarchal society. Heterosexuality is then viewed as the natural inclination or obligation by both sexes. Consequently, anyone who differs from the normalcy of heterosexuality is deemed deviant or abhorrent.

Heterosexism is a form of bias or discrimination in favor of opposite-sex sexuality and relationships. It may include an assumption that everyone is heterosexual and may involve various kinds of discrimination against gays, lesbians, bisexuals, asexuals, heteroflexible people, or transgender or non-binary individuals.

Straight pride is a slogan that arose in the late 1980s and early 1990s and has been used primarily by social conservative groups as a political stance and strategy. The term is described as a response to gay pride  adopted by various LGBT groups in the early 1970s or to the accommodations provided to gay pride initiatives.

title: Heterosexuality


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Hopewell Centre (Hong Kong)

Hopewell Centre is a 222 m, 64-storey skyscraper at 183 Queen's Road East, in Wan Chai, Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. The tower is the first circular skyscraper in Hong Kong. It is named after Hong Kong–listed property firm Hopewell Holdings Limited, which constructed the building. Hopewell Holdings Limited's headquarters are in the building and its chief executive officer, Gordon Wu, has his office on the top floor.

Description
Construction started in 1977 and was completed in 1980. Upon completion, Hopewell Centre surpassed Jardine House as Hong Kong's tallest building. It was also the second tallest building in Asia at the time. It kept its title in Hong Kong until 1989, when the Bank of China Tower was completed. The building is now the 20th tallest building in Hong Kong.

The building has a circular floor plan. Although the front entrance is on the 'ground floor', commuters are taken through a set of escalators to the 3rd floor lift lobby. Hopewell Centre stands on the slope of a hill so steep that the building has its back entrance on the 17th floor towards Kennedy Road. There is a circular private swimming pool on the roof of the building built for feng shui reasons because people thought the building resembled a cigarette.

A revolving restaurant located on the 62nd floor, called "Revolving 66", overlooks other tall buildings below and the harbour. It was originally called Revolving 62, but soon changed its name as locals kept calling it Revolving 66. It completes a 360-degree rotation each hour. Passengers take either office lifts (faster) or the scenic lifts (with a view) to the 56/F, where they transfer to smaller lifts up to the 62/F. The restaurant is now named The Grand Buffet.

The building comprises several groups of lifts. Lobbies are on the 3rd and 17th floor, and are connected to Queen's Road East and Kennedy Road respectively. A mini-skylobby is on the 56th floor and serves as a transfer floor for diners heading to the 60/F and 62/F restaurants. The building's white 'bumps' between the windows have built in window-washer guide rails.

This skyscraper was the filming location for R&B group Dru Hill's music video for "How Deep Is Your Love," directed by Brett Ratner, who also directed the movie Rush Hour, whose soundtrack features the song. The circular private swimming pool is well visible in this music video. This swimming pool has also featured in an Australian television advertisement by one of that country's major gaming companies, Tattersall's Limited, promoting a weekly lottery competition.

The skyscraper was also featured on the cover of post-hardcore band Fugazi's 1998 album End Hits.

Access

 * MTR Wan Chai station Exit D, followed by a 5-minute walk south through Lee Tung Avenue.

Privatisation
Hopewell shares shot up 31 per cent at one point, after the developer unveiled a privatisation plan worth HK$21.26 billion. The company was privatised in 2019 and its stock ticker 54 was removed from the exchange.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Hopewell Centre (Hong Kong)


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Talk:List of historical films set in Near Eastern and Western civilization

An American Haunting (2005)
Can someone add An American Haunting since this took place during the Bell Witch haunting? DynastiNoble (talk) 21:24, 19 January 2020 (UTC)

Racism or Eurocentrism?
Can anyone explain why we have separate lists and not a universal one? Why should there be a list of asian historical films and Western/Near Eastern historical films, but not american historical films?

Why isn't there a list of african historical movies? Or an australian one? —Preceding unsigned comment added by WikiManiacul (talk • contribs) 01:40, 15 June 2022 (UTC)

 * I don't think that this is intentional Eurocentrism, but it is an awkward classification. The "Near East" is a largely outdated and very vague (Are the former Ottoman lands in Europe included?, North Africa?, Muslim Spain?) term; it also overlaps with Asia, which is on another list. I don't see a reason why there isn't just one list, or a list by century. Uness232 (talk) 11:37, 18 July 2023 (UTC)


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Harwich, Massachusetts

Harwich is a New England town on Cape Cod, in Barnstable County in the state of Massachusetts in the United States. At the 2020 census it had a population of 13,440. Harwich experiences a seasonal increase to roughly 37,000. The town is a popular vacation spot, located near the Cape Cod National Seashore. Harwich's beaches are on the Nantucket Sound side of Cape Cod. Harwich has three active harbors. Saquatucket, Wychmere and Allen Harbors are all in Harwich Port. The town of Harwich includes the villages of Pleasant Lake, West Harwich, East Harwich, Harwich Port, Harwich Center, North Harwich and South Harwich.

History
Harwich was first settled by Europeans in 1670 as part of Yarmouth. The town was officially incorporated in 1694, and originally included the lands of the current town of Brewster. Early industry involved fishing and farming. The town is considered by some to be the birthplace of the cranberry industry, with the first commercial operation opened in 1846. There are still many bogs in the town, although the economy is now more centered on tourism and as a residential community. The town is also the site of the start/finish line of the "Sail Around the Cape", which rounds the Cape counter-clockwise, returning via the Cape Cod Canal.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 85.8 km2, of which 54.1 km2 is land and 31.7 km2, or 36.97%, is water. The seven villages of Harwich are West Harwich, North Harwich, East Harwich, South Harwich, Harwich Center, Harwich Port and Pleasant Lake. These are also referred to as the Harwiches.

Harwich is on the southern side of Cape Cod, just west of the southeastern corner. It is bordered by Dennis to the west, Brewster to the north, Orleans to the northeast, Chatham to the east, and Nantucket Sound to the south. Harwich is approximately 12 mi east of Barnstable, 28 mi east of the Cape Cod Canal, 35 mi south of Provincetown, and 80 mi southeast of Boston.

The town shares the largest lake on the Cape, called Long Pond, with the town of Brewster. Long Pond serves as a private airport for planes with the ability to land on water. The village of Pleasant Lake is at the southwest corner of the lake. Numerous other smaller bodies of water dot the town. Sand Pond, a public beach and swimming area, is located off Great Western Road in North Harwich.

The shore is home to several harbors and rivers, including the Herring River, Allens Harbor, Wychmere Harbor, Saquatucket Harbor, and the Andrews River. The town is also the home to the Hawksnest State Park, as well as a marina and several beaches, including two on Long Pond. There are also many beaches in West Harwich and South Harwich.

Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Harwich, Massachusetts, has a warm-summer, wet year round, humid continental climate (Dfb). Dfb climates are characterized by at least one month having an average mean temperature ≤ 32.0 °F (≤ 0.0 °C), at least four months with an average mean temperature ≥ 50.0 °F (≥ 10.0 °C), all months with an average mean temperature ≤ 71.6 °F (≤ 22.0 °C), and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. The average seasonal (Nov–Apr) snowfall total is approximately 30 inches (76 cm). The average snowiest month is February, which corresponds with the annual peak in nor'easter activity. The plant hardiness zone is 7a, with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 4.0 °F (−15.6 °C).

Ecology
According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Harwich, Massachusetts, would primarily contain a Northeastern oak/pine (110) vegetation type with a Southern mixed forest (26) vegetation form.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,386 people, 5,471 households, and 3,545 families residing in the town. The population density was 588.6 PD/sqmi. There were 9,450 housing units at an average density of 449.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 95.41% White, 0.71% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 2.03% from other races, and 1.40% from two or more races. 0.96% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,471 households, out of which 21.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.4% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.72.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 18.3% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 22.1% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 29.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $41,552, and the median income for a family was $51,070. Males had a median income of $38,948 versus $27,439 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,063. About 2.9% of families and 15.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.4% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.

The town of Harwich contains several smaller census-designated places (CDPs) for which the U.S. Census reports more focused geographic and demographic information. The CDPs in Harwich are Harwich Center, Harwich Port (including South Harwich), East Harwich and Northwest Harwich (including West Harwich, North Harwich, and Pleasant Lake).

Government
Harwich is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives as a part of the Fourth Barnstable district, which includes (with the exception of Brewster) all the towns east and north of Harwich on the Cape. The town is represented in the Massachusetts Senate as a part of the Cape and Islands District, which includes all of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket except the towns of Bourne, Falmouth, Sandwich and a portion of Barnstable. The town is patrolled by the Second (Yarmouth) Barracks of Troop D of the Massachusetts State Police.

After results from the 2020 census, Massachusetts decreased from 10 to 9 congressional districts due to decreased growth in population. These new boundaries now put Harwich in the 9th congressional district as the 10th no longer exists. Harwich is currently represented by William R. Keating. The state's senior member of the United States Senate is Elizabeth Warren, elected in 2012. The junior senator is Ed Markey, elected in 2013.

Harwich is governed by the open town meeting form of government, led by a town administrator and a board of selectmen.

Public and health services
There are three libraries in the town. The municipal library, the Brooks Free Library in Harwich Center, is the largest and is a member of the Cape Libraries Automated Materials Sharing (CLAMS) library network. There are two smaller non-municipal libraries – the Chase Library on Route 28 in West Harwich at the Dennis town line, and the Harwich Port Library on Lower Bank Street in Harwich Port.

Harwich is the site of the Long Pond Medical Center, which serves the southeastern Cape region.

Harwich has police and fire departments, with one fire and police station headquarters, and Station 2 in East Harwich.

There are post offices in Harwich Port, South Harwich, West Harwich, and East Harwich.

Education
Harwich's schools are part of the Monomoy Regional School District. Harwich Elementary School serves students from pre-school through fourth grade, Monomoy Regional Middle School which serves both Harwich and its joining town, Chatham. This middle school serves grades 5–7, and Monomoy Regional High School serves grades 8–12 for both Harwich and Chatham. Monomoy's teams are known as the Sharks. Harwich is known for its excellent boys basketball, girls basketball, girls field hockey, softball and baseball teams.

The Lighthouse Charter School recently moved into where the Harwich Cinema building was located.

Harwich is the site of Cape Cod Regional Technical High School, a grades 9–12 high school which serves most of Cape Cod. The town is also home to Holy Trinity PreSchool, a Catholic pre-school which serves pre-kindergarten in West Harwich.

Sports and recreation
Harwich is home to the Harwich Mariners, an amateur collegiate summer baseball team in the Cape Cod Baseball League. The team plays at B.F.C. Whitehouse Field and has featured dozens of players who went on to careers in Major League Baseball such as Kevin Millar, Josh Donaldson, and DJ LeMahieu.

Since 1976, the town has hosted the annual Harwich Cranberry Festival, noted for its fireworks display, in September.

Harwich Port is a popular destination in the summer. The most popular beach in Harwich Port is Bank Street Beach. Harwich has 18 beaches and ponds.

Roadways
Two of Massachusetts major routes, U.S. Route 6 and Massachusetts Route 28, cross the town. The town has the southern termini of Routes 39 and 124, and a portion of Route 137 passes through the town. Route 39 leads east through East Harwich to Orleans. Route 28 passes through West Harwich and Harwich Port, connecting the towns of Dennis and Chatham. Route 124 leads from Harwich Center to Brewster, and Route 137 cuts through East Harwich leading from Chatham to Brewster.

Cape Cod Rail Trail
A portion of the Cape Cod Rail Trail, as well as several other bicycle routes, are in town. There is no rail service in town, but the Cape Cod Rail Trail rotary is located in North Harwich near Main Street.

Air travel
Other than the occasional sea plane landing on the pond, the nearest airport is in neighboring Chatham; the nearest regional service is at Barnstable Municipal Airport; and the nearest national and international air service is at Logan International Airport in Boston.

CCRTA bus connections
In recent years parts of Cape Cod have introduced bus service, especially during the summer to help cut down on traffic.
 * The Flex Harwich Port – West Harwich – Dennis Port – South Dennis – East Dennis – South Yarmouth – West Yarmouth – Hyannis
 * Route H2O Hyannis – Orleans via South Dennis, West Dennis, Dennis Port, Harwich Port, Chatham and Orleans.

Notable people

 * Ruby Braff (1927–2003), jazz trumpeter and cornetist, former resident of Harwich in his later life
 * A. Elmer Crowell (1862–1952), was a master decoy carver from East Harwich. Crowell specialized in shorebirds, waterfowl, and miniatures. Crowell's decoys are consistently regarded as the finest and most desirable decoys ever made. Two of Crowell's decoys have repeatedly set world records for sales. Currently, Crowell's preening pintail drake and Canada goose decoys share the world record at $1.13 million
 * Seth Doane, award-winning television journalist; raised in Harwich and graduate of Harwich High School
 * Shawn Fanning, creator and owner of MP3 music downloading application Napster; graduated from Harwich High School
 * John Kendrick (1740–1794), maritime fur trader; one of the first Americans to visit the Pacific Northwest, the Hawaiian Islands, and China
 * Thomas Nickerson, survivor of the ill-fated whaleship Essex, which inspired Melville's novel Moby Dick
 * Tip O'Neill (1912–1994), politician; owned a vacation home near Bank Street Beach and buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery
 * Andrea Silbert, nonprofit executive
 * Fay Vincent, commissioner of Major League Baseball
 * Jonathan Walker (1799–1878), abolitionist; had his hand branded as a consequence of helping free slaves
 * Joseph N. Welch, chief counsel for the United States Army; famously asked Senator Joseph McCarthy "At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"

Notable events

 * In 1975, during the bicentennial celebrations across America, a time capsule was buried in front of Brooks Academy in Harwich Center. The time capsule is due to be opened in 100 years, in the year 2075.
 * On September 14, 1994, the town celebrated its tricentennial, which marked 300 years since the town's founding on the same day in 1694.

title: Harwich, Massachusetts


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Hull classification symbol

The United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) use a hull classification symbol (sometimes called hull code or hull number) to identify their ships by type and by individual ship within a type. The system is analogous to the pennant number system that the Royal Navy and other European and Commonwealth navies use.

