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An engraving from 1724 of Bartholomew Roberts (aka Black Bart Roberts), the notorious Welsh pirate (1682-1722). Source: Benjamin Cole/CC BY-SA 4.0

Bartholomew Roberts- The Pirate That Hated Literally Everyone (Video)

In the tumultuous era of 1722, the notorious pirate Bartholomew Roberts carved a path of chaos and vengeance across the high seas. His ruthless demeanor, revealed in the wake of Captain Howell Davis'...
Despite his limited success during the Golden Age, John Rackham, Pirate Captain is prominently remembered and has been featured in beloved games and movies like Assassin's Creed. Source: Dieter Holstein/Adobe Stock

John Rackham - History’s Worst Pirate? (Video)

The tale of John Rackham, often known as Calico Jack, paints a vivid picture of a less celebrated pirate from the Golden Age . Rackham's exploits, while not impressive by pirate standards, have left...
16th century depiction of the notorious pirate Hayreddin Barbarossa, known as Redbeard. Source: Public domain

Causing a Ruckus as the Ruthless Pirate Hayreddin Redbeard

Hayreddin Barbarossa, also known as Redbeard, was one of the most notorious pirates of his day. Together with his older brothers, Ishak and Aruj, they conquered the North African city of Algiers and...
The wako pirates are typically portrayed as Japanese pirates, but the reality was more complex. Depiction of a pirate ship sailing on the ocean against a golden sky. Source: Gasi / Adobe Stock

The Notorious Wako Pirates of Japan

The wako (also called wokou or waegu) were a group of marauders that dominated the seas of East Asia for centuries. They have been seen by Western historians and culture as a kind of Japanese pirate...
Female pirate close up looking through trees. Representative of Anne Bonny. Source: stivog / Adobe Stock

Pirate Queens of the High Seas: Anne Bonny and Mary Read

When it comes to pirates, most people think of iconic names like Blackbeard , Calico Jack, or William Kidd . But what about female pirates? Although female pirates are less well-known, they did exist...
John King was the youngest pirate known to history. Source: Fxquadro / Adobe Stock

Child Pirate of the Caribbean: John King Was Just 11 When he Joined Infamous Pirate Crew

Nearly 300 years before the first Pirates of the Caribbean film fuelled the imagination of young, modern minds with exciting pirate adventures, a young boy named John King was living the life of a...
Klaus Störtebeker was part of the Victual Brothers pirate band that terrorized the Baltic Sea until . . . 		Source: waewkid / Adobe Stock

Klaus Störtebeker: The Bizarre Tale of a North German Pirate

Looking to the past, the annals of history have its fair share of extraordinary and unusual deaths, some more famous than others. It’s well known that Attila the Hun, the marauding Mongolian warlord...
Whatever Happened to Blackbeard’s Silver-Plated Skull?

Whatever Happened to Blackbeard’s Silver-Plated Skull?

Blackbeard, an infamous pirate from the 1700s, was notoriously an excellent fighter and survivalist. He was so famous, in fact, that after his death his skull was rumored to have been plated in...
Legend of The Flying Dutchman, A Ghost Ship

Legend of The Flying Dutchman, Ghostly Apparition of The Ship of Captain Hendrick

Among nautical myths and legends, few are as famous as the Flying Dutchman. Many have claimed to see the ghostly vessel of Captain Hendrick van der Decken (the Dutchman) since it sank in 1641. It is...
Benjamin Hornigold and the Republic of Pirates

Benjamin Hornigold and the Republic of Pirates

Benjamin Hornigold was an English pirate from the early 18 th century who operated in the waters of the Caribbean , specifically in the Bahamas. Best remembered for establishing the ‘Republic of...
The discovery of an Arabic coin in a Rhode Island orchard provides clues about the escape of the notorious fugitive Captain Every

Rare Arabic Coin Provides Clue in Disappearance of Fugitive Pirate

Henry Every (Avery) was a brutal English pirate who operated in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans in the mid-1690s. Assuming the names “Jack,” “Benjamin Bridgeman,” and “Long Ben,” in 1695 AD Capt...
Eustace the Monk: Talented Pirate For The French And The English

