John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich (1718-1792), played an important role in the history of the Royal Navy from 1744 to 1782, which included the American War of Independence and the discovery of Australia and islands of the Pacific Ocean. He supported Captain Cook's exploratory voyages and, in return, Cook named the Sandwich Islands for him. Montagu worked extremely long hours in his various government posts and often ate salted beef between toast at his desk, thus giving birth to the sandwich.

Born into a position of nobility, John Montagu, Earl of Sandwich was not handed an ideal life. He was born on November 13, 1718, to Edward Richard Montagu, viscount Hinchinbroke and Elizabeth Popham Montagu. His father died when he was four years old. His grandfather, the third earl, was feebleminded and eventually confined to the Yorkshire home of his uncle, Wortley Montagu, to whom he had mortgaged his estates...