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This is a list of known pirates, buccaneers, corsairs, privateers, river pirates, and others involved in piracy and piracy-related activities. This list includes both captains and prominent crew members.
- Blackbeard. Blackbeard is possibly the most famous pirate in history, but his life is shrouded in mystery. Much of what we know about him and other pirates of his time comes from a 1724 book, published under the name Capt.
- Ching Shih. One of the most successful pirates in history was a woman named Ching Shih, sometimes called Cheng I Sao or Zheng Yi Sao. Born into poverty as Shih Yang in Guangzhou, China, in the late 18th century, Shih was a sex worker until she married a pirate named Ching I in 1801 and took the name Ching Shih, which meant "the wife of Ching," according to a case study by the University of Oxford's Global History of Capitalism project.
- Sir Francis Drake. Sir Francis Drake was a noble to some and an outlaw pirate to others. Born in Devon, England, around 1540, Drake became the first person from England to circumnavigate the globe, according to the BBC — although this feat was not a planned exploration but rather a byproduct of his goal to raid Spanish ships in the Americas.
- Black Sam Bellamy. Samuel Bellamy lived to be only 28 years old, but he made a name for himself during his short life. Likely born in Devon at the end of the 17th century, Bellamy began working on the high seas at the beginning of the War of the Spanish Succession when he was 13 years old and later became a pirate captain, according to the New England Historical Society.
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, and vessels used for piracy are called pirate ships.
- Pirates Rarely Buried Treasure. Some pirates buried treasure—most notably Captain William Kidd, who was at the time heading to New York to turn himself in and try to clear his name—but most never did.
- Their Careers Didn't Last Long. Most pirates didn’t last very long. It was a tough line of work: many were killed or injured in battle or in fights amongst themselves, and medical facilities were usually non-existent.
- They Had Rules and Regulations. If all you ever did was watch pirate movies, you’d think that being a pirate was easy: no rules other than to attack rich Spanish galleons, drink rum and swing around in the rigging.
- They Didn't Walk the Plank. Sorry, but this one is another myth. There are a couple of tales of pirates walking the plank well after the “Golden Age” ended, but little evidence to suggest that this was a common punishment before then.
Dec 30, 2021 · Learn about the history and culture of the pirates who plundered the Caribbean Sea from 1690 to 1730. Discover the stories of famous pirates like Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, Anne Bonny, and Bartholomew Roberts.
- Mark Cartwright
- Publishing Director
- The real pirates of the Caribbean were desperate criminals, mostly men but some women, too, who plundered easy targets like unarmed merchant ships...
- The Hollywood film series the Pirates of the Caribbean has many characters based on real pirates who plundered the Caribbean from 1690 to 1730 duri...
- There was no historical pirate called Jack Sparrow but some aspects of his appearance, character, and behaviour can be traced to many different rea...
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May 15, 2024 · Under the black flag. Overall, around 4,000 sea dogs plagued the world’s sea lanes during the golden age of piracy. In the 1690s, early pirates sailed between western India and the Red Sea coasts...
Test your knowledge of pirate myths and facts with this quiz. Learn about pirate slang, treasure, flags, codes and more from an expert guide.
