Founding of United States Naval Academy

The United States Naval Academy is the service academy that trains officers for the US Navy and Marine Corps, located on the Severn River in Annapolis, Maryland. It was founded by Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft on the site of an old army fort, initially under the name Naval School, and it received its present name a few years later. Students, called midshipmen, follow a four-year programme that combines academics with military and physical training, and they graduate with a bachelor's degree and a commission. The academy was created to replace the earlier system of training sailors at sea. Its alumni include many admirals, astronauts and presidents, such as Jimmy Carter.

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