The USS Intrepid launches one of her planes during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, 1944.
The Closing Ceremonies of the 2022 International History Olympiad will take place in the evening of July 31 on the USS Intrepid!
The USS Intrepid is an Essex-class aircraft carrier that saw extensive service in World War II (her nickname was the Fighting “I”) including the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest engagement in US naval history. Her extensive history also includes being hit by kamikaze planes and a Japanese torpedo, the Battle of Okinawa, anti-piracy operations, a splashdown rescue of a Mercury program NASA astronaut, service in the Vietnam War, and being the FBI’s command in New York after the September 11 attacks. Since 1982, she has been a Sea, Air, and Space Museum in New York Harbor, and contains, among many other aircraft on her flight deck, the Space Shuttle Enterprise.
Since 1982, the Intrepid has been docked in New York Harbor as a museum ship.
The Closing Ceremonies will last from 6:30-10:30pm, with the first 90 minutes dedicated to visits to the flight deck and the museum exhibits. At 7:30, the finals of the Aerospace History Bee will take place on the flight deck, weather permitting. At 8pm, the International History Bee World Championships Finals match will take place for the Middle School and Elementary Divisions, while the Varsity and Junior Varsity Divisions enjoy a dessert reception. At 9pm, the divisions will switch, with the Varsity and JV Divisions holding their International History Bee World Championships Finals matches. Medals for the Aerospace History Bee, International History Bowl, International History Bee, and the Olympiad Championship will be awarded after the Bee Finals.
The Space Shuttle Enterprise arrives in New York en route to its new home on the Intrepid.
Note that admission to the USS Intrepid for parents, siblings, and other non-competing guests will be by paid tickets only – the cost is TBD. This will include drinks (wine and beer included), dessert, a visit to the museum, and the Ceremonies. The first 500 students who register are guaranteed access to 2 tickets each. After that, tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
In 2016, the Closing Ceremonies of the Olympiad were held on the deck of the USS Missouri in Hawaii. The two events in history to end on the deck of the USS Missouri were World War II and the 2016 International History Olympiad.
The Closing Ceremonies of the 2018 International History Olympiad were held at Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin.