One of the most colorful personalities of his time, Sir Walter Raleigh was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I until he married her handmaiden. One of his many accomplishments included his exploration of North and South America, where he was responsible for establishing the colonies on Roanoke Island on two occasions in 1585 and 1587. He met an untimely demise in 1618 when he was executed for engaging the Spanish forces in combat, thus disobeying a direct order from the King. It is reported that when he was about to be executed, he joked with his executioner and gave the signal for the ax to fall.