The Most Famous Pirates in Human History

1. Blackbeard (Edward Teach)

Edward Teach, known as Blackbeard, is perhaps the most recognizable pirate in history. He terrorized the Caribbean and the eastern coast of North America in the early 18th century. His image — a long, black beard with smoking fuses woven into it, and a multitude of pistols at his belt — was a carefully thought-out tactic of psychological warfare. His flagship was the captured French slave trading ship "Anne Royalle," which he turned into a floating fortress with 40 cannons. His career was short but incredibly bright, ending in a brutal battle with British lieutenant Robert Maynard off the coast of North Carolina in November 1718.

2. Bartholomew Roberts (Black Bart)

Bartholomew Roberts is considered one of the most successful pirates of the Golden Age of Piracy. During his career (1719–1722), he captured over 400 ships. Unlike many others, he was a disciplined and sober man who created a strict code of rules for his crew. His flag, featuring him standing on two skulls with the abbreviation "ABH" (A Barbadian's Head — "The Head of a Barbadian") and "AMH" (A Martinican's Head — "The Head of a Martinican"), demonstrated his revenge on the authorities of these islands. He died in battle with a British warship off the coast of Africa.

3. Henry Morgan

Sir Henry Morgan is a paradoxical figure. Essentially a privateer serving the English king, he gained fame for his daring and brutal attacks on Spanish possessions in the Caribbean Sea. His most famous action was the sack and burning of the city of Panama Viejo (Old Panama) in 1671. Despite the fact that he acted during peacetime, which made his actions piracy, he was arrested but later pardoned, received a knighthood, and became the lieutenant governor of Jamaica, where he spent the last years of his life.

4. Edward England

Edward England is known mainly for his pirate flag — "Jolly Roger" with the classic symbol: a skull and crossed bones. His career took place in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans in the early 18th century. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he was known as a relatively merciful captain, which ultimately became the cause of his downfall. His crew mutinied when he refused to kill prisoners from the captured ship, after which he was marooned on the uninhabited island of Mauritius. He miraculously survived but died in poverty.

5. William Kidd

Captain William Kidd began as a respected privateer hired by British aristocrats to fight pirates. However, his story turned into a tragedy. Faced with difficulties in finding loot and a mutiny among the crew, he, it seems, was forced to resort to open piracy. His capture of the richly laden Armenian ship "Kedah Merchant" made him an enemy of the powerful British East India Company. Kidd was arrested, brought to London, and hanged in 1701. His treasures, which he, according to legend, buried before his arrest, still stir the minds of treasure hunters.

6. Zheng Shi (Madam Qian)

Zheng Shi is the most powerful pirate in history. A former prostitute, she married pirate captain Zheng Yi and inherited his vast fleet, known as the "Red Flag Fleet." Under her command, there were from 1500 to 1800 ships and more than 70,000 pirates. She established a strict code of laws, punishable by death for disobedience, looting without permission, and raping prisoners. Her fleet terrorized the South China Sea, and the Qing authorities were forced to offer her an amnesty, after which she retired, managing gambling houses and engaging in smuggling.

7. Amaro Pargo

Amaro Rodriguez Felipe, known as Amaro Pargo, was a Spanish corsair and merchant operating in the Atlantic in the early 18th century. He was a terror to English and Dutch ships, and his bravery and success made him a legend and a hero on his native Tenerife. Part of his enormous wealth he spent on charity, helping the poor and monasteries. His life was surrounded by legends, and recently exhumed remains allowed researchers to learn more about the real person behind the myths.

8. Samuel Bellamy (The Pirate Prince)

Samuel Bellamy, known as "Black Sam," was one of the richest and, according to some evidence, the most generous pirates of his time. His career was brief — only about a year. He commanded the frigate "Whydah," which sank off the coast of Cape Cod during a storm in 1717, taking Bellamy and almost all of his crew, as well as untold treasures, to the bottom. The remains of the "Whydah" were discovered in 1984, making it the first documented pirate treasure.

9. Francis Drake

Sir Francis Drake, a national hero and navigator for the English, and a brutal pirate "El Draque" for the Spanish. Serving as a privateer for Queen Elizabeth I, he completed the second circumnavigation in history (1577–1580), during which he mercilessly looted Spanish ships and settlements. His successes caused colossal damage to Spanish naval power and significantly enriched the English treasury. He played a key role in the defeat of the Spanish "Invincible Armada" in 1588.

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