USS Nicholas (FFG 47) is named for Major of Marines Samuel V. Nicholas (1774-1790), the first officer commissioned in the Continental Naval Service, November 28, 1775 as Captain of the Marines. On March 3, 1776, as Senior Marine Officer in the Continental Navy, Nicholas led a small expeditionary force of some 234 Marines and 50 Sailors in the capture of forts Montague and Nassau in the Bahamas. This was the first amphibious operation carried out by the Navy-Marine Corps team.

When Gulf War hostilities broke out on January 17, 1991, USS Nicholas was serving in the extreme northern Persian Gulf as advance Combat Search and Rescue platform over 70 miles forward of the nearest allied warship. During the first weeks of the war, she distinguished herself in action by attacking Iraqi positions off the coast of Kuwait, capturing the first 23 Iraqi prisoners of war, sinking or damaging 7 Iraqi patrol boats, destroying 8 drifting mines, and successfully rescuing a downed USAF F-16 pilot from the waters off the Kuwait coast. She also escorted the battleships USS Missouri and USS Wisconsin during naval gunfire support operations near Khafji off the coast of the Saudi Arabia/Kuwaiti border.

During six-month deployment, in 1993, the guided-missile frigate conducted operations in the Red, Mediterranean, Ionian, and Adriatic Seas. This was in support of United Nations sanctions against the governments of Iraq and the former Republic of Yugoslavia. During these operations, USS Nicholas safely conducted over 174 boardings of merchant vessels to inspect for illegal cargo shipments.

During her 1995 deployment in the Adriatic, she was assigned to the Standing Naval Forces Atlantic, again operating in support United Nations resolutions in Operation Sharp Guard. FFG 47 intercepted over 1200 vessels in enforcing sanctions against the former Republic of Yugoslavia. Additionally she located and rescued 16 Albanian citizens from a capsized lifeboat.

June 16, 2003 USS Nicholas departed Naval Station Norfolk for a scheduled deployment in the Mediterranean Sea, to participate in regional exercises with allies, make diplomatic port calls and be available to serve in the war on terrorism.

July 7, The guided-missile frigate departed St. Petersburg, Russia, after a four-day port visit. It was the first visit of a U.S. naval ship to the city since 1996.

August 14, FFG 47 recently departed Copenhagen, Denmark, after a four-day port visit.

September 26, The Nicholas pulled to Neum, Bosnia and Herzegovina, for a historic port call, the first by a foreign ship since one from the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1914.

October 14, USS Nicholas departed Naval Station Rota, after a scheduled port visit, to begin SANSO 03, a four-day, multilateral maritime interdiction training exercise in the Mediterranean.

December 16, USS Nicholas returned to homeport after a six-month deployment to the Mediterranean Sea, as part of the USS Enterprise (CVN 65) Surface Strike Group. During their deployment, she conducted queries on more than 350 merchant ships, supporting the Global War on Terrorism and also conducted 20 port visits.

May 25, 2005 FFG 47 departed Norfolk for an approximately three-month underway period, with the USS Saipan (LHA 2) ESG, in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

June 28, Approximately 2,000 service members from eight countries are in the final stages of Shark Hunt 2005, a nearly month-long exercise in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea combining air, surface and sub-surface platforms to practice anti-submarine warfare (ASW) techniques. The U.S.-led exercise includes participating units from Canada, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and the United Kingdom.

August 25, USS Nicholas returned to Naval Station Norfolk after a three-month "surge" deployment.

May 2, 2006 FFG 47 departed homeport for a scheduled deployment, as part of USS Enterprise Carrier Strike Group, in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

May 25, The guided-missile frigate is currently in port of Anatalya, Turkey, as part of exercise Anatolian Sun. Anatolian Sun is being hosted by Turkey as part of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI). The U.S. joins France, Portugal and Turkey, as participants while 36 nations from throughout EurAsia will observe the four-day exercise.

June 27, Italian Rear Adm. Salvatore Ruzittu relieved U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Ray Spicer as commander of CTF-152 during the Combined Task Force One Five Two (CTF-152) Transfer of Control ceremony, aboard the Nicholas. This marks the first time that all three of the major maritime CTFs in the region have been commanded by officers from nations other than the U.S. or U.K. CTF-152 is responsible for conducting Maritime Security Operations (MSO) in the central and southern Persian Gulf.

November 14, USS Nicholas returned to Norfolk after more than six-month deployment in support of the global war on terrorism and Maritime Security Operations.

April 27, 2007 FFG 47 departed New Orleans, La., after a four-day port call.

September 4, The Nicholas departed homeport to participate in exercise Neptune Warrior 07-2 Sept. 17-29., off the coast of Scotland, with naval forces from Denmark, France, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, Spain and United Kingdom.

December 1, The guided-missile frigate is currently in the Atlantic Ocean as part of simulated opposition forces to USS Nassau ESG Composite Unit Training Exercise (COMPTUEX) from Nov. 29 through Dec. 17.

February 18, 2008 USS Nicholas, commanded by Cmdr. Matt Fleming, departed Naval Station Norfolk in support of maritime security operations in the Mediterranean.

May 2, FFG 47 pulled to Helensburgh, Scotland, for a scheduled port visit after participated in the Joint Warrior 081, a two-week United Kingdom-led multi-national warfare exercise.

August 18, USS Nicholas, along with USS Gonzalez (DDG 66), returned to homeport after a six-month underway period in the 6th Fleet Area of Operations.

December 3, 2009 USS Nicholas, commanded by Cmdr. Mark D. Kesselring, departed Norfolk to participate in Africa Partnership Station (APS) in support of U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM).

December 26, The guided-missile frigate departed Civitavecchia, Italy, after a four-day port call.

January 5, 2010 FFG 47 arrived in Djibouti, Djibouti, for a scheduled port visit.

January 11, The Nicholas, along with High Speed Vessel Swift (HSV 2), pulled to Mombasa, Kenya, to participate in maritime exchanges. This is the first APS East mission involving an international staff and two APS platforms executing the mission. The international staff consists of members from Brazil, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Tanzania and the United States.

January 18, USS Nicholas arrived in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for scheduled port call.

January 29, The Nicholas arrived in Durban, South Africa, for a goodwill port visit. The ship pulled to Cape Town Feb. 3.

February 9, FFG 47 arrived in Maputo, Mazambique, for a five-day port call.

February 17, The guided-missile frigate arrived in Port Est, Reunion, for a two-day port visit.

February 21, USS Nicholas pulled to Port Louis, Mauritius, for an Africa Partnership Station East port visit.

March 1, The Nicholas arrived in Port Victoria, Seychelles, to conduct maritime security training and cultural exchanges.

April 1, USS Nicholas captured suspected pirates after exchanging fire, sinking a skiff and confiscating a suspected mother ship, while operating west of the Seychelles.

May 5, FFG 47 recently pulled into Djibouti for a routine port call.

June 3, USS Nicholas returned to homeport after a six-month deployment.

August 25, 2011 The guided-missile frigate departed Naval Station Norfolk to avoid the approaching Category 3 Hurricane Irene.

January 17, 2012 USS Nicholas, commanded by Cmdr. Steve F. Fuller, departed Norfolk for a scheduled deployment to South America.