Many Virgin Islanders have made great contributions to Danish West Indies and American Virgin Islands history. The late Judge Cyril Michael is no exception. He was born on St. Thomas in the Danish West Indies to Andre and Wilhelmina Michael on Jan. 22, 1898. He was about 19 years old when the Danes signed a treaty transferring sovereignty of the islands from Denmark to the United State in 1916 for a sum of $25 million in gold. In 1917, the islands were transferred to the United States.