The ships of the sea thugs: the nine most formidable. Famous pirates everyone should know about (6 photos)

Pirates are sea (or river) robbers. The word "pirate" (lat. Pirata) comes, in turn, from the Greek. πειρατής, related to the word πειράω ("to try, to test"). Thus, the meaning of the word would be "trying his luck". Etymology testifies to how shaky the border between the professions of the seafarer and the pirate was from the very beginning.
The following list with pictures is intended for those who suddenly decided that they are fond of pirates, but can not remember a single name other than Jack Sparrow.

Henry Morgan

(1635-1688) became the most famous pirate in the world, enjoying a kind of fame. This man became famous not so much for his corsair's exploits as for his activities as a commander and politician. The main merit of Morgan was helping England to seize control of the entire Caribbean Sea. Ever since childhood, Henry was a fidget, which was reflected in his adult life. In a short time, he managed to be a slave, gather his own gang of thugs and get his first ship. Many people were robbed along the way. While in the service of the queen, Morgan directed his energy to the destruction of the Spanish colonies, he did it perfectly. As a result, everyone recognized the name of the active sailor. But then the pirate suddenly decided to settle down - he got married, bought a house ... However, his violent temper took his own, besides, at his leisure, Henry realized that it was much more profitable to capture coastal cities than just rob ships. Morgan once used a clever move. On the way to one of the cities, he took a large ship and stuffed it to the top with gunpowder, sending it to the Spanish port at dusk. The huge explosion led to such a commotion that there was simply no one to defend the city. So the city was taken, and the local fleet was destroyed, thanks to the cunning of Morgan. Storming Panama, the commander decided to attack the city from land, letting the army go around the city. As a result, the maneuver was a success, the fortress fell. Last years Morgan spent his life as Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. His whole life has passed at a frantic pirate pace, with all the charms befitting the occupation in the form of alcohol. Only rum won the gallant sailor - he died of cirrhosis of the liver and was buried as a nobleman. True, the sea took his ashes - the cemetery after the earthquake plunged into the sea.

Francis Drake

(1540-1596) was born in England, the son of a priest. The young man began his maritime career as a cabin boy on a small merchant ship. It was there that the smart and observant Francis learned the art of sailing. Already at the age of 18, he received command of his own ship, which he inherited from the old captain. In those days, the queen blessed pirate raids, so long as they were directed against the enemies of England. During one of these voyages, Drake fell into a trap, but despite the death of 5 other English ships, he managed to save his ship. The pirate quickly became famous for his cruelty, and fortune fell in love with him. Trying to take revenge on the Spaniards, Drake begins to wage his own war against them - robbing their ships, cities. In 1572, he managed to capture the "Silver Caravan", which was carrying more than 30 tons of silver, which immediately made the pirate rich. An interesting feature of Drake was the fact that he not only sought to plunder more, but also to visit previously unknown places. As a result, many sailors were grateful to Drake for his work on clarifying and correcting the world map. With the Queen's permission, the pirate embarked on a secret expedition to South America, with the official version of Australia's exploration. The expedition was a great success. Drake maneuvered so cleverly, avoiding enemy traps, that he managed to make trip around the world on the way home. On the way, he attacked Spanish settlements in South America, circled Africa and brought potato tubers home. The total profit from the campaign was unprecedented - more than half a million pounds sterling. Then it was twice the budget of the entire country. As a result, Drake was knighted on board the ship - an unprecedented event that has no analogues in history. The apogee of the pirate's greatness came at the end of the 16th century, when he took part as an admiral in the defeat of the Invincible Armada. Later, luck turned away from the pirate, during one of his subsequent voyages to the American shores, he fell ill with tropical fever and died.

Edward Teach

(1680-1718) better known by his nickname Blackbeard. It was because of this external attribute that Teach was considered a creepy fiend. The first mentions of the activities of this corsair date back only to 1717, what the Englishman was doing before that remained unknown. By indirect indications, one can guess that he was a soldier, but deserted and became a filibuster. Then he was already pirating, catching horror on people with his beard, which covered almost the entire face. Teach was very brave and courageous, which earned respect from other pirates. He wicked wicks into his beard, which, smoking, terrified opponents. In 1716, Edward was given command of his sloop to conduct marque operations against the French. Teach soon seized the larger ship and made it his flagship, renaming it Queen Anne's Revenge. The pirate at this time acts in the Jamaica area, robbing everyone in a row and recruiting new henchmen. By the beginning of 1718, there were already 300 people under the command of Teach. During the year, he managed to capture more than 40 ships. All the pirates knew that a bearded man was hiding a treasure on one of the uninhabited islands, but no one knew exactly where. The pirate's atrocities against the British and the robbery of the colonies forced the authorities to declare a hunt for Blackbeard. An impressive bounty was announced and Lieutenant Maynard was hired to hunt down Teach. In November 1718, the pirate was overtaken by the authorities and was killed during the battle. Teach's head was severed, and his body was suspended from a yarn.

