Marine Corps History

1700s | 1800s | 1900s | 2000s

The United States Marine Corps has defended and fought for our people since the Corps was born on 10 Nov, 1775. They have fought in "every climb and place..." from the shores of Tripoli to the Halls of Montezuma and continue to be our country's premiere fighting force. Below is an outline of important dates in history for the U.S. Marine Corps.

Early Years (1700s)

Nov 10, 1775 - An organization of Marines was formed by an act of the Continental Congress. This day is now observed as the Marine Corps birthday.
Nov 28, 1775 - Samuel Nicholas commissioned as Captain of Marines.
March 3, 1776 - First Marine landing on hostile shores in the Bahamas
Jan 27, 1778 - Captain John Trevett leads twenty-six Marines in capture of Fort Nassau, Bahamas.
July 28, 1779 - Capt John Welsh and thirteen Marines killed in an assault on Fort George at Penobscot Bay, Maine.
July 11, 1798 - President John Adams signs Act establishing the U.S. Marine Corps.

1800s

April 27, 1805 - Lt. Presley O'Bannon and seven Marines lead attack against Derna, Tripoli.
June 18, 1812 - The United States declares war on Great Britain.
Aug 24, 1814 - 114 Marines help defend Washington, D.C. in the Battle of Bladensburg.
Dec 24, 1814 - U.S. and Britain sign treaty ending war.
Feb 20, 1815 - Capt. Archibald Henderson leads Marines in Constitution's victory over Cyane and Levant.
Oct 17, 1820 - Archibald Henderson appointed commandant, holds position for thirty-eight years until his death.
June 23, 1836 - ColComdt Henderson and 462 Marines report for duty in the Second Seminole War.
Jan 27, 1837 - Col Henderson wins Battle of Hatchee-Lustee River against Seminoles in Florida.
May 13, 1846 - U.S. Congress declares war on Mexico.
July 30, 1846 - 1stLt. Jacob Zeilin leads Marine detachment ashore at Santa Barbara, California.
Mar 9, 1847 - Capt Alvin Edson leads Marine battalion ashore with Army forces at Veracruz, Mexico.
Sep 13, 1847 - In Mexico City, Marines help seize fortress of Chapultepec and next day occupy the National Palace on site of the Halls of Montezuma.
Apr 12, 1861 - The Civil War begins.
July 21, 1861 - Battalion of 365 Marines led by Brevet Maj John G. Reynolds fights in the Battle of Bull Run.
May 15, 1862 - Cpl John F. Mackie on board ironclad Galena is first Marine to receive the Medal of Honor.
Apr 26, 1863 - 250 Marines under Capt John L. Broome seize New Orleans custom house and city hall.
Jan 15, 1865 - 365 Marines in naval landing force attack Fort Fisher at Wilmington, North Carolina.
Apr 9, 1865 - Gen Lee surrenders at Appomatox Courthouse.
June 10, 1871 - Capt McLane Tilton leads 109 Marines in naval attack on Han River forts in Korea.
June 18, 1885 - Marines land in Panama to protect trans-isthmus railroad
Feb 15, 1898 - 28 Marines among 250 Americans killed when cruiser Maine is blown up in Havana Harbor.
June 10, 1898 - 1st Marine Battalion led by LtCol Robert W. Huntington lands at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Oct 8, 1899 - Marines attack Filipino insurgents at Novaleta.

1900s

May 31, 1900 - Marines reach Chinese capital to defend Legation Quarter from Boxer rebellion.
Sep 28, 1901 - Maj "Tony" Waller takes out 314 Marines to destroy Filipino insurgents who slaughtered U.S. Army company on Samar.
Nov 5, 1903 - Maj John Lejeune lands battalion to ensure Panama's independence from Columbia.
Sep 28, 1906 - Marine Brigade of 2800 men lands at Havana.
Nov 12, 1908 - Predident Theodore Roosevelt removes Marines from warships, but six months later President Taft restores them.
May 22, 1912 - 1stLt Alfred Cunningham is first Marine aviator.
Aug 14, 1912 - Maj Smedley D. Butler leads Marines ashore, beginning intervention in Nicaragua.
Oct 4, 1912 - Marines fight at Coyotepe, Nicaragua.
Aug 2, 1914 - World War 1 begins
Apr 6, 1917 - United States declares war on Germany
Jun 6, 1917 - 5th Marine Regiment sails for France.
Jun 6, 1918 - Marines advance into Belleau Wood against German machine guns.
July 18, 1918 - Marines in vast Allied counter-offensive meet Germans south of Soiccons.
Nov 10, 1918 - 5th Marines make night crossing of the Meuse River against German resistance.
Nov 11, 1918 - Armistice between Germany and Allies.
July 25, 1930 - Lt Lewis Puller wins first of five Navy Crosses chasing Sandino guerrillas in Nicaragua.
Dec 7, 1933 - Navy Department creates Fleet Marine Force.
Dec 7, 1941 - Japanese attack U.S. Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor. Marines try to fight back.
June 1, 1942 - First black Marines enlist in the Corps.
Aug 7, 1942 - 1st Marine Division lands on Guadalcanal.
Sep 13, 1942 - Marines turn back Japanese attack in Battle of Edson's Ridge on Guadalcanal.
Feb 13, 1943 - Birthday of women Marines.
Nov 1, 1943 - 3d Marine Division lands on Bougainville.
Nov 20, 1943 - 2d Marine Division assaults Betio Island of Tarawa Atoll in Central Pacific.
Dec 26, 1943 - 1st Marine Division lands on Cape Gloucester, New Britain.
June 6, 1944 - D-Day
Feb 19, 1945 - 4th and 5th Marine Divisions assault Iwo Jima, raise flag on Mount Suribachi four days later.
Mar 26, 1945 - Iwo Jima secured. Marines suffer 25,851 casualties.
Nov 10, 1948 - First eight enlisted women are sworn in as Regular Marines. The following summer, first black women Marines enlist.
Aug 2, 1950 - 1st Marine Provisional Brigade lands at Pusan, South Korea.
Nov 2, 1950 - Marines engage Chinese Communists in North Korea near the Chosin Reservoir.
June 20, 1951 - 1st Marine Division reaches "the Punchbowl" in Korea.
Nov 10, 1954 - Marine Corps War Memorial dedicated next to Arlington National Cemetery.
Jul 15, 1958 - 2d Marines land near Beirut and seize airport at Lebanese government's request.
Feb 20, 1962 - Marine LtCol John H. Glenn, Jr. orbits the earth in first manned American space capsule.
Apr 15, 1962 - Marine helicopter squadron (HMM-362) arrives in Mekong Delta of South Vietnam.
Feb 28, 1967 - PFC James Anderson Jr. is the first black Marine to win the Medal of Honor.
Jan 20, 1968 - North Vietnamese open battle against 26th Marines for Khe Sanh.
June 25, 1971 - Last Marine ground troops leave Vietnam.
Nov 10, 1975 - Marine Corps celebrates its 200th birthday.
Apr 24, 1980 - Three Marines killed in desert accident during effort to rescue Teheran hostages.
Oct 25, 1983 - Marines and Army intervene in Grenada, West Indies.
Dec 20, 1989 - Marines are part of force that tries to capture Panama's dictator, Manuel Antonio Noriega.
Aug 25, 1990 - 7th Marine Expeditionary Brigade begins Persian Gulf buildup.
Jan 4, 1991 - Marine helicopters evacuate 281 people from U.S. Embassy at Mogadishu, Somalia.
Jan 16, 1991 - Operation Desert Storm begins.
Feb 24, 1991 - Marine 1st and 2d divisions, breach Iraqi line.
Dec 9, 1992 - Marines land in Somalia to rescue foreigners.
Sep 20, 1994 - 1900 Marines land in Haiti
Jun 8, 1995 - Team of forty Marines rescues Air Force pilot shot down over Bosnia-Herzegovina on 2 June.
May 30, 1997 - Marines help evacuate 2500 from Kinshasa, Zaire.

2000 and beyond

Nov, 2001 - Marines set up a base in Kandahar in Southern Afghanistan.
Mar 20, 2003 - Invasion of Iraq begins.

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