[2][3][4] The formation of the regiment was prompted by the expansion of the army as a result of the commencement of the Seven Years' War.

The regiment's first action in the American War of Independence was at the Battle of Bunker Hill in June 1775 where their Grenadier and Light Companies were involved in the attack.

[5][3] The regiment was shipped to South Africa in 1800 and then on to Ceylon where it was involved in the Kandian War in 1802.

[7] The regiment saw action in the First Taranaki War of 1860 to 1861 and in the Waikato campaign of 1863 to 1864, during which Colour-sergeant Edward McKenna and Lance Corporal John Ryan won their Victoria Crosses at Camerontown.

[6] Concerns were raised in House of Commons because of the 919 troops from the regiment serving in India, 579 were under the age of 20: the Secretary of State for War agreed to rectify the issue.

[9] The regiment moved to Lucknow in January 1874, to Danapore in November 1877 and to Morar in October 1880.

[6] As part of the Cardwell Reforms of the 1870s, where single-battalion regiments were linked together to share a single depot and recruiting district in the United Kingdom, the 65th was linked with the 84th (York and Lancaster) Regiment of Foot, and assigned to district no.