Quiz of the Day
US Coast Guard Birthday
Tuesday, 4 August 2026
Founded on August 4, 1790, the US Coast Guard is America's oldest continuous maritime service — explore its history, daring rescues, and life at sea
1. In what year was the United States Coast Guard officially founded?
- 1848
- 1790
- 1775
- 1812
President George Washington signed legislation creating the Revenue-Marine on August 4, 1790 — later renamed the Revenue Cutter Service and eventually the US Coast Guard. Its original mission was to enforce tariff laws and prevent smuggling, not rescue operations. The service predates the US Navy, which wasn't established until 1798.
2. Which US government department currently oversees the Coast Guard?
- Department of Homeland Security
- Department of Transportation
- Department of Defense
- Department of the Navy
The Coast Guard moved to the Department of Homeland Security after 9/11 in 2003. Prior to that it was in the Department of Transportation. During declared wars, the Coast Guard can be transferred to operate under the Department of the Navy — the only branch of the US military that can serve under two separate cabinet departments.
3. What is the Coast Guard's famous motto?
- Semper Paratus
- Semper Fortis
- Semper Fidelis
- Semper Vigilans
'Semper Paratus' is Latin for 'Always Ready.' The Coast Guard has also had a march by that same name since 1917, written by Captain Francis Saltus Van Boskerck while reportedly sitting on a rock in Alaska. It became the official march in 1956 and remains one of the most beloved service songs in the US military.
4. Approximately how many people does the US Coast Guard rescue per day on average?
- 20 people
- 5 people
- 10 people
- 50 people
The Coast Guard rescues roughly 10 people from life-threatening situations every single day — or about 3,500 per year. Beyond rescues, it conducts over 20,000 search and rescue cases annually. Each year, Coast Guard crews save an estimated $1 billion worth of property from maritime disasters.
5. The Coast Guard's National Motor Lifeboat School is located where?
- Miami Beach, Florida
- Cape Disappointment, Washington
- Cape Cod, Massachusetts
- Newport, Rhode Island
Cape Disappointment on the Washington coast near the mouth of the Columbia River is one of the most dangerous coastal bar crossings in the world — earning it the title 'Graveyard of the Pacific.' This makes it the perfect training ground for the world-renowned Motor Lifeboat School, where rescue swimmers train in extremely dangerous surf conditions.
6. During World War II, the Coast Guard participated in which famous military landing?
- Battle of Midway
- D-Day at Normandy
- Pearl Harbor defense
- Iwo Jima
Coast Guard crews operated many of the landing craft that stormed Normandy on June 6, 1944. Coast Guardsman Douglas Munro was the only member of the service to receive the Medal of Honor during WWII — he gave his life shielding 500 Marines during an evacuation at Guadalcanal, using his landing craft as a shield.
7. What is the name of the Coast Guard's primary search and rescue helicopter?
- MH-65 Dolphin
- UH-72 Lakota
- HH-60 Jayhawk
- CH-47 Chinook
The MH-65 Dolphin, a French-designed helicopter built by Airbus, is the Coast Guard's short-range recovery helicopter. Alongside the larger HH-60 Jayhawk, it forms the backbone of Coast Guard aviation rescue. The Dolphin can hover extremely precisely — critical for rescue swimmer deployments in heaving seas.
8. What does the Coast Guard's iconic orange color on its helicopters and boats represent?
- A result of anti-corrosion paint
- It was mandated by international law
- High visibility for rescue operations
- Tradition from the Revenue Cutter Service
International Orange was chosen because it contrasts sharply against both sea and sky in almost any weather or lighting condition. The same color is used on the Golden Gate Bridge, NASA spacesuits, and aviation life vests worldwide. The Coast Guard standardized its use for all search and rescue aircraft and vehicles.
9. Which historical figure served as the first female officer in the US Coast Guard?
- Dorothy Stratton
- Molly Pitcher
- Edith Nourse Rogers
- Grace Hopper
Dorothy Stratton was appointed Director of the Coast Guard Women's Reserve — called the SPARs — in 1942. The name 'SPARs' comes from the Coast Guard's Latin motto 'Semper Paratus' and its English equivalent 'Always Ready.' Over 10,000 women served as SPARs during WWII, freeing male personnel for sea duty.
10. The Coast Guard is responsible for marking and maintaining what navigational aids?
- Satellites and GPS
- Radar stations
- Lighthouses, buoys, and beacons
- Underwater sonar arrays
The Coast Guard maintains over 50,000 aids to navigation across US waters, including lighthouses, buoys, and fog signals. While GPS has reduced reliance on traditional aids, lighthouses still serve as backup navigation. The Coast Guard automated its last staffed lighthouse, Boston Light, in 1998 — though keepers still live there as honorary caretakers.
11. What is a 'Mayday' call and where does the term originate?
- From 'May Day' spring celebrations
- Military Acronym for 'Major Day Emergency'
- Named after a rescue pioneer
- French 'm'aider' (help me)
The distress call 'Mayday' was coined in 1923 by Frederick Stanley Mockford, a senior radio officer at Croydon Airport in England. He proposed the term because much of the traffic was between Croydon and Le Bourget Airport in Paris, and 'm'aider' (a contraction of 'venez m'aider' — 'come help me') would be easily understood by both English and French speakers.
12. What international distress signal — transmitted on 406 MHz — does the Coast Guard use to locate vessels in trouble?
- EPIRB
- SOLAS
- AIS
- LORAN
Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) automatically trigger when submerged in saltwater or manually activated, sending a distress signal to satellites that relay the position to rescue authorities. Modern EPIRBs using GPS can pinpoint a vessel's location to within 100 meters. They have saved thousands of lives in remote ocean emergencies.
13. Which US state has the most Coast Guard stations?
- California
- Florida
- Michigan
- Alaska
Alaska has more Coast Guard stations and personnel than any other US state due to its vast coastline — over 47,000 miles, more than all other US states combined. The notoriously dangerous Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska waters make Alaskan duty among the most challenging in the entire service.
14. The Coast Guard's law enforcement role includes interdicting what illegal substance at sea?
- Counterfeit currency
- All of the above
- Illegal drugs
- Unlicensed arms
The Coast Guard is a full law enforcement agency with authority to board, search, and seize vessels on the high seas. Each year it intercepts billions of dollars worth of cocaine, methamphetamine, and other drugs being smuggled by sea — often working with DEA and other agencies in multi-month undercover operations.
15. What is the term for a Coast Guard trained rescue swimmer who is deployed into the ocean from a helicopter?
- Aviation Survival Technician
- Pararescueman
- Rescue Diver
- Combat Rescue Officer
Coast Guard Aviation Survival Technicians (ASTs) are among the most elite rescue professionals in the world. They must complete a grueling 24-week course with a dropout rate exceeding 50%. ASTs are deployed from hovering helicopters into violent seas, swimming to victims in conditions that would be fatal to most people.