Nathan Hale was an American soldier and spy during the American Revolutionary War. Born on June 6, 1755, in Coventry, Connecticut, he graduated from Yale College and became a schoolteacher. Hale joined the Continental Army and volunteered for a dangerous mission to gather intelligence on British troop movements in New York City. Unfortunately, Hale was captured by the British in September 1776. He was tried for espionage and executed on September 22, 1776, at the age of 21. His famous last words, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country," have made him a symbol of patriotism and sacrifice in American history.