United States Navy
The U.S. Navy began to assign unique Naval Registry Identification Numbers to its ships in the 1890s. The system was a simple one in which each ship received a number which was appended to its ship type, fully spelled out, and added parenthetically after the ship's name when deemed necessary to avoid confusion between ships. Under this system, for example, the battleship Indiana was USS Indiana (Battleship No. 1), the cruiser Olympia was USS Olympia (Cruiser No. 6), and so on. Beginning in 1907, some ships also were referred to alternatively by single-letter or three-letter codes—for example, USS Indiana (Battleship No. 1) could be referred to as USS Indiana (B-1) and USS Olympia (Cruiser No. 6) could also be referred to as USS Olympia (C-6), while USS Pennsylvania (Armored Cruiser No. 4) could be referred to as USS Pennsylvania (ACR-4). However, rather than replacing it, these codes coexisted and were used interchangeably with the older system until the modern system was instituted on 17 July 1920.

During World War I, the U.S. Navy acquired large numbers of privately owned and commercial ships and craft for use as patrol vessels, mine warfare vessels, and various types of naval auxiliary ships, some of them with identical names. To keep track of them all, the Navy assigned unique identifying numbers to them. Those deemed appropriate for patrol work received section patrol numbers (SP), while those intended for other purposes received "identification numbers", generally abbreviated "Id. No." or "ID;" some ships and craft changed from an SP to an ID number or vice versa during their careers, without their unique numbers themselves changing, and some ships and craft assigned numbers in anticipation of naval service were never acquired by the Navy. The SP/ID numbering sequence was unified and continuous, with no SP number repeated in the ID series or vice versa so that there could not be, for example, both an "SP-435" and an "Id. No. 435". The SP and ID numbers were used parenthetically after each boat's or ship's name to identify it; although this system pre-dated the modern hull classification system and its numbers were not referred to at the time as "hull codes" or "hull numbers," it was used in a similar manner to today's system and can be considered its precursor.

United States Revenue Cutter Service and United States Coast Guard
The United States Revenue Cutter Service, which merged with the United States Lifesaving Service in January 1915 to form the modern United States Coast Guard, began following the Navy's lead in the 1890s, with its cutters having parenthetical numbers called Naval Registry Identification Numbers following their names, such as (Cutter No. 1), etc. This persisted until the Navy's modern hull classification system's introduction in 1920, which included Coast Guard ships and craft.

United States Coast and Geodetic Survey
Like the U.S. Navy, the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey – a uniformed seagoing service of the United States Government and a predecessor of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – adopted a hull number system for its fleet in the 20th century. Its largest vessels, "Category I" oceanographic survey ships, were classified as "ocean survey ships" and given the designation "OSS". Intermediate-sized "Category II" oceanographic survey ships received the designation "MSS" for "medium survey ship," and smaller "Category III" oceanographic survey ships were given the classification "CSS" for "coastal survey ship." A fourth designation, "ASV" for "auxiliary survey vessel," included even smaller vessels. In each case, a particular ship received a unique designation based on its classification and a unique hull number separated by a space rather than a hyphen; for example, the third Coast and Geodetic Survey ship named Pioneer was an ocean survey ship officially known as USC&GS Pioneer (OSS 31). The Coast and Geodetic Survey's system persisted after the creation of NOAA in 1970, when NOAA took control of the Survey's fleet, but NOAA later changed to its modern hull classification system.

United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The Fish and Wildlife Service, created in 1940 and reorganized as the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in 1956, adopted a hull number system for its fisheries research ships and patrol vessels. It consisted of "FWS" followed by a unique identifying number. In 1970, NOAA took control of the seagoing ships of the USFWS's Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, and as part of the NOAA fleet they were assigned new hull numbers beginning with "FRV," for Fisheries Research Vessel, followed by a unique identifying number. They eventually were renumbered under the modern NOAA hull number system.

United States Navy
The U.S. Navy instituted its modern hull classification system on 17 July 1920, doing away with section patrol numbers, "identification numbers", and the other numbering systems described above. In the new system, all hull classification symbols are at least two letters; for basic types the symbol is the first letter of the type name, doubled, except for aircraft carriers.

The combination of symbol and hull number identifies a modern Navy ship uniquely. A heavily modified or re-purposed ship may receive a new symbol, and either retain the hull number or receive a new one. For example, the heavy gun cruiser USS Boston (CA-69) was converted to a gun/missile cruiser, changing the hull number to CAG-1. Also, the system of symbols has changed a number of times both since it was introduced in 1907 and since the modern system was instituted in 1920, so ships' symbols sometimes change without anything being done to the physical ship.

Hull numbers are assigned by classification. Duplication between, but not within, classifications is permitted. Hence, CV-1 was the aircraft carrier USS Langley (CV-1) and BB-1 was the battleship USS Indiana (BB-1).

Ship types and classifications have come and gone over the years, and many of the symbols listed below are not presently in use. The Naval Vessel Register maintains an online database of U.S. Navy ships showing which symbols are presently in use.

After World War II until 1975, the U.S. Navy defined a "frigate" as a type of surface warship larger than a destroyer and smaller than a cruiser. In other navies, such a ship generally was referred to as a "flotilla leader", or "destroyer leader". Hence the U.S. Navy's use of "DL" for "frigate" prior to 1975, while "frigates" in other navies were smaller than destroyers and more like what the U.S. Navy termed a "destroyer escort", "ocean escort", or "DE". The United States Navy 1975 ship reclassification of cruisers, frigates, and ocean escorts brought U.S. Navy classifications into line with other nations' classifications, at least cosmetically in terms of terminology, and eliminated the perceived "cruiser gap" with the Soviet Navy by redesignating the former "frigates" as "cruisers".

Military Sealift Command
If a U.S. Navy ship's hull classification symbol begins with "T-", it is part of the Military Sealift Command, has a primarily civilian crew, and is a United States Naval Ship (USNS) in non-commissioned service – as opposed to a commissioned United States Ship (USS) with an all-military crew.

United States Coast Guard
If a ship's hull classification symbol begins with "W", it is a commissioned cutter of the United States Coast Guard. Until 1965, the Coast Guard used U.S. Navy hull classification codes, prepending a "W" to their beginning. In 1965, it retired some of the less mission-appropriate Navy-based classifications and developed new ones of its own, most notably WHEC for "high endurance cutter" and WMEC for "medium endurance cutter".