Eustace the Monk: Talented Pirate For The French And The English

Eustace the Monk was a notorious pirate who operated in the English Channel during the early 13th century AD. As indicated by his title, Eustace had been a monk, though he was also involved in other...
Ching Shih – from Prostitute to Infamous Female Pirate Lord

Ching Shih – From Prostitute to Infamous Female Pirate

Ching Shih (or Zheng Shi) was a Chinese prostitute who became a powerful female pirate, controlling the infamous Red Flag Fleet. The fleet grew under her command, with expanding reserves of loot, and...
Greek Island’s Archaeological Treasures Reveal Hidden Story of a Pirate King

Greek Island’s Archaeological Treasures Reveal Hidden Story of a Pirate King

A rocky uninhabited Greek islet in the Aegean Sea is providing archaeologists with a treasure trove of finds, including new insight on the story of an ancient pirate king. There was once a small...
A Jolly Roger, the infamous pirate flag

The Origin of the Jolly Roger, The Ultimate Pirate Flag

There are many objects of piracy that are used as symbols of the practice today – walking the plank, a wooden leg, an eye patch , a hook for a hand, and a single gold hoop earring. However, the most...
Was the Queen Anne’s Revenge deliberately beached by Blackbeard

Did Blackbeard’s Pirate Legacy End With ‘Leaks' Rather Than Mistakes?

Sitting on a throne during the Golden Age of Pirates , Blackbeard , or Edward Teach (1680-1718), was an English pirate who famously terrorized the West Indies and the eastern coast of Britain's North...
Representation of Jeanne de Clisson, the Lioness of Brittany

The Revenge of Pirate Jeanne de Clisson, The Lioness of Brittany

In the midst of the Hundred Years War between England and France, an enraged French noblewoman turned pirate named Jeanne de Clisson took to the sea with a fleet of warships. She mercilessly hunted...
Representation of diver inspecting a shipwreck.         Source: Wojciech / Adobe stock

Breakthrough in Hunt for Spanish Shipwreck’s Greatest Ever Treasure

Marine archaeologists are renewing their search for a Spanish treasure shipwreck, the Juncal. It is believed that the ship had a cargo of treasure, including precious metals and jewels, when it sank...
The Frisians are historically recognized as brave warriors. Source: lassedesignen/Adobe Stock

The Frisians: Fierce Fighters of The North Sea Coasts

The world of Germanic nations is a diverse and rich cultural ethnosphere whose languages and cultures came to dominate Western Europe and much of the world. Their history is rich and spans centuries...
Grace O’Malley, the Pirate Queen of Ireland

Grace O’Malley, The 16th Century Pirate Queen of Ireland

Grace O'Malley was Queen of Umaill, chieftain of the O Maille clan, a rebel , seafarer, and fearless leader who challenged the turbulent politics of 16th century England and Ireland. While Irish...
The location of the Treasure of Lima remains a mystery. Source: fergregory /Adobe Stock

Search for the Treasure of Lima and Wealth Beyond Measure

We all remember how the daring, thrilling novels of pirates, buried treasures, and exciting swashbuckling sparked our imagination when we were kids. The iconic novels such as “Treasure Island” by...
Robinson Crusoe Island is being searched by Dutch treasure hunter.  Source: JeremyRichards / Adobe Stock

Treasure Hunter Given Go Ahead to Dig for $10 Billion Inca Hoard

A Dutch treasure hunter has clashed with a Chilean politician over the legendary treasure of Robinson Crusoe Island. Robinson Crusoe Island is a remote Chilean island and protected as a Unesco World...
Matelotage is the marriage / civil union of two male pirates. Source: rdrgraphe / Adobe Stock.

Be My Matelotage! The Civil Union of 17th Century Pirates

Love strikes hard like the broadsiding from a warship, leaving both splinters and buckshot in one’s heart. When it hits, there's nothing anyone can do but accept the bombardment with both arms open...
Soldier’s barracks at Fort Rodney 		Source: Hunkeler, C / CC BY-SA 2.0

Battles of the Caribbean: Fort Rodney, St Lucia – Built by the British to Spy on the French

Today, we think of the Caribbean as a tropical paradise, however, the area was once of strategic importance for the European Empires and a key battleground from the 17 th to the 19 th century. There...

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