February 1, 1689 - Samuel Bellamy

Captain Samuel Bellamy (c. 23 February 1689 – 26 April 1717), erroneously known as "Black Sam" Bellamy, was an English sailor turned pirate during the early 18th century.

Posthumously called "Black Sam" in Cape Cod folklore - supposedly because he eschewed the fashionable powdered wig in favor of tying back his long black hair with a simple band - Bellamy became known for his mercy and generosity toward those he captured on his raids. This legend earned him another nickname, the "Prince of Pirates". He likened himself to Robin Hood, with his crew calling themselves "Robin Hood's Men".

Bellamy was born in England in 1689, and began sailing for the British Royal Navy as a teenager. After traveling to Cape Cod around 1715, he then went south to the Florida coast in an effort to locate a sunken treasure fleet.

Content sourced from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel Bellamy under CC BY-SA 4.0.