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a component of the United States Department of Commerce, includes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps (or "NOAA Corps"), one of the eight uniformed services of the United States, and operates a fleet of seagoing research and survey ships. The NOAA fleet also uses a hull classification symbol system, which it also calls "hull numbers," for its ships.

After NOAA took over the former fleets of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bureau of Commercial Fisheries in 1970, it initially retained the Coast and Geodetic Survey's hull-number designations for its survey ships and adopted hull numbers beginning with "FRV", for "Fisheries Research Vessel", for its fisheries research ships. It later adopted a new system of ship classification, which it still uses today. In its modern system, the NOAA fleet is divided into two broad categories, research ships and survey ships. The research ships, which include oceanographic and fisheries research vessels, are given hull numbers beginning with "R", while the survey ships, generally hydrographic survey vessels, receive hull numbers beginning with "S". The letter is followed by a three-digit number; the first digit indicates the NOAA "class" (i.e., size) of the vessel, which NOAA assigns based on the ship's gross tonnage and horsepower, while the next two digits combine with the first digit to create a unique three-digit identifying number for the ship.

Generally, each NOAA hull number is written with a space between the letter and the three-digit number, as in, for example, NOAAS Nancy Foster or NOAAS Thomas Jefferson.

Unlike in the U.S. Navy system, once an older NOAA ship leaves service, a newer one can be given the same hull number; for example, "S 222" was assigned to NOAAS Mount Mitchell, then assigned to NOAAS Thomas Jefferson (S 222), which entered NOAA service after Mount Mitchell was stricken.

United States Navy hull classification codes
The U.S. Navy's system of alpha-numeric ship designators, and its associated hull numbers, have been for several decades a unique method of categorizing ships of all types: combatants, auxiliaries and district craft. Although considerably changed in detail and expanded over the years, this system remains essentially the same as when formally implemented in 1920. It is a very useful tool for organizing and keeping track of naval vessels, and also provides the basis for the identification numbers painted on the bows (and frequently the sterns) of most U.S. Navy ships.

The ship designator and hull number system's roots extend back to the late 1880s when ship type serial numbers were assigned to most of the new-construction warships of the emerging "Steel Navy". During the course of the next thirty years, these same numbers were combined with filing codes used by the Navy's clerks to create an informal version of the system that was put in place in 1920. Limited usage of ship numbers goes back even earlier, most notably to the "Jeffersonian Gunboats" of the early 1800s and the "Tinclad" river gunboats of the Civil War Mississippi Squadron.

It is important to understand that hull number-letter prefixes are not acronyms, and should not be carelessly treated as abbreviations of ship type classifications. Thus, "DD" does not stand for anything more than "Destroyer". "SS" simply means "Submarine". And "FF" is the post-1975 type code for "Frigate."

The hull classification codes for ships in active duty in the United States Navy are governed under Secretary of the Navy Instruction 5030.8D.

Warships
Warships are designed to participate in combat operations.

The origin of the two-letter code derives from the need to distinguish various cruiser subtypes.

Aircraft carrier type
Aircraft carriers are ships designed primarily for the purpose of conducting combat operations by aircraft which engage in attacks against airborne, surface, sub-surface and shore targets. Contrary to popular belief, the "CV" hull classification symbol does not stand for "carrier vessel". "CV" derives from the cruiser designation, with one popular theory that the V comes from French voler, "to fly", but this has never been definitively proven. The V has long been used by the U.S. Navy for heavier-than-air craft and possibly comes from the French volplane. Aircraft carriers are designated in two sequences: the first sequence runs from CV-1 USS Langley to the very latest ships, and the second sequence, "CVE" for escort carriers, ran from CVE-1 Long Island to CVE-127 Okinawa before being discontinued.
 * AV: Heavier-than-air aircraft tender, later Seaplane tender (retired)
 * AVD: Seaplane tender destroyer (retired)
 * AVP: Seaplane tender, Small (retired)
 * AZ: Lighter-than-air aircraft tender (retired) (1920–1923)
 * AVG: General-purpose aircraft tender (repurposed escort carrier) (1941–42)
 * AVT (i) Auxiliary aircraft transport (retired)
 * AVT (ii) Auxiliary training carrier (retired)
 * ACV: Auxiliary aircraft carrier (escort carrier, replaced by CVE) (1942)
 * CV: Fleet aircraft carrier (1921–1975), multi-purpose aircraft carrier (1975–present)
 * CVA: Aircraft carrier, attack (category merged into CV, 30 June 1975)
 * CV(N): Aircraft carrier, night (deck equipped with lighting and pilots trained for nighttime fights) (1944) (retired)
 * CVAN: Aircraft carrier, attack, nuclear-powered (category merged into CVN, 30 June 1975)
 * CVB: Aircraft carrier, large (original USS Midway class, category merged into CVA, 1952)
 * CVE: Aircraft carrier, escort (retired) (1943–retirement of type)
 * CVHA: Aircraft carrier, helicopter assault (retired in favor of several LH-series amphibious assault ship hull codes)
 * CVHE: Aircraft carrier, helicopter, escort (retired)
 * CVL: Light aircraft carrier or aircraft carrier, small (retired)
 * CVN: Aircraft carrier, nuclear-powered
 * CVS: Antisubmarine aircraft carrier (retired)
 * CVT: Aircraft carrier, training (changed to AVT (auxiliary))
 * CVU: Aircraft carrier, utility (retired)
 * CVG: Aircraft carrier, guided missile (retired)
 * CF: Flight deck cruiser (1930s, retired unused)
 * CVV: Aircraft carrier, vari-purpose, medium (retired unused)

