US Marine Corps celebrates its 248th birthday

U.S. (KVIA) -- The U.S. Marine Corps is celebrating its 248th birthday -- or Marine Corps Day -- on Friday.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Marine Corps was established on November 10, 1775, to compliment the naval forces during the Revolutionary War.

Captain Samuel Nicholas set up the first recruiting headquarters in Philadelphia at the Tun Tavern on Water Street -- which is now considered to be the birthplace of the Marines. However, at the end of the Revolutionary War, the Corps was abolished due to the economy at the time.

In 1798, Congress ordered the creation of the Corps, officially naming it the United States Marine Corps. Congress also directed that it be available for service under the Secretary of the Navy.