Howe, Richard (1726-1799), Earl Howe, was a famous British naval officer who fought in the Revolutionary War in America. He joined the British Navy at the age of 14 and rose steadily in rank. At the start of the war in 1775, he was made vice admiral. The next year, he took command of the British fleet in America.
At the end of the war, Howe became first lord of the Admiralty. When England and France went to war in 1793, he took command of the Channel Fleet. The next year, he won the victory known as “the glorious first of June,” and King George III made him a Knight of the Garter. Howe became Admiral of the Fleet in 1796.
Howe was born on March 8, 1726, in London. He died on Aug. 5, 1799. His brother William Howe became commander of the British army in America during the Revolutionary War.