William Kidd

(1645-1701). Born in Scotland not far from the docks, the future pirate from childhood decided to link his fate with the sea. In 1688 Kidd, being a simple sailor, survived a shipwreck near Haiti and was forced to become a pirate. In 1689, betraying his comrades-in-arms, William took possession of the frigate, calling it "Blessed William". With the help of a privateer patent, Kidd took part in the war against the French. In the winter of 1690, part of the team left him, and Kidd decided to settle down. He married a wealthy widow, taking possession of the land and property. But the pirate's heart demanded adventure, and now, after 5 years, he is already a captain again. The powerful frigate "Brave" was called upon to plunder, however, only the French. After all, the expedition was sponsored by the state, which did not need unnecessary political scandals. However, the sailors, seeing the scarcity of profits, periodically revolted. The seizure of a rich ship with French goods did not save the situation. Fleeing from his former subordinates, Kidd surrendered to the British authorities. The pirate was taken to London, where he quickly became a bargaining chip in the fight political parties... Kidd was sentenced to death on charges of piracy and the murder of a ship's officer (who was the instigator of the mutiny). In 1701, the pirate was hanged, and his body hung in an iron cage over the Thames for 23 years, as a warning to the corsairs of imminent punishment.

Mary Reid

(1685-1721). From the very childhood, the girl was dressed in the clothes of a boy. So the mother tried to hide the death of her early deceased son. At the age of 15, Mary went to serve in the army. In the battles in Flanders, she, under the name Mark, showed miracles of courage, but she did not wait for advancement. Then the woman decided to join the cavalry, where she fell in love with her colleague. After the end of hostilities, the couple got married. However, the happiness did not last long, her husband died unexpectedly, Mary, having changed into men's clothes, became a sailor. The ship fell into the hands of the pirates, the woman was forced to join them, cohabitating with the captain. In battle, Mary wore a male uniform, participating in skirmishes on an equal basis with everyone. Over time, the woman fell in love with a craftsman who helped a pirate. They even got married and were about to end the past. But even here the happiness did not last long. A pregnant Reed was caught by the authorities. When she was caught along with other pirates, she said that she had committed robberies against her will. However, other pirates showed that there was no one more determined than Mary Reed in robbing ships and boarding. The court did not dare to hang the pregnant woman, she patiently waited for her fate in the Jamaica prison, not fearing a shameful death. But a strong fever finished her off earlier.

Olivier (Francois) le Wasser

became the most famous French pirate. He was nicknamed "La Blues", or "buzzard". A Norman nobleman of noble birth was able to turn the island of Tortuga (now Haiti) into an impregnable fortress of filibusters. Initially, le Wasser was sent to the island to protect French settlers, but he quickly drove out the British (according to other sources - the Spaniards) and began to conduct his own policy. A talented engineer, the Frenchman designed an excellently fortified fortress. Le Wasser issued a filibuster very dubious documents on the right to hunt the Spaniards, taking the lion's share of the spoils for himself. In fact, he became the leader of the pirates, without taking a direct part in the hostilities. When in 1643 the Spaniards could not take the island, being surprised to find fortifications, the authority of le Wasser rose noticeably. He finally refused to obey the French and pay royalties to the crown. However, the spoiled character, tyranny and tyranny of the Frenchman led to the fact that in 1652 he was killed by his own friends. According to legend, le Wasser collected and hid the largest treasure of all time, worth £ 235 million in today's money. The information about the location of the treasure was kept in the form of a cryptogram on the governor's neck, but the gold was never found.

