James McHenry

James McHenry was a Scotch-Irish American military surgeon, statesman, and a Founding Father of the United States. McHenry was a signer of the United States Constitution from Maryland, initiated the recommendation for Congress to form the Navy, and was the eponym of Fort McHenry. He represented Maryland in the Continental Congress. He was a delegate to the Maryland State Convention of 1788, to vote whether Maryland should ratify the proposed Constitution of the United States. He served as United States Secretary of War from 1796 to 1800, bridging the administrations of George Washington and John Adams. At the time of his death, McHenry owned 10 slaves, most of whom either worked as household servants or maintained his estate.

16 November 1753

Born on the same birth day (16 November): Al Lucas (musician) • Choudhry Rahmat Ali • Edmund James Flynn • Jo Jo White • Joan Lindsay • Josh Green (basketball) • Kang Ning-hsiang • Missi Pyle • Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah • Omar Ruiz Hernández • Oswald Mosley • Shobha Nagi Reddy

Born in the same month (November 1753): Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst Muhlenberg • Louis-Alexandre Berthier • Robert Townsend (spy)