The Royal Marines 3

1664 - formation of Duke of York & Albany's Maritime Regiment of Foot largely from the Trained Bands of London from which the Corps traces its origins. Known as "The Admirals Regiment".

1665 - 1672 Marines in ships and garrisons during 2nd & 3rd Dutch Wars

1685 - Remaned Prince George of Denmark's Regiment (The Princes Regiment) - disbanded in 1869.

1690 - Formation of 1st & 2nd Marine Regiments - disbanded 1699.

1702 - Quenn Anne reformed six Marine Regiments for War of Spanish Succession.

1704 - Landings and capture of Gibraltar; 1,900 British Marines and 400 Dutch Marines.

1705 - Capture of Barcelona

1710 - Capture Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia.

1713 - Reduced to three Regiments which became Line Regiments. Only four Companies if Invalids remained.

1739 - King George II raised six Marine Regiments in England and four for American colonies. Expeditionsto Spain and Americas.

1745 - Hannah Snell, female marine, joined, serving until 1750.

1755 - Permanent Corps established as 50 Companies of Marines (5,000 men), based at Chatham, Portsmouth and Plymouth.

1756 - 1763 Seven Years War including battle of Quebec (1759) and capture of Belle Isle (1761).

1770 - Marines land with Capt James Cook at Botany Bay.

1775 - 1783 American War of Independence including Battles at Bunker Hill, and Concord (1775) and sacking of New York and Philadelphia (1777).

1788 - Maj Ross with 20 Officers and 192 marines landed with First Fleet in Australia.

1793 - 1802 French Revolutionary Wars including action in Toulon, Corsica, South Africa, India, Egypt, East Indies and Palestine; with naval battles at Martinique, "Glorious First of June", Camperdown, Nile and Cape St Vincent.

1802 - King George III bestowed title " Royal ".

1803 - 1815 Napoleonic Wars with action in East and West Indies, South America,South Africa, Mauritius and others.

1804 - Formation of RM Artillary Companies.

1805 - Battle of Trafalgar - 2,692 Royal Marines Officers and men took part.

1805 - Formation of Woolwich Division (closed 1869).

1812 - 1815 War with America including sacking of Washington (1814).

1815 - Napoleon exiled to St Helena.

1816 - 1853 World wide actions including Algiers, Navarino Bay, 1st & 2nd Burma Wars, 1st Ashanti War, Carlist War, 1st Opium War, Argentina 1st Maori War and Palestine.

1853 - 1856 Crimean War with Marines at Seige of Sevastopol, on the Black Sea and in the Baltic.

1854 - Cpl John Prettyjohn wins first Royal Marines Victoris Cross at Battle of Inkerman.

1855 - Queen Victoria announced Corps of Royal Marines should be a " Light Corps" and styled Royal Marines, Light Infantry.

1856 - 1898 World wide actions include 2nd Opium War, Indian Mutiny, action in Japan, Sudan, Egypt and Abyssinia, 2nd Maori War, 2nd Ashanti War, and 3rd Burmese War.

1899 - 1902 Marines with Naval Brigade at Graspan.

1900 - 1901 Boxer Rebelion - Defence of Peking Legations and in relief force.

1903 - Formation of Royal Marine Naval School of Music and birth of RM Band Service.

1914 - 1918 World War 1 - RM Brigade ot Ostend and Antwerp. Marines in major ships of the Fleet. Battle of Falklands.

1915 - Landings at Gallipoli. Battle of Dogger Bank.

1916 - RM Battalions i France with Naval Division;RMA Howitzer Brigade, RM Siege Train and other units. Battle of Jutland.

1918 - 4th RM Battalion in raid on Zeebrugge. Battle of Heligoland Bight. RM Field Force to North Russia.

1919 - 6th RM Battalion to north russia.

1922 - 8th Battalion to Ireland.

1922 - 11th Battalion to Turkey.

1923 -  Amalgamation of Royal Marines Artillary with Royal Marines Light Infantry. Closure of Forton Barracks, Gosport.