William Dampier

(1651-1715) is often called not just a pirate, but also a scientist. After all, he made three whole circumnavigation, discovering many islands in the Pacific Ocean. Orphaned early, William chose the nautical path. At first he took part in trade voyages, and then he managed to make war. In 1674, the Englishman came to Jamaica as a trading agent, but his career did not work out in this capacity, and Dampier was forced to become a sailor of a merchant ship again. After exploring the Caribbean, William settled on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, on the Yucatan coast. Here he found friends in the form of runaway slaves and filibusters. Dampir's further life took place in the idea of ​​travel to Central America, plundering Spanish settlements on land and at sea. He sailed in the waters of Chile, Panama, New Spain. Dhampir almost immediately began taking notes of his adventures. As a result, in 1697 his book "A New Journey Around the World" was published, which made him famous. Dampier became a member of the most prestigious houses in London, entered the royal service and continued his research, writing a new book. However, in 1703, on an English ship, Dampier continued a series of robberies of Spanish ships and settlements in the Panama region. In 1708-1710 he took part as a navigator of the corsair round-the-world expedition. The works of the pirate scientist turned out to be so valuable to science that he is considered to be one of the fathers of modern oceanography.

Zheng Shi

(1785-1844) is considered one of the most successful pirates. The scale of her actions will be evidenced by the facts that she commanded a fleet of 2,000 ships, on which more than 70 thousand sailors served. 16-year-old prostitute "Madame Jing" married the famous pirate Zheng Yi. After his death in 1807, the widow inherited a pirate fleet of 400 ships. The corsairs not only attacked merchant ships off the coast of China, but also swam deep into river estuaries, devastating coastal settlements. The emperor was so surprised by the actions of the pirates that he sent his fleet against them, but this did not have significant consequences. The key to Zheng Shi's success was the strictest discipline she established for us. She put an end to the traditional pirate freedoms - the robbery of allies and the rape of prisoners were punishable by death. However, as a result of the betrayal of one of her captains, the female pirate in 1810 was forced to conclude a truce with the authorities. Her further career took place as a keeper of a brothel and a gambling brothel. The history of the pirate woman is reflected in literature and cinema, there are many legends about her.

Edward Lau

(1690-1724) also known as Ned Lau. For most of his life, this man traded in petty theft. In 1719, his wife died in childbirth, and Edward realized that from now on nothing would tie him to the house. After 2 years, he became a pirate operating around the Azores, New England and the Caribbean. This time is considered the end of the century of piracy, but Lau became famous for the fact that in a short time he managed to capture more than a hundred ships, while showing a rare bloodthirstiness.

Urouj Barbarossa

(1473-1518) became a pirate at the age of 16 after the Turks took over his home island of Lesvos. Already at the age of 20, Barbarossa became a merciless and courageous corsair. Escaping from captivity, he soon seized a ship for himself, becoming the leader. Urouj entered into an agreement with the Tunisian authorities, which allowed him to organize a base on one of the islands in exchange for a share of the booty. As a result, Urouge's pirate fleet terrorized all Mediterranean ports. Having got involved in politics, Uruj eventually became the ruler of Algeria under the name of Barbarossa. However, the fight against the Spaniards did not bring good luck to the Sultan - he was killed. His business was continued by his younger brother, known as Barbaross II.

Piracy began as soon as humans began to use floating facilities to transport goods. In different countries and in different eras, pirates were called filibusters, ushkuiniks, corsairs, privateers.

The most famous pirates they left a significant mark in history: during their lifetime they inspired fear, after death their adventures continue to arouse unflagging interest. Piracy has had a great influence on culture: sea robbers have become central figures in many famous literary works, modern films and TV series.

He lived in the 18th century. He is interesting because there were two women on his team. For his love of shirts made of Indian calico (calico) in bright colors, he received the nickname Calico Jack. He ended up in the navy at an early age due to need. For a long time he served as a senior helmsman under the command of the famous pirate Charles Wayne. After the latter tried to abandon the fight with the French warship pursuing the pirate ship, Rackham revolted and was elected a new captain according to the order of the pirate code. Calico Jack differed from the rest of the sea robbers in his gentle treatment of his victims, which, however, did not save him from the gallows. The pirate was executed on November 17, 1720 at Port Royal, and his body was hung for the edification of the rest of the robbers at the entrance to the harbor.

The story of one of the most famous pirates in history, William Kidd, still causes controversy among researchers of his life. Some historians are sure that he was not a pirate and acted strictly within the framework of a privateer patent. Nevertheless, he was found guilty of an attack on 5 ships and a murder. Despite trying to get his release in exchange for information about the place where the valuables were hidden, Kidd was sentenced to be hanged. After the execution, the body of the pirate and his accomplices was hung out for all to see over the Thames, where it hung for 3 years.

