April 26, 1717: On this day, the repurposed cargo and slave transport ship Whydah Gally sunk off the coast of Cape Cod, killing 143 people, including its pirate captain Samuel “Black Sam” Bellamy. Two men made it out alive, as did seven other people on the Mary Anne, a smaller vessel carrying Madeira wine. In February, Bellamy captured the Whydah, which had just departed Ouidah, Benin, with a cargo of sugar, indigo,  and several gold and silver chests. Six of the nine surviving men were ultimately executed in Boston for piracy. Barry Clifford made the discovery of the shipwreck back in 1984. For more on the ship’s history, check this article from New England Today.

For more dates in wine history, click here.