Editing Samuel Nicholas (section)

{{short description|18th-century American marine and officer}}
{{for|the Kentucky jurist|Samuel Smith Nicholas}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox military person
| name          = Samuel Nicholas
| birth_date    = {{birth year|1744}}
| death_date    = 27 {{death year and age|1790|1744|8}}
| birth_place   = [[Philadelphia]], Province of Pennsylvania, British North America
| death_place   = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| placeofburial = [[Arch Street Friends Meeting House]], Philadelphia
| placeofburial_label = Place of burial
| image         = Portrait of First Leader of Marines, Maj. Samuel Nicholas.jpg
| image_size    = 200
| caption       = Portrait of Colonel Samuel Nichols (1989) by Maj. Donna J. Neary, USMCR. Hangs in the [[Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C.|Marine Corps Commandant's house]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Upton |first1=Lt. Col. Stewart |title=First Marine Corps Leader All About Institution, Not Self |url=https://www.imef.marines.mil/News/News-Article-Display/Article/554000/first-marine-corps-leader-all-about-institution-not-self/ |website=imef.marines.mil |publisher=U.S. Marine Corps |access-date=July 29, 2020}}</ref>
| alt = Bust-length portrait of caucasian male with gray hair, dark eyes wearing a 1700s military uniform - dark jacket with light-colored shoulder epaulettes; light-colored vest; band-collared, ruffled cravat shirt
| nickname      = 
| allegiance    = {{flagicon image|Betsy Ross flag.svg}} [[United States]]
| branch        = {{flagicon image|Gadsden Flag.svg}} [[Continental Marines]]
| serviceyears  = 1775–1783
| rank          = [[Major (United States)|Major]]
| commands      = [[Commandant of the United States Marine Corps|Commandant of the Marine Corps]]
| battles       = [[American Revolutionary War]]
*[[Battle of Nassau]]
*[[Battle of Trenton]]
*[[Battle of Princeton]]
| laterwork     = 
}}
'''Samuel Nicholas''' (1744 – August 27, 1790) was an American Marine and military officer who was the first [[commissioned officer|officer]] [[Commission (document)#United States|commissioned]] in the United States [[Continental Marines]] (predecessor to the [[United States Marine Corps]]) and by tradition is considered to be the first [[Commandant of the United States Marine Corps|Commandant of the Marine Corps]].