John Paul Jones was born in Kirkcudbright, Scotland, on July 6th, 1747. He went to sea for the first time as a twelve year old cabin boy in the British Merchant Marine. He fled to North America when he killed a rebellious crewman on a ship where he was commander. The British considered him to be a fugitive and a pirate.

John Paul Jones was considered the bravest of the American naval commanders during the revolutionary period. He joined the service on May 10, 1776, took command of the Providence but became famous in 1778 as the commander of the eighteen-gun ship, the Ranger. During one battle with British war ships, John Paul Jones was asked if he was prepared to strike his colors (surrender) by the British Captain Person. He answered, "I have not yet begun to fight". The fighting between the ships was unbelievably fierce and swung to either side several times. In the final run John Paul Jones and his ship, the Richard, were victorious. It was the British ship, Serapis, to lower her colors. During the early part of his career Jones was credited with 7 "kills" and seventeen captures.

John Paul Jones was awarded a gold medal by Congress. Later he accepted an offer to serve in the Russian Navy during the reign of Catherine the Great. During the last two years of his life he was very ill in the city of Paris, France. He died July 18, 1792. John Paul Jones was originally buried in France but his body was later moved to a special tomb at the U.S. Naval Academy in 1913.