U.S. Army Birthday, 1775

The U.S. Army was founded on 14 June 1775, when the Second Continental Congress authorized enlistment of expert riflemen to serve under General George Washington to fight against Britain. The Army is the oldest military force in the United States and began before the U.S. formally existed.

The Army technically has more than one birthday, as different elements of the new branch came into existence on different days. U.S. Army infantry may have been born on 14 June, 1775, but according to the Army, it’s Adjutant General’s Corps was formed two days later alongside the Army Corps of Engineers, Finance, and Quartermasters Corps. The Air Defense Artillery Corps followed in November, as did the Field Artillery Corps. New additions continued on into the modern era, and can all be found on the Army’s official birthday list page.