The U.S. Marine Corps. was founded in 1775
The U.S. Marine Corps. is celebrating its 236th birthday.
KTHV reports that the Marine Corps. was formed in 1775 as the Continental Marines. It was formed by the Continental Congress to aid the colonies’ fight for independence. The Marine Corps.’ first commandant was Samuel Nicholas and his first captain was Robert Mullan.
The Marine Corps. first fought on foreign soil in 1805 in Tripoli. In addition, the Marine Corps. helped secure a victory during the Mexican-American War in 1847.
The Marine Corps. earned the nickname “Devil Dogs” in WWI.
Currently, there are 180,000 men and women serving in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Read more about the history of the Marine Corps. here.
