NORFOLK, Va. — Friday the 13th might be seen as a day of bad luck, but this particular day marks a very special celebration for the United States Navy: it's the military branch's 248th birthday!
On this day in 1775, the U.S. Navy had its origins as the Continental Congress ordered the construction of a naval fleet.
Since 1972, each Chief of Naval Operations has encouraged a Navy-wide celebration of the occasion.
"Cheers to many more years of keeping our country safe in the air, on land, and at sea, because we believe that there is no substitute for presence and for people," the Navy wrote in a social media post on Friday morning.
To all the Navy men and women who serve in Hampton Roads and around the world, we say, "Happy birthday!"