1927 - 12th Battalion to Shanghai.

1935 - Corps carries out Public Duties in London for the first time.

1939 - 1945 World War 2 - Marines in most sea battles.

1940 - Operations in Norway, Holland and France.

1941 - MNBDO 1 in evacuation from Crete.

1942 - Formation of RM Commando's. 40 Commando at Dieppe. 11th RM Battalion at Tobruk.

1943 - 40 and 41 Commando's land in Sicily. 41 Commando land at Salerno. 40 and 43 Commando's in action in Italy, Albania and Yugoslavia.

1944 - Landings in Normandy 16,000 RM involved in Commando's,HM Ships and Landing Craft. Assault on Walcheren 41,47 and 48 Commando's with HM Ships and Landing Craft.

1945 - 42 and 44 Commando's in Battle of Kangaw, Burma, 40 and 43 Commando's in Battle of Comacchio, Italy. Other Commando's in Rhine Crossings and victory in North West Europe.

1946 - Corps takes over Commando role.

1948 - Commandoes cover final withdrawl in Palestine.

1948 - 1949 42 and 45 Commando's in Canal Zone. 45 Commando to Aqaba, Transjordan.

1949 - 1950 3 Commando Brigade - Interna security in Hong Kong.

1949 - Closure of Chatam Division.

1950 - 1952 3 Commando Brigade in Malaya.

1950 - 1951 41 Independant Commando in Korea.

1953 - 1954 3 Commando Brigade in Suez Canal Zone.

1955 - 1959 Operations in Cyprus.

1956 - 3 Commando Brigade spearhead landings at Port Said.

1957 - Elements of 42 Commando to Northern Ireland.

1960 - HMS Bulwark commisioned as first Commando Ship. 42 Commando to Singapore.

1960 - 1967 45 Comando in Aden. Operations in Radfan 1964 - 1967.

1961 - 42 and 45 Commando's land in Kuwait.

1962 - 40 and 42 Commando's in Brunei,Limbang operation.

1963 - 1966 3 Commando Brigade in anti - terrorist operations in Borneo and Malaya.

1964 - 45 Commando to East Africa.

1965 - Earl Mountbatten becomes Life Colonel Commander.

1969 - 1970 3 Commando Brigade return from Far East to UK.

1969 - first RM Commando (41 cdo) sent to ulster.

1970 - 45 Commando take on Arctic role.

1971 - 41 Commando to Malta.

1972 - Formation of Commando Logistics Regiment.

1974 - 40 and 41 Comando's join UN Forces in Cyprus.

1976 - RM in frigates in Cod War off Iceland.

1977 - RM assume "Oilsafe" commitment.

1978 - First 10 - man frigate detachments. 41 Commando carries out London Duties.

1979 - First deployment of 3 Commando Brigade to Norway. 42 Commando and 3 Raiding Squadron to Hong Kong.

1980 - Formation of Commacchio Company (later Group). Elements of 42 Commando to New Hebrides (Vanuatu).

1981 - Commandant General LT GEN SIR STUART PRINGLE blown up by IRA bomb.

1982 - 3 Commando Brigade spearhead the recapture of the Falkland Islands. RM Detachment of NP 1002 first deploys to Diego Garcia.

1983 - 40 Comando to Cyprus for United Nations tour.

1984 - 3rd Raiding Squadron deployed to Hong Kong.

1985 - 40 Commando for operational tour of Belieze. Rpyal Marines in frigates of the Armilla Patrol in the Persian Gulf.

1986 - 42 Commando carry out London Public duties. Comando Memorial unveiled at Lympstone.

1987 - 45 Commando exercise in Canada. SBS and SAS come under Director Special Forces.

1990  - Iraq invades Kuwait. RM sent to Persian Gulf ships.

1991 - Gulf Conflict. 3 Commando Brigade in resettlement of Kurdish refugees in Northern Iraq.

1992 - Royal Marines detachment operating with UN in Cambodia.