The Legend of Kidd's Hidden Treasures long time excited the minds. The belief that the treasure does exist was supported literary works, in which the pirate treasure was mentioned. Kidd's hidden riches were searched for on many islands, but to no avail. The fact that the treasure is still not a myth is evidenced by the fact that in 2015 British divers found the wreckage of a pirate ship off the coast of Madagascar and under it a 50-kilogram ingot, which, according to experts, belonged to Captain Kidd.

Or Ms. Zheng is one of the world's most famous female pirates. After the death of her husband, she inherited his pirate fleet and put the sea robbery on a grand scale. Under her command were two thousand ships and seventy thousand people. The most severe discipline helped her to command an entire army. For example, for unauthorized absence from the ship, the guilty one lost his ear. Not all of Madame Shi's subordinates were happy with this state of affairs, and one of the captains once revolted and went over to the side of the authorities. After the power of Madame Shi was weakened, she agreed to a truce with the emperor and subsequently lived to a ripe old age at large, running a brothel.

One of the most famous pirates in the world. Actually, he was not a pirate, but a corsair operating on the seas and oceans against enemy ships with the special permission of Queen Elizabeth. Devastating the coast of Central and South America, he became immensely rich. Drake accomplished many great deeds: he opened the strait, which he named after himself, under his command, the British fleet defeated the Great Armada. Since then, one of the ships of the British Navy has been named after the famous navigator and corsair Francis Drake.

The list of the most famous pirates would be incomplete without a name. Despite the fact that he was born into a wealthy family of an English landowner, from his youth Morgan linked his life with the sea. He was hired on one of the ships as a cabin boy and was soon sold into slavery in Barbados. He managed to get over to Jamaica, where Morgan joined a gang of pirates. Several successful campaigns allowed him and his comrades to acquire a ship. Morgan was chosen as captain, and it was a good decision... A few years later, 35 ships were under his command. With such a fleet, he managed to capture Panama in a day and burn the entire city. Since Morgan acted mainly against Spanish ships and pursued an active English colonial policy, after his arrest the pirate was not executed. On the contrary, Henry Morgan was promoted to Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica for his services to Britain in the fight against Spain. The famous corsair died at the age of 53 from liver cirrhosis.

He is Black Bart - one of the brightest pirates in history, although he is not as famous as Blackbeard or Henry Morgan. Black Bart became the most successful filibuster in the history of piracy. During his short pirate career (3 years), he captured 456 ships. Its production is estimated at £ 50 million. It is believed that he created the famous "Pirate Code". He was killed in action with a British warship. The body of the pirate, according to his will, was thrown into the water, and the remains of one of the greatest pirates were never found.

Or Blackbeard is one of the most famous pirates in the world. Almost everyone heard his name. He lived and was engaged in sea robbery Teach during the heyday of the golden age of piracy. Having entered the service at the age of 12, he gained valuable experience, which would then be useful to him in the future. According to historians, Teach participated in the War of the Spanish Succession, and after its end he deliberately decided to become a pirate. The fame of the ruthless filibuster helped Blackbeard capture ships without using weapons - seeing his flag, the victim surrendered without a fight. The pirate's merry life did not last long - Teach died during a boarding battle with a British warship pursuing him.

One of the most famous pirates in history is the nickname Lanky Ben. The father of the future famous buccaneer was the captain of the British Navy. Since childhood, Avery dreamed of sea voyages. He began his career in the navy as a cabin boy. Avery was then appointed first mate on a corsair frigate. The ship's crew soon revolted, and the first mate was proclaimed the captain of a pirate ship. So Avery took the path of piracy. He became famous for capturing the ships of Indian pilgrims heading to Mecca. The booty of pirates was unheard of in those days: 600 thousand pounds and the daughter of the Great Mogul, whom Avery later officially married. How the life of the famous filibuster ended is unknown.

One of the most famous filibusters of the golden age of piracy. Pargo was engaged in transporting slaves and made a fortune from it. The wealth allowed him to do charity work. He lived to a venerable age.

Among the most famous sea robbers is the one known as Black Sam. He became a pirate to marry Maria Hallett. Bellamy was desperately short of funds to provide for his future family, and he joined Benjamin Hornigold's pirate crew. A year later, he became the captain of the robbers, allowing Hornigold to leave peacefully. Through a network of informers and spies, Bellamy was able to capture one of the fastest ships of the day, the frigate Waida. Bellamy died while sailing to his beloved. Vida was caught in a storm, the ship was thrown aground and the crew, including Black Sam, were killed. Bellamy's career as a pirate lasted only a year.

