Happy Birthday to the US Marine Corps!

The Marine Corps is a vital branch of the US Armed Forces that operates in worldwide expeditionary and amphibious military campaigns. The branch is almost as old as the US Armed Forces itself, thanks to the founding of the Continental Marines during the Revolutionary War. The Marine Corps now celebrates this anniversary as its birthday, but for almost two centuries, a completely different day was formally recognized as the Marine Corps’ founding date.

What Day is the Marine Corps Birthday?

Marine Corps Day takes place each year on November 10. However, until 1921, the Marine Corps’ birthday was held on July 11 instead.

Marine Corps Day History

The first iteration of the US Marine Corps, known as the Continental Marines, was created on November 10, 1775, in Philadelphia. The Second Continental Congress established the group under Captain Samuel Nicholas to provide naval assistance to the colonists during the Revolutionary War.

Following the end of the Revolutionary War, the organization was inactivated until July 11, 1798, when Congress ordered the official formation of the US Marine Corps. The Corps was integrated into the country’s armed forces under the Secretary of the Navy.

Originally, Marine Corps Day was celebrated annually on July 11 in honor of this act by Congress. In 1921, the birthday was formally recognized as November 10 instead, in memory of those who had served during the Revolutionary War.

How to Celebrate Marine Corps Day

Marine Corps Day celebrations are held nationwide and include demonstrations, parades, speeches, and open houses of Corp bases.

Since 1937, a celebration and special cake-cutting ceremony called the Birthday Ball has been held in Washington, DC, for the Marine Corps’ birthday. The tool used to cut the cake is a Mameluke sword, based on curved blades from the Ottoman Empire. Each Birthday Ball also includes reading Order No. 47, a birthday message to the Marine Corps written by Major General Lejeune in 1921.

If you plan to participate in Marine Corps Day this year, check if any local bases host events or open houses. You can also show your support by thanking Marine Corps service members and veterans in your community or by proudly flying the branch flag outside your home.

Marine Corps Day is also a flag-flying holiday, so be sure to raise your American flag at sunrise and ceremoniously lower it at sunset!