Marine Corps Birthday

On November 10, 1775, a Corps of Marines was created by a resolution of the Continental Congress.

That two battalions of Marines be raised consisting of one Colonel, two lieutenant-colonels, two majors and other officers, as usual in other regiments; that they consist of an equal number of privates as with other battalions, that particular care be taken that no persons be appointed to offices, or enlisted into said battalions, but such as are good seamen, or so acquainted with maritime affairs as to be able to serve for and during the present war with Great Britain and the Colonies; unless dismissed by Congress; that they be distinguished by the names of the First and Second Battalions of Marines.

— Continental Congress Resolution, November 10, 1775

According to legend, the birthplace of the Marine Corps was the historic Tun Tavern, Philadelphia, PA, where the first Marines enlisted under Commandant Samuel Nicholas following Congress' resolution.

Since then, Marines have fought for our national interests. From legendary battlefields like Guadalcanal, Chosin Reservoir, and Marjah, Marines have upheld a legacy of having each other’s back—and never backing down. Each year on November 10, our nation, our Corps, and all Marines honor everything the Marine Corps birthday represents. Listen to the Marine Corps birthday cadence, 10 November, and feel the heartbeat of a legacy nearly two and a half centuries long.