Surface combatant type
Surface combatants are ships which are designed primarily to engage enemy forces on the high seas. The primary surface combatants are battleships, cruisers and destroyers. Battleships are very heavily armed and armored; cruisers moderately so; destroyers and smaller warships, less so. Before 1920, ships were called " no. X", with the type fully pronounced. The types were commonly abbreviated in ship lists to "B-X", "C-X", "D-X" et cetera—for example, before 1920, USS Minnesota (BB-22) would have been called "USS Minnesota, Battleship number 22" orally and "USS Minnesota, B-22" in writing. After 1920, the ship's name would have been both written and pronounced "USS Minnesota (BB-22)". In generally decreasing size, the types are:
 * ACR: Armored cruiser (pre-1920)
 * AFSB: Afloat forward staging base (also AFSB(I) for "interim", changed to MLP (Mobile Landing Platform, then ESD and ESB)
 * B: Battleship (pre-1920)
 * BB: Battleship
 * BBG: Battleship, guided missile or arsenal ship (never used operationally)
 * BM: Monitor (1920–retirement)
 * C: Cruiser (pre-1920 protected cruisers and peace cruisers)
 * CA: (first series) Cruiser, armored (retired, comprised all surviving pre-1920 armored and protected cruisers)
 * CA: (second series) Heavy cruiser, category later renamed gun cruiser (retired)
 * CAG: Cruiser, heavy, guided missile (retired)
 * CB: Large cruiser (retired)
 * CBC: Large command cruiser (never used operationally)
 * CC: (first usage) Battlecruiser (never used operationally)
 * CC: (second usage) Command cruiser (retired)
 * CLC: Command cruiser, light (retired)
 * CG: Cruiser, guided missile
 * CGN: Cruiser, guided missile, nuclear-powered: USS Long Beach (CGN-9) and USS Bainbridge (CGN-25)
 * CL: Cruiser, light (retired)
 * CLAA: Cruiser, light, anti-aircraft (retired)
 * CLD: Cruiser-destroyer, light (never used operationally)
 * CLG: Cruiser, light, guided missile (retired)
 * CLGN: Cruiser, light, guided missile, nuclear-powered (never used operationally)
 * CLK: Cruiser, hunter–killer (never used operationally)
 * CM: Cruiser–minelayer (retired)
 * CS: Scout cruiser (retired)
 * CSGN: Cruiser, strike, guided missile, nuclear-powered (never used operationally)
 * D: Destroyer (pre-1920)
 * DD: Destroyer
 * DDC: Corvette (briefly proposed in the mid-1950s)
 * DDE: Escort destroyer, a destroyer (DD) converted for antisubmarine warfare – category abolished 1962. (not to be confused with destroyer escort DE)
 * DDG: Destroyer, guided missile
 * DDK: Hunter–killer destroyer (category merged into DDE, 4 March 1950)
 * DDR: Destroyer, radar picket (retired)
 * DE: Destroyer escort (World War II, later became Ocean escort)
 * DE: Ocean escort (abolished 30 June 1975)
 * DEG: Guided missile ocean escort (abolished 30 June 1975)
 * DER: Destroyer escort, radar picket (abolished 30 June 1975) There were two distinct breeds of DER, the DEs which were converted to DERs during World War II and the more numerous postwar DER conversions.
 * DL: Destroyer leader (later frigate) (retired)
 * DLG: Destroyer leader, guided missile (later frigate) (abolished 30 June 1975)
 * DLGN: Destroyer leader, guided missile, nuclear-propulsion (later frigate) (abolished 30 June 1975) The DL category was established in 1951 with the abolition of the CLK category. CLK 1 became DL 1 and DD 927–930 became DL 2–5. By the mid-1950s the term destroyer leader had been dropped in favor of frigate. Most DLGs and DLGNs were reclassified as CGs and CGNs, 30 June 1975. However, DLG 6–15 became DDG 37–46. The old DLs were already gone by that time. Only applied to USS Bainbridge (DLGN-25).
 * DM: Destroyer, minelayer (retired)
 * DMS: Destroyer, minesweeper (retired)
 * FF: Frigate
 * PF: Patrol frigate (retired)
 * FFG: Frigate, guided missile
 * FFH: Frigate with assigned helicopter
 * FFL: Frigate, light
 * FFR: Frigate, radar picket (retired)
 * FFT: Frigate (reserve training) (retired) The FF, FFG, and FFR designations were established 30 June 1975 as new type symbols for ex-DEs, DEGs, and DERs. The first new-built ships to carry the FF/FFG designation were the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates.
 * PG: Patrol gunboat (retired)
 * PCH: Patrol craft, hydrofoil (retired)
 * PHM: Patrol, hydrofoil, missile (retired)
 * K: Corvette (retired)
 * LCS: Littoral combat ship In January 2015, the Navy announced that the up-gunned LCS will be reclassified as a frigate, since the requirements of the SSC Task Force was to upgrade the ships with frigate-like capabilities. The Navy is hoping to start retrofitting technological upgrades onto existing and under construction LCSs before 2019.
 * LSES: Large Surface Effect Ship
 * M: Monitor (1880s–1920)
 * SES: Surface Effect Ship
 * TB: Torpedo boat

Submarine type
Submarines are all self-propelled submersible types (usually started with SS) regardless of whether employed as combatant, auxiliary, or research and development vehicles which have at least a residual combat capability. While some classes, including all diesel-electric submarines, are retired from USN service, non-U.S. navies continue to employ SS, SSA, SSAN, SSB, SSC, SSG, SSM, and SST types. With the advent of new Air Independent Propulsion/Power (AIP) systems, both SSI and SSP are used to distinguish the types within the USN, but SSP has been declared the preferred term. SSK, retired by the USN, continues to be used colloquially and interchangeably with SS for diesel-electric attack/patrol submarines within the USN, and, more formally, by the Royal Navy and British firms such as Jane's Information Group.
 * SC: Cruiser Submarine (retired)
 * SF: Fleet Submarine (retired)
 * SM: Submarine Minelayer (retired)
 * SS: Submarine, Attack Submarine
 * SSA: Submarine Auxiliary, Auxiliary/Cargo Submarine
 * SSAN: Submarine Auxiliary Nuclear, Auxiliary/Cargo Submarine, Nuclear-powered
 * SSB: Submarine Ballistic, Ballistic Missile Submarine
 * SSBN: Submarine Ballistic Nuclear, Ballistic Missile Submarine, Nuclear-powered
 * SSC: Coastal Submarine, over 150 tons
 * SSG: Guided Missile Submarine
 * SSGN: Guided Missile Submarine, Nuclear-powered
 * SSI: Attack Submarine (Diesel Air-Independent Propulsion)
 * SSK: Hunter-Killer/ASW Submarine (retired)
 * SSKN: Hunter-Killer/ASW Submarine, Nuclear-powered (retired)
 * SSM: Midget Submarine, under 150 tons
 * SSN: Attack Submarine, Nuclear-powered
 * SSNR: Special Attack Submarine
 * SSO: Submarine Oiler (retired)
 * SSP: Attack Submarine (Diesel Air-Independent Power) (alternate use), formerly Submarine Transport
 * SSQ: Auxiliary Submarine, Communications (retired)
 * SSQN: Auxiliary Submarine, Communications, Nuclear-powered (retired)
 * SSR: Radar Picket Submarine (retired)
 * SSRN: Radar Picket Submarine, Nuclear-powered (retired)
 * SST: Training Submarine
 * X: Midget submarine
 * IXSS: Unclassified Miscellaneous Submarine
 * MTS: Moored Training Ship (Naval Nuclear Power School Training Platform; reconditioned SSBNs and SSNs)