Incredible facts

Blackbeard

Edward Teach, known as Blackbeard, established a terror in the Caribbean that lasted from 1716 to 1718.

The sailor started out as a privateer, fighting for England during the War of the Spanish Succession, honing his skills as a sea robber before turning to piracy.

A fierce fighter, Blackbeard was known for both his distinctive style of capturing ships and his enormous mane of hair.

Anne Bonny

The most famous female pirate in history was as intimidating as her male counterparts, and she was also very intelligent and educated.

The daughter of a plantation owner, Anne left her arranged life in the early 1700s and went to conquer the seas.

They joined the crew of the Calico Jack Rackham ship disguised as a man, but legend has it that she was saved from death after the crew was captured because she was pregnant.

Captain Samuel Bellamy

Despite the fact that he died at a very young age (he was only 28 years old), "Black Sam" made a name for himself after capturing several ships, including Whydah Gally, a ship that was full of gold, silver and other valuable commodity. Bellamy made the ship his own in 1717, but he sank in a storm that same year.

Jin Shih

China was also involved in the golden age of piracy, and women on board or even at the helm were not uncommon.

Since 1801, her "career" has developed very rapidly, and she became one of the most powerful female captains, and, in the end, the commander of a fleet of 2,000 ships and 70,000 sailors.

It is believed that the key to Jin's success was the iron discipline that reigned in her courts.

Bartholomew Roberts

"Black" Bart Roberts was one of the most successful pirates of the Golden Age, patrolling the waters off the coast of Africa and the Caribbean.

In less than four years, he captured 400 ships.

Bart was very cold-blooded and rarely left anyone alive on captured ships, so he was actively sought by the British authorities. He died at sea.

Captain Kidd

Pirate or privateer? Scottish sailor William Kidd is known for his high-profile lawsuits with the British government over his worst crimes and pirate attacks.

However, the veracity of this claim is still disputed. According to some modern historians, Kidd acted according to the privateer patent issued to him and did not attack the Allied ships.

However, he was hanged in 1701. Rumors of the whereabouts of the enormous treasures he hid still thrill the minds of many adventurers to this day.

Henry Morgan

So popular that rum was named after him, Captain Morgan first served as a privateer in the Caribbean, then became a pirate, and famously wreaked havoc on the golden Spanish colony of Panama City in the mid-1600s.

He is also known as one of the few pirates who managed to "retire".

Calico Jack

Jolly Roger Flag Pioneer Calico Jack Rackham was a pirate Caribbean who has had several epic names, but is known for his conducted association with Anne Bonnie, as well as for his classic pirate death.

Captured in Jamaica in 1720, Rackham was hanged, doused with tar and set on fire to show what would happen to each pirate. Now the place where this event took place is called Kay Rakham.

Sir Francis Drake

Noble to some and a criminal to others, Drake spent his time between the defeat of the Spanish armada in 1588 and his voyage around the world, actively pursuing the piracy and slave trade in the Caribbean.

The seizures he made, especially the attacks on the Spanish colonies in Central America, were considered some of the richest in piracy history.

Brothers Barbarossa

Names like Aru and Khizir may not sound familiar to you, but the nickname given to Turkish corsairs by Europeans - Barbarossa (red beard) - probably conjures up images of tough and harsh sailors in the Mediterranean.

In the 16th century, using North Africa as a base, the Barbarossa brothers attacked several coastal cities and became some of the most powerful people in the area.

Adventure Galley is the favorite ship of William Kidd, an English privateer and pirate. This unusual galley-frigate was equipped with straight sails and oars, which made it possible to maneuver both against the wind and in calm weather. The 287-ton ship with 34 cannons could carry 160 crew members and was primarily intended to destroy other pirate ships.

Queen Anne's Revenge is the flagship of the legendary Captain Edward Teach, nicknamed Blackbeard... This 40-gun frigate was originally called "Concorde", belonged to Spain, then passed to France, until it was finally captured by Blackbeard. Under his leadership, the ship was fortified and renamed. "Queen Anne's Revenge" sank dozens of merchant and military ships that stood in the way of the famous pirate.

Whydah is the flagship of Black Sam Bellamy, one of the pirates of the golden age of sea robbery. The Ouidah was a fast and agile vessel capable of carrying many treasures. Unfortunately for Black Sam, only a year after the start of the pirate "career" the ship fell into a terrible storm and was thrown into the shallows. The entire team, except for two people, died. By the way, Sam Bellamy was the richest pirate in history, according to the Forbes recount, his fortune in the modern equivalