Every Marine knows the date. On November 10, 2026, the Marine Corps turns 251, and Marines around the world, active duty and veterans alike, will stop to mark it. Here's a little of the history behind the day and why it still matters to me.
Where it started
On November 10, 1775, the Continental Congress resolved to raise two battalions of Marines to serve alongside the new naval forces in the Revolutionary War. Recruiting famously began at Tun Tavern on Water Street in Philadelphia, which is why Marines still call it the birthplace of the Corps. The tavern burned down in 1781, and Interstate 95 now runs over where it stood (Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms).
After the Revolution the Continental Marines were disbanded. On July 11, 1798, Congress created the United States Marine Corps, and for more than a century Marines celebrated their birthday on July 11 (Department of Defense, History of Marine Corps Day).
Why November 10
In 1921, the Commandant issued Marine Corps Order No. 47, which made November 10 the official birthday and directed that a summary of the Corps' history, mission, and traditions be read to every command each year. That message is still read today (Marines.mil).
The traditions
A birthday ceremony usually includes a guest of honor, the reading of the 1921 birthday message and the current Commandant's message, and the cake cutting, where the first piece goes to the oldest Marine present and is passed to the youngest. The first cake ceremony on record took place at Marine Barracks Washington in 1937, with a cake shaped like Tun Tavern.
What it means to me
I've celebrated the birthday in uniform and as a veteran, and it hits differently now. It's a reminder that the Corps is bigger than any one of us. It's a long line of people who signed up to serve, and that bond doesn't end when you take the uniform off. This year I'll be thinking of the Marines I served with, and of the veterans The Calm Seas Project will host in Jacksonville just days before the birthday.
Celebrating on the First Coast? See my guide to Veterans Day 2026 in Jacksonville, and how to get free national park entry on Veterans Day. For my own four years in the Corps, see Ryan Gunning's USMC service, 2014–2018.
If you're a Marine, reach out to someone you served with this November 10. Happy 251st birthday, Marines. Semper Fidelis.