Patrol combatant type
Patrol combatants are ships whose mission may extend beyond coastal duties and whose characteristics include adequate endurance and seakeeping, providing a capability for operations exceeding 48 hours on the high seas without support. This notably included Brown Water Navy/Riverine Forces during the Vietnam War. Few of these ships are in service today.
 * PBR: Patrol Boat, River, Brown Water Navy (Pibber or PBR-Vietnam)
 * PC: Coastal Patrol, originally Sub Chaser
 * PCF: Patrol Craft, Fast; Swift Boat, Brown Water Navy (Vietnam)
 * PE: Eagle Boat of World War I
 * PF: World War II Frigate, based on British River-class frigate.
 * PFG: Original designation of USS Oliver Hazard Perry (FFG-7)
 * PG: WWII-era Gunboats, later Patrol combatant, with ability to operate in rivers; what is generally known as River gunboats
 * PGH: Patrol Combatant, Hydrofoil (USS High Point)
 * PHM: Patrol, Hydrofoil Missile (Pegasus-class hydrofoil)
 * PR: Patrol, River, such as the USS Panay (PR-5)
 * PT: Patrol Torpedo Boat, the U.S. take on the Motor Torpedo Boat (World War II)
 * PTF: Patrol Torpedo Fast, Brown Water Navy (Vietnam)
 * PTG/PTGB: Patrol Torpedo Gunboat
 * Monitor: Heavily gunned riverine boat, Brown Water Navy (Vietnam and prior). Named for USS Monitor
 * ASPB: Assault Support Patrol Boat, "Alpha Boat", Brown Water Navy; also used as riverine minesweeper (Vietnam)
 * PACV: Patrol Air Cushion Vehicle, hovercraft that was part of the Brown Water Navy (Vietnam)
 * SP: Section Patrol, used indiscriminately for patrol vessels, mine warfare vessels, and some other types (World War I; retired 1920)

Amphibious warfare type
Amphibious warfare vessels include all ships having an organic capability for amphibious warfare and which have characteristics enabling long duration operations on the high seas. There are two classifications of craft: amphibious warfare ships, which are built to cross oceans, and landing craft, which are designed to take troops from ship to shore in an invasion.

The U.S. Navy hull classification symbol for a ship with a well deck depends on its facilities for aircraft:
 * An LSD has a helicopter deck, which was removable in the older ships.
 * An LPD has a hangar in addition to the helicopter deck.
 * An LHD or LHA has a full-length flight deck.

Ships
 * AKA: Attack Cargo Ship (To LKA, 1969)
 * APA: Attack Transport (To LPA, 1969)
 * APD: High speed transport (Converted Destroyer or Destroyer Escort) (To LPR, 1969)
 * APM: Mechanized Artillery Transports (To LSD)
 * AGC: Amphibious Force Flagship (To LCC, 1969)
 * LCC: (second usage) Amphibious Command Ship
 * LHA: General-Purpose Amphibious Assault Ship, also known as Landing ship, Helicopter, Assault
 * LHD: Multi-Purpose Amphibious Assault Ship, also known as Landing ship, Helicopter, Dock
 * LKA: Amphibious Cargo Ship (out of commission)
 * LPA: Amphibious Transport
 * LPD: Amphibious transport dock, also known as Landing ship, Personnel, Dock
 * LPH: Landing ship, Personnel, Helicopter
 * LPR: High speed transport
 * LSD: Landing Ship, Dock
 * LSH: Landing Ship, Heavy
 * LSIL: Landing Ship, Infantry (Large) (formerly LCIL)
 * LSL: Landing Ship, Logistics
 * LSM: Landing Ship, Medium
 * LSM(R): Landing Ship, Medium (Rocket)
 * LSSL: Landing Ship, Support (Large) (formerly LCSL)
 * LST: Landing Ship, Tank
 * LST(H): Landing Ship, Tank (Hospital)
 * LSV: Landing Ship, Vehicle

Landing Craft
 * LCA: Landing Craft, Assault
 * LCAC: Landing Craft Air Cushion
 * LCC: (first usage) Landing Craft, Control
 * LCFF: (Flotilla Flagship)
 * LCH: Landing Craft, Heavy
 * LCI: Landing Craft, Infantry, World War II-era classification further modified by
 * (G) – Gunboat
 * (L) – Large
 * (M) – Mortar
 * (R) – Rocket
 * LCL: Landing Craft, Logistics (UK)
 * LCM: Landing Craft, Mechanized
 * LCP: Landing Craft, Personnel
 * LCP(L): Landing Craft, Personnel, Large
 * LCP(R): Landing Craft, Personnel, Ramped
 * LCPA: Landing Craft, Personnel, Air-Cushioned
 * LCS(L): Landing Craft, Support (Large) changed to LSSL in 1949
 * LCT: Landing Craft, Tank (World War II era)
 * LCU: Landing Craft, Utility
 * LCVP: Landing Craft, Vehicle and Personnel
 * LSH: Landing Ship Heavy (Royal Australian Navy)

Expeditionary support
Operated by Military Sealift Command, have ship prefix "USNS", hull code begins with "T-".
 * EMS: Expeditionary Medical Ship, an EPF modified into a hospital ship
 * EPF: Expeditionary fast transport
 * ESB: Expeditionary Mobile Base (a variant of ESD, formerly Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB))
 * ESD: Expeditionary Transfer Dock
 * HST: High-Speed Transport (similar to JHSV, not to be confused with WWII-era High-speed transport (APD))
 * HSV: High-Speed Vessel
 * JHSV: Joint High-Speed Vessel (changed to EPF)
 * MLP: Mobile Landing Platform (changed to ESD)

Mine warfare type
Mine warfare ships are those ships whose primary function is mine warfare on the high seas.
 * ADG: Degaussing ship
 * AM: Minesweeper
 * AMb: Harbor minesweeper
 * AMc: Coastal minesweeper
 * AMCU: Underwater mine locater
 * AMS: Motor minesweeper
 * CM: Cruiser (i.e., large) minelayer
 * CMc: Coastal minelayer
 * DM: High-speed minelayer (converted destroyer)
 * DMS: High-speed minesweeper (converted-destroyer)
 * PCS: Submarine chasers (wooden) fitted for minesweeping
 * YDG: District degaussing vessel

In 1955 all mine warfare vessels except for degaussing vessels had their hull codes changed to begin with "M".
 * MCM: Mine countermeasures ship
 * MCS: Mine countermeasures support ship
 * MH(C)(I)(O)(S): Minehunter, (coastal) (inshore) (ocean) (hunter and sweeper, general)
 * MLC: Coastal minelayer
 * MSC: Minesweeper, coastal
 * MSF: Minesweeper, steel hulled
 * MSO: Minesweeper, ocean

Coastal defense type
Coastal defense ships are those whose primary function is coastal patrol and interdiction.
 * FS: Corvette
 * PB: Patrol boat
 * PBR: Patrol boat, river
 * PC: Patrol, coastal
 * PCE: Patrol craft, escort
 * PCF: Patrol craft, fast, (swift boat)
 * PCS: Patrol craft, sweeper (modified-motor minesweepers meant for anti-submarine warfare)
 * PF: Frigate, in a role similar to World War II Commonwealth corvette
 * PG: Patrol gunboat
 * PGM: Motor gunboat (To PG, 1967)
 * PR: Patrol, river
 * SP: Section patrol

Auxiliaries
An auxiliary ship is designed to operate in any number of roles supporting combatant ships and other naval operations.

