The Navy marks its 251st birthday on October 13, 2026, one of four military-related dates on the calendar for October. A Revolutionary War general is remembered on one, the federal government observes a holiday tracing back to 1937 on another, and the Navy also claims a second, separate anniversary two weeks after its birthday.

Four military holidays and remembrances this October:

  • General Pulaski Memorial Day: Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026
  • Columbus Day (Indigenous Peoples' Day in many states): Monday, Oct. 12, 2026
  • Navy Birthday: Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026
  • Navy Day: Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026

Navy Birthday

On October 13, 1775, the Continental Congress passed a resolution to outfit two vessels for a three-month cruise against British supply ships, an act now recognized as the founding of what became the United States Navy. In 1972, when Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Elmo Zumwalt authorized October 13 as the Navy's official birthday and encouraged commands across the fleet to mark the occasion every year.

The Navy Birthday is an internal observance for active-duty sailors, reservists, retirees, and their families rather than a public holiday. It typically involves a formal ball, a cake-cutting ceremony, and unit-level events rather than any change to the federal calendar. In 2026, the Navy marks its 251st birthday.

Navy Day

Navy Day predates the Navy Birthday by fifty years. The Navy League of the United States established it in 1922 and chose October 27 to align with the birthday of former President Theodore Roosevelt, who had served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy and was widely regarded as one of the service's strongest advocates in Washington (Naval History and Heritage Command).

The holiday never became an official federal observance in its own right, and in 1949, the first Secretary of Defense, Louis A. Johnson, folded it into the newly created Armed Forces Day, which recognizes all branches rather than the Navy alone. Some Navy League chapters, Veterans' organizations, and coastal communities still mark October 27 with their own events, separate from whatever the Navy plans around October 13.

General Pulaski Memorial Day

Casimir Pulaski was a Polish cavalry officer who crossed an ocean to fight in a war that wasn't his own. Benjamin Franklin met him in Paris, was impressed enough to write a letter of recommendation, and sent him on to General George Washington. Pulaski went on to organize and train the Continental Army's cavalry, a contribution that earned him the title "Father of the American Cavalry." He was mortally wounded leading a charge at the Siege of Savannah and died of his injuries on October 11, 1779.

Congress passed a resolution in 1929 authorizing the president to proclaim October 11 of each year as General Pulaski Memorial Day, and a new presidential proclamation has renewed that designation almost every year since. In 2009, Congress went further and granted Pulaski honorary United States citizenship, an honor extended to only a handful of people in the nation's history (congress.gov; Public Law 111-94, govinfo.gov).

This is not a federal holiday. Offices stay open and there is no day off attached to it. Communities with strong Polish American populations, Chicago in particular, still hold parades and memorial ceremonies each year.

Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples' Day

Columbus Day is one of eleven federal holidays, which means federal offices close and federal employees receive paid time off (OPM.gov). That includes most VA outpatient clinics, administrative offices, and Regional Offices, though emergency departments and the Veterans Crisis Line continue operating as usual (VA.gov).

Federal law designates the day Columbus Day, though a number of states, cities, and tribal governments mark the same Monday as Indigenous Peoples' Day instead or in addition. How the day is recognized, and what it's called, varies by state and community.

FAQs

What is the difference between Navy Day and the Navy Birthday? 

The Navy Birthday commemorates the founding of the Navy on October 13, 1775, and functions as an internal Navy observance. Navy Day, observed October 27, started in 1922 as a broader public recognition of naval service and was tied to Theodore Roosevelt's birthday rather than the Navy's founding date.

Is General Pulaski Memorial Day a federal holiday? 

No. It is observed through an annual presidential proclamation rather than a paid day off, so government offices and most businesses stay open.

Do VA offices close for Columbus Day? 

Most VA outpatient clinics, administrative offices, and Regional Offices follow the federal holiday schedule and close for Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples' Day. Emergency departments and the Veterans Crisis Line remain available.

Are any of these October dates paid holidays for service members? 

Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples' Day is the only one on this list that is a federal holiday. The Navy Birthday and Navy Day are both observed with events and ceremonies, not time off.