10 Most Famous Pirates in History

Our tenth most famous pirate is Black Bart, a Welsh pirate that haunted the seas in the late 17th and early 18th century. Also known as Bartholomew Roberts, he took over 400 prize ships off the coast of the Americas and West Africa and was one of the most successful pirates in the Golden Age of Piracy. Black Bart died in a battle with the Royal Navy in 1722 and was wrapped in his ship’s flag and dropped into the sea by his crew.

While there were few female pirates, Anne Bonny and Mary Read were on the same ship together. Both women moved from Europe to the Americas, dressing up as men and landing a spot on Calico Jack Rackham’s crew. The two women knew how to brandish a sword and pistol, and many times during fights they had both weapons in each hand.

Captured in 1720, the women got out of the death sentence because they were pregnant. While Read died in jail around 1721, Bonny’s fate is unknown, with some saying she returned to her home in Ireland.

Our next pirate is Captain Samuel Bellamy (Black Sam Bellamy), an English sailor turned pirate who sailed during the early 18th century. Though he only sailed as a pirate for little more than a year, Black Sam captured at least 53 ships and was one of the wealthiest pirates in the Golden Age of Piracy. Known for his generosity and mercy towards those captured on his raids, he earned the nickname the “Prince of Pirates.” In 1717 his ship hit a nor’easter off the coast of Massachusetts and sank, taking him and most of his crew with it.

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Terrorizing North Africa’s Barbary Coast was our seventh selection, the Barbarossa brothers Arun and Hizir. They got rich through capturing European ships in the Mediterranean Sea, but started targeting the Spanish right around the time Aruj lost an arm to them in battle. The brothers were supported by the Ottoman sultan and spent their days fighting various Christian enemies.

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Our last female pirate on this list is not only the most successful female pirate but one of the most successful pirates in history. Zheng Yi Sao, also known as Madame Cheng, was a Chinese pirate active in the South China Sea in the early 19th century. Coming into conflict with several major powers, she commanded 24 ships and over 1,400 pirates at the time of her surrender and lived a relatively peaceful life afterward.

Sir Francis Drake is our fifth most famous pirate, nicknamed “my pirate” by Queen Elizabeth I. Drake was one of the “Sea Dog” privateers hired by the English government to attack Spanish shipping. His most memorable achievement though was between 1577 and 1580 when Drake circumnavigated the world in a single expedition. Drake was knighted by Queen Elizabeth after his return and helped defeat the Spanish Armada eight years later.

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If you’ve ever drank Captain Morgan rum, then you should recognize Sir Henry Morgan. A Welsh privateer, plantation owner, and Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica for roughly three years, Morgan donned several personas in his lifetime. His most prolific was as a privateer, raiding settlements and shipping on the Spanish Main, later earning enough money to buy three sugar plantations in Jamaica.

Mentioned earlier is our third famous pirate, Calico Jack (John Rackham). Hailing from England, the pirate operated out of the Bahamas and Cuba in the early 18th century, towards the end of the Golden Age of Piracy. Calico Jack is most remembered for having two female crew members: Read and Bonny. Jack was captured by an English privateer in 1720 and hanged in Port Royal, Jamaica.

Once a respected privateer, Captain William Kidd turned towards piracy himself, capturing vessels and getting denounced by the English crown. After a mutiny, Kidd was left with a skeleton crew and was arrested by the British East India Company, later getting executed in 1701. The most interesting part about Kidd is his impact after death, with his exploits and character consistently reappearing in works of fiction over the decades.

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Last but certainly not least is Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard. Teach operated around the West Indies and the eastern coast of Britain’s North American colonies, commanding Queen Anne’s Revenge. Blackbeard became a renowned pirate, known for his thick black beard and intimidating enemies with smoking fuses curled into his hair. Killed in battle with the British Navy, Blackbeard’s persona has lived on in several films including Treasure Island and Pirates of the Caribbean.

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