The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_United_States" id="mwag" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="Flag of the United States">United States flag</a> is formally recognized by a foreign <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_ship" id="mwaw" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="Naval ship">naval vessel</a> for the first time, when French <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Admiral" id="mwbA" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="Admiral">Admiral</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toussaint-Guillaume_Picquet_de_la_Motte" id="mwbQ" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte">Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte</a> renders a nine gun salute to <a about="#mwt48" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"USS","href":"./Template:USS"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"Ranger"},"2":{"wt":"1777"},"3":{"wt":"6"}},"i":0}}]}' href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Ranger_(1777)" id="mwbg" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="USS Ranger (1777)" typeof="mw:Transclusion">USS<span typeof="mw:Entity"> </span><i>Ranger</i></a>, commanded by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Paul_Jones" id="mwbw" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="John Paul Jones">John Paul Jones</a>.