Combat logistics type
Ships which have the capability to provide underway replenishment (UNREP) to fleet units.
 * AE: Ammunition ship
 * AF: Stores ship (retired)
 * AFS: Combat stores ship
 * AK: Dry cargo ship
 * AKE: Advanced dry cargo ship
 * AKS: General stores ship
 * AO: Fleet Oiler
 * AOE: Fast combat support ship
 * AOL: Light replenishment oiler
 * AOR: Replenishment oiler
 * AVS: Aviation Stores Issue Ship (retired)

Mobile logistics type
Mobile logistics ships have the capability to provide direct material support to other deployed units operating far from home ports.
 * AC: Collier (retired)
 * AD: Destroyer tender
 * AGP: Patrol craft tender
 * AR: Repair ship
 * ARB: Repair ship, battle damage
 * ARC: Repair ship, cable
 * ARG: Repair ship, internal combustion engine
 * ARH: Repair ship, heavy-hull
 * ARL: Repair ship, landing craft
 * ARV: Repair ship, aircraft
 * ARVH: Repair ship, aircraft, helicopter
 * AS: Submarine tender
 * AW: Distilling ship (retired)

Support ships
Support ships are not designed to participate in combat and are generally not armed. For ships with civilian crews (owned by and/or operated for Military Sealift Command and the Maritime Administration), the prefix T- is placed at the front of the hull classification.

Support ships are designed to operate in the open ocean in a variety of sea states to provide general support to either combatant forces or shore-based establishments. They include smaller auxiliaries which, by the nature of their duties, leave inshore waters.

 * AB: Auxiliary Crane Ship (1920–41)
 * ACS: Auxiliary Crane Ship
 * AG: Miscellaneous Auxiliary
 * AGB: Icebreaker
 * AGDE: Testing Ocean Escort
 * AGDS: Deep Submergence Support Ship
 * AGEH: Hydrofoil, experimental
 * AGER: (i): Miscellaneous Auxiliary, Electronic Reconnaissance
 * AGER: (ii): Environmental Research Ship
 * AGF: Miscellaneous Command Ship
 * AGFF: Testing Frigate
 * AGHS: Patrol combatant support ship—ocean or inshore
 * AGL: Auxiliary vessel, lighthouse tender
 * AGM: Missile Range Instrumentation Ship
 * AGMR: Major Communications Relay Ship
 * AGOR: Oceanographic Research Ship
 * AGOS: Ocean Surveillance Ship
 * AGR: Radar picket ship
 * AGS: Surveying Ship
 * AGSC: Coastal Survey Ships
 * AGSE: Submarine and Special Warfare Support
 * AGTR: Technical research ship
 * AH: Hospital ship
 * AKD: Cargo Ship, Dock
 * AKL: Cargo Ship, Small
 * AKN: Cargo Ship, Net
 * AKR: Cargo Ship, Vehicle
 * AKV: Cargo Ship, Aircraft
 * AN: Net laying ship
 * AOG: Gasoline tanker
 * AOT: Transport Oiler
 * AP: Transport
 * APB: Self-propelled Barracks Ship
 * APC: Coastal Transport
 * APc: Coastal Transport, Small
 * APH: Evacuation Transport
 * APL: Barracks Craft
 * ARS: Rescue and Salvage Ship
 * ARSD: Salvage Lifting Vessels
 * ASR: Submarine Rescue Ship
 * AT: Fleet Tug
 * ATA: Auxiliary Ocean Tug
 * ATF: Fleet Ocean Tug
 * ATLS: Drone Launch Ship
 * ATO: Fleet Tug, Old
 * ATR: Rescue Tug
 * ATS: Salvage and Rescue Ship
 * AVB(i): Aviation Logistics Support Ship
 * AVB(ii): Advance Aviation Base Ship
 * AVM: Guided Missile Ship
 * AVT(i): Auxiliary Aircraft Transport
 * AVT(ii): Auxiliary Aircraft Landing Training Ship
 * EPCER: Experimental – Patrol Craft Escort – Rescue
 * PCER: Patrol Craft Escort – Rescue
 * SBX: Sea-based X-band Radar – a mobile active electronically scanned array early-warning radar station.

Service type craft
Service craft are navy-subordinated craft (including non-self-propelled) designed to provide general support to either combatant forces or shore-based establishments. The suffix "N" refers to non-self-propelled variants.
 * AFDB: Large Auxiliary Floating Dry Dock
 * AFD/AFDL: Small Auxiliary Floating Dry Dock
 * AFDM: Medium Auxiliary Floating Dry Dock
 * ARD: Auxiliary Repair Dry Dock
 * ARDM: Medium Auxiliary Repair Dry Dock USS Oak Ridge (ARDM-1)
 * JUB/JB : Jack Up Barge

Submersibles

 * DSRV: Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle
 * DSV: Deep Submergence Vehicle
 * NR: Submersible Research Vehicle

Yard and district craft

 * YC: Open Lighter
 * YCF: Car Float
 * YCV: Aircraft Transportation Lighter
 * YD: Floating Crane
 * YDT: Diving Tender
 * YF: Covered Lighter
 * YFB: Ferry Boat or Launch
 * YFD: Yard Floating Dry Dock
 * YFN: Covered Lighter (non-self propelled)
 * YFNB: Large Covered Lighter (non-self propelled)
 * YFND: Dry Dock Companion Craft (non-self propelled)
 * YFNX: Lighter (Special purpose) (non-self propelled)
 * YFP: Floating Power Barge
 * YFR: Refrigerated Cover Lighter
 * YFRN: Refrigerated Covered Lighter (non-self propelled)
 * YFRT: Range Tender USNS Range Recoverer (T-AG-161)
 * YFU: Harbor Utility Craft
 * YG: Garbage Lighter
 * YGN: Garbage Lighter (non-self propelled)
 * YH: Ambulance boat/small medical support vessel
 * YLC: Salvage Lift Craft
 * YM: Dredge
 * YMN: Dredge (non-self propelled)
 * YNG: Net Gate Craft
 * YN: Yard Net Tender
 * YNT: Net Tender
 * YO: Fuel Oil Barge
 * YOG: Gasoline Barge
 * YOGN: Gasoline Barge (non-self propelled)
 * YON: Fuel Oil Barge (non-self propelled)
 * YOS: Oil Storage Barge
 * YP: Patrol Craft, Training
 * YPD: Floating Pile Driver
 * YR: Floating Workshop
 * YRB: Repair and Berthing Barge
 * YRBM: Repair, Berthing and Messing Barge
 * YRDH: Floating Dry Dock Workshop (Hull)
 * YRDM: Floating Dry Dock Workshop (Machine)
 * YRR: Radiological Repair Barge nuclear ships and submarines service
 * YRST: Salvage Craft Tender
 * YSD: Seaplane Wrecking Derrick - Yard Seaplane Derrick
 * YSR: Sludge Removal Barge
 * YT: Harbor Tug (craft later assigned YTB, YTL, or YTM classifications)
 * YTB: Large Harbor tug
 * YTL: Small Harbor Tug
 * YTM: Medium Harbor Tug
 * YTT: Torpedo trials craft
 * YW: Water Barge
 * YWN: Water Barge (non-self propelled)

Miscellaneous ships and craft

 * ID or Id. No.: Civilian ship taken into service for auxiliary duties, used indiscriminately for large ocean-going ships of all kinds and coastal and yard craft (World War I; retired 1920)
 * IX: Unclassified Miscellaneous Unit
 * "none": To honor her unique historical status, USS Constitution, formerly IX 21, was reclassified to "none", effective 1 September 1975.

