Topics Related to This Day in North Carolina History

Virginia Dare, First English Child in the New World

On August 18, 1587, Virginia Dare became the first child born in the Americas to English parents. She was named in honor of the Virgin Queen of England, Elizabeth I.

Rescue of the Priscilla Crew, 1899

On August 18, 1899, Erasmus Midgett single-handedly rescued the crew of the three-masted cargo ship Priscilla after it broke up while being driven ashore by the winds and waves of the S

Origins of the “Lost Colony” Mystery

On August 18, 1590, Englishman John White returned to Roanoke Island to resupply the colony established on the island in 1587.  White found the settlement abandoned. A single word “CROATOAN” was carved on a post in the fort.

No Quickie Divorce in 1940s

On August 18, 1945, Caldwell County residents Otis Williams and Lillie Hendrix legally married in the state of North Carolina, ending a five-year battle against bigamy charges.

Samuel Johnston of “Hayes” in Chowan County

On August 17, 1816, Revolutionary era political leader Samuel Johnston died.

Frank Stick, Lindsay Warren and Cape Hatteras National Seashore

On August 17, 1937, the U.S. House of Representatives authorized the country’s first national seashore at Cape Hatteras.

Frank Armstrong of Twelve O’Clock High Fame

On August 17, 1942, Frank Armstrong led the first daylight bomber attack by the United States. He flew over Axis territory in occupied France and earned the Silver Star, a military honor for valor.

The Sinking of the Mirlo

On August 16, 1918, a German U-boat fired a torpedo at the Mirlo, a British tanker hauling gasoline off the North Carolina coast. The torpedo hit the tanker midship, resulting in a giant explosion.

Oconaluftee, Replica Cherokee Village, Approved

On August 16, 1950, the Cherokee Historical Association agreed to build a replica of an 18th-century Indian village to depict Cherokee daily life and culture before European contact.

Eno River’s Patron Saint, Margaret Nygard

On August 16, 1966, a group led by local activist Margaret Nygard and her husband, Holger, voiced opposition at a Durham City Council meeting to a plan to dam the Eno River.