Happy Birthday May 17

The most successful pirate captain of the Golden Age of Piracy, Bartholomew "Black Bart" Roberts was born on May 17, 1682. Roberts had very strict rules on his ship, prohibiting all lights and drinking after eight in the evening. There was also a complete ban on gambling. If a crew member got hurt, he received a pension proportionate to his injury. 

Reverend Robert Shields was born on May 17, 1918. He was a former minister and high school English teacher who lived in Dayton, Washington, USA. His 37.5-million-word diary , the world’s longest, chronicled every five minutes of his life from 1972 until a stroke disabled him in 1997.

Rev Robert Shields

For more May 17 anniversaries, including the establishment of the first American Academy, the relief by British troops of Mafeking during the Second Boer War and the first televised sports event in the US, check out OnThatDay