Airships
Although aircraft, pre-World War II rigid airships were commissioned (no different from surface warships and submarines), flew the U.S. ensign from their stern and carried a United States Ship (USS) designation.

Rigid airships:
 * ZR: Rigid airship
 * ZRS: Rigid airship scout
 * ZRCV: Rigid airship aircraft carrier, proposed, not built

Lighter-than-air aircraft (e.g., blimps) continued to fly the U.S. ensign from their stern but were registered as aircraft:

Temporary designations
United States Navy Designations (Temporary) are a form of U.S. Navy ship designation, intended for temporary identification use. Such designations usually occur during periods of sudden mobilization, such as that which occurred prior to, and during, World War II or the Korean War, when it was determined that a sudden temporary need arose for a ship for which there was no official Navy designation.

During World War II, for example, a number of commercial vessels were requisitioned, or acquired, by the U.S. Navy to meet the sudden requirements of war. A yacht acquired by the U.S. Navy during the start of World War II might seem desirable to the Navy whose use for the vessel might not be fully developed or explored at the time of acquisition.

On the other hand, a U.S. Navy vessel, such as the yacht in the example above, already in commission or service, might be desired, or found useful, for another need or purpose for which there is no official designation.
 * IX: Unclassified Miscellaneous Auxiliary Ship, for example, yacht Chanco acquired by the U.S. Navy on 1 October 1940. It was classified as a minesweeper USS Kestrel (AMc-5), but instead, mainly used as a patrol craft along the New England coast. When another assignment came, and it could not be determined how to classify the vessel, it was redesignated IX-175 on 10 July 1944.
 * IXSS: Unclassified Miscellaneous Submarines, such as the USS Cod (IXSS-224), the USS Angler (IXSS-240) and the USS Croaker (IXSS-246).
 * YAG: Miscellaneous Auxiliary Service Craft, such as the USS George Eastman (YAG-39), USS Butternut (YAG-60) and USS Christiana (YAG-32) which, curiously, was earlier known as USS Christiana (IX-80).

Numerous other U.S. Navy vessels were launched with a temporary, or nominal, designation, such as YMS or PC, since it could not be determined, at the time of construction, what they should be used for. Many of these were vessels in the 150 to 200 feet length class with powerful engines, whose function could be that of a minesweeper, patrol craft, submarine chaser, seaplane tender, tugboat, or other. Once their destiny, or capability, was found or determined, such vessels were reclassified with their actual designation.

United States Coast Guard vessels
Prior to 1965, U.S. Coast Guard cutters used the same designation as naval ships but preceded by a "W" to indicate Coast Guard commission. The U.S. Coast Guard considers any ship over 65 feet in length with a permanently assigned crew, a cutter.

USCG classification symbols definitions

 * CG: all Coast Guard ships in the 1920s (retired)
 * WAGB: Coast Guard Polar-class icebreaker
 * WAGL: Auxiliary vessel, lighthouse tender (retired 1960's)
 * WAVP: seagoing Coast Guard seaplane tenders (retired 1960s)
 * WDE: seagoing Coast Guard destroyer escorts (retired 1960s)
 * WHEC: Coast Guard high endurance cutters
 * WIX: Coast Guard barque USCGC Eagle (WIX-327)
 * WLB: Coast Guard buoy tenders
 * WLBB: Coast Guard seagoing buoy tenders/ice breaker
 * WLI: Coast Guard inland buoy tenders
 * WLIC: Coast Guard inland construction tenders
 * WLM: Coast Guard coastal buoy tenders
 * WLR: Coast Guard river buoy tenders
 * WMEC: Coast Guard medium endurance cutters
 * WMSL: Coast Guard maritime security cutter, large (referred to as national security cutters)
 * WPB: Coast Guard patrol boats
 * WPC: Coast Guard patrol craft—later reclassed under WHEC, symbol reused for Coast Guard patrol cutter (referred to as fast response cutters)
 * WPG: seagoing Coast Guard gunboats (retired 1960s)
 * WTGB: Coast Guard tug boat (140' icebreakers)
 * WYTL: Small harbor tug

USCG classification symbols for small craft and boats

 * MLB: Motor Life Boat (52', 47', and 44' variants)
 * UTB: Utility Boat
 * DPB: Deployable Pursuit Boat
 * ANB: Aids to Navigation Boats
 * TPSB: Transportable Port Security Boat
 * RHIB: Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats
 * SRB: Surf Rescue Boat (30')

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hull codes

 * R: Research ships, including oceanographic and fisheries research ships
 * S: Survey ships, including hydrographic survey ships

The letter is paired with a three-digit number. The first digit of the number is determined by the ship's "power tonnage," defined as the sum of its shaft horsepower and gross international tonnage, as follows:
 * If the power tonnage is 5,501 through 9,000, the first digit is "1".
 * If the power tonnage 3,501 through 5,500, the first digit is "2."
 * If the power tonnage is 2,001 through 3,500, the first digit is "3."
 * If the power tonnage is 1,001 through 2,000, the first digit is "4."
 * If the power tonnage is 501 through 1,000, the first digit is "5."
 * If the power tonnage is 500 or less and the ship is at least 65 ft long, the first digit is "6."

The second and third digits are assigned to create a unique three-digit hull number.

General and cited references

 * United States Naval Aviation 1910–1995, Appendix 16: U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Squadron Designations and Abbreviations. U.S. Navy, c. 1995. Quoted in Derdall and DiGiulian, op cit.
 * USCG Designations
 * Naval History and Heritage Command Online Library of Selected Images: U.S. Navy Ships – Listed by Hull Number: "SP" #s and "ID" #s — World War I Era Patrol Vessels and other Acquired Ships and Craft
 * Wertheim, Eric. The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World, 15th Edition: Their Ships, Aircraft, and Systems. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 2007. ISBN 978-1-59114-955-2..
 * Naval History and Heritage Command Online Library of Selected Images: U.S. Navy Ships – Listed by Hull Number: "SP" #s and "ID" #s — World War I Era Patrol Vessels and other Acquired Ships and Craft
 * Wertheim, Eric. The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World, 15th Edition: Their Ships, Aircraft, and Systems. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 2007. ISBN 978-1-59114-955-2..

title: Hull classification symbol