The Closing Ceremonies of the 2022 International History Olympiad were held in a memorable and historic location – on the USS Intrepid in New York Harbor! Formerly one of the most battle-hardened ships of the US Navy (seeing service in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest engagement in modern naval history), the Intrepid has for decades been a museum ship with one of the most impressive collections of military and civilian aircraft in the world. You can view the video of the Closing Ceremonies on the IAC YouTube Channel.
Before the main part of the Closing Ceremonies took place, students had an opportunity to tour the aircraft and exhibits – and those who had qualified had a chance to play the final match of the Aerospace History Bee on the flight deck! Click here to watch a video of what that looked like in action.
Note that this was not the first time that the Closing Ceremonies of the International History Olympiad were held on the deck of a World War II-era warship. In 2016, the Closing Ceremonies were held on the main deck of the USS Missouri in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. That means that the two things in history that ended on the deck of the USS Missouri were the 2016 International History Olympiad – and World War II (as the Japanese surrender was signed on the ship was in Tokyo Bay in September 1945)!