Marine Corps celebrates 246th birthday: What to know about USMC military branch

For those who have earned the title of Marine, Nov. 10 is celebrated as if it was their own birthday.

PHILADELPHIA -- The United States Marine Corps celebrates its 246th birthday on Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021.

In 1775, the Corps was born out of a Philadelphia tavern during the American Revolutionary War.

For those who have earned the title of Marine, Nov. 10 is celebrated as if it was their own birthday, serving as a "yearly reminder of the brave spirit that has compelled young men and women to defend our nation and its interests for more than two centuries," according to Marines.com.

To honor service members past and present, take a moment to learn five things you might not know about the military branch.

It has roots in taverns -- and Quakers

Samuel Nicholas, a former Quaker who was kicked of his community for joining the Revolution, was commissioned as a captain when the Marines were officially approved.

His desire to support the American independence conflicted with the Quaker "peace testimony" against all wars, Helen J. File, facilities director at the world's largest Quaker meeting house, told the Chicago Tribune in 2008.

Under the authority of the Second Continental Congress, Nicholas set up a recruiting headquarters at the Tun Tavern in Philadelphia, with the help of the tavern's owner.

The first Marines served on land and sea, and their operations included the Americans' first amphibious raid into the Bahamas in March 1776, led by Nicholas, according to Marine Corps University.

Before 'Semper Fi,' there were three

"Always faithful" wasn't always the motto of the Marines.

The Corps adopted the Latin phrase "Semper Fidelis" in 1883, but before that, Marines used three unofficial mottos: "By Sea and by Land," "Fortitudine" (Fortitudine) and "To the shores of Tripoli," according to Marine Corps University.

"Semper Fidelis is the motto of every Marine -- an eternal and collective commitment to the success of our battles, the progress of our Nation, and the steadfast loyalty to the fellow Marines we fight alongside," the U.S. Marines website reads.

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GOD BLESS AND PROTECT OUR MARINES!!