The Most Notorious Pirates in History

Who are the famous pirates in history? This article will list the most famous pirates for you .

The world's most notorious pirates terrorized the seven seas and amassed vast fortunes from the 16th to the 19th centuries. Many of these pirates are still famous today, but they are very different from the typically friendly pirates in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series.

Many of history's most famous pirates began as privateers—sailors hired on private warships, allowed to attack their country's enemies at sea and harass merchant ships in designated areas. Some of these privateers also targeted their own countries' ships when the lure of gold was too great, and they would strike under their own flags to illegally plunder merchant ships.

Some pirates were so successful that they became feared around the world and made millions of dollars. Here are the 10 most infamous pirates of all time.

William Kidd (1645-1701)

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William Kidd was a Scottish-American. He used to be a bodyguard who fought against British pirates to protect merchant ships. But then he turned to piracy and became a notorious pirate boss, spreading terror to European and American merchant ships.

Because of this, William Kidd was pursued by the London government. After a failed mission, he was captured and hanged in England in 1701.

Edward Teach (1680-1718)

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Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard, was the most famous English pirate in history for his brutality. He initially joined Benjamin Hornigold's pirate crew on New Providence Island. After Captain Benjamin Hornigold retired, Blackbeard became captain and spread terror to the seafarers, he was willing to kill prisoners on the ships he captured.

This notorious pirate equipped his ship, Queen Anne's Revenge , with 40 guns and 300 men under his command to carry out his robberies. He even defeated the warship HMS "Scarborough".

Blackbeard was defeated and captured in a fierce clash with the British navy. He was then beheaded and his head was displayed as a deterrent to other pirates.

Bartholomew Roberts (1682-1722)

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Welsh pirate Bartholomew Roberts was the most successful and flamboyant pirate in the world. Before becoming a pirate, he was an officer in the British navy.

During his pirate career, he captured over 400 ships. Roberts died in a fierce battle with Captain Chaloner Ogle of the Royal Navy and was buried at sea.

Henry Every (1653-?)

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Before becoming a pirate, Henry served in the Royal Navy. After a mutiny by his crew on board his ship, he became a notorious pirate leader who terrorized shipping in the Red Sea. He was considered one of the richest pirates in history. But in the end, Henry retired, and was hunted by many gangs, but no one knew what happened to him.

Anne Bonny (1700-1782)

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This infamous pirate was born in County Cork, Ireland. Her first husband was James Bonny, a cowardly and treacherous pirate.

Dissatisfied with James Bonny, Anne left her husband and fell in love with the captain of a pirate ship named Rackham. Acting like a man, Anne gradually gained power and became a notorious female pirate in the Caribbean.

Anna then met the female pirate Mary Read, they teamed up and became a notorious female pirate couple who captured many ships. Later, Anna was captured and ended up in prison.

Sir Henry Morgan (1635-1688)

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Henry Morgan was a pirate who controlled the Caribbean for a long time.

Henry's most famous feat was the attack on the "impregnable" city of Panama, capturing 30 ships with 1,200 men in the late 1670s. When the Anglo-Spanish War broke out, Morgan was highly regarded by the English and later became lieutenant governor of Jamaica.

Francois l'Olonnais (1635-1668)

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Francois l'Olonnais was a Frenchman who, before becoming a feared pirate, was a poor laborer on American plantations.

He was notorious for his unbelievably savagery. It was rumored that he once ate the heart of a Spanish soldier who had attacked him.

Later, when he got lost on a deserted island in Panama, he and his companions were captured and eaten by the natives.

Sir Francis Drake (1540-1595)

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Sir Francis Drake was an English captain, a famous pirate, a slave trader, and a navigator.

In 1581 he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I. In 1588 he became second in command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada.

To the English, Sir Francis Drake was a hero, but to the Spanish he was a reviled pirate.
In January 1596, after an unsuccessful attack on the city of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he died of dysentery off the coast of Florida.

Truong Bao (1786-1822)

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Zhang Bao was the son of a Chinese fisherman. At the age of 15, he and his mother were kidnapped by pirates. Zhang Bao later became the most famous pirate boss in Chinese history.

During his career, Zhang Bao commanded an army of more than 50,000 men and hundreds of ships, controlled the Guangdong coast, and amassed a great treasure hidden in caves.

After the pirate fleet was disbanded, Zhang Bao was awarded the title of third-rank military officer by the Qing court. He later returned to the mainland to enjoy his old age and passed away in 1822.

Trinh Nhat Tau (1775 - 1844)

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Zheng Yi-tsou was a notorious female pirate in China during the Qing Dynasty. Originally a beautiful courtesan, she was kidnapped by pirates and later married the pirate Zheng Yi in 1801.

She and her husband then built a pirate empire together that controlled the entire sea from southern China to Malaysia.

After her husband died, Trinh Nhat Tau took all the power into her own hands.

In 1810, under an agreement with the royal court, the female pirate agreed to retire, reform, and make a living as a casino and brothel owner on land.

Marvin Fry

Update 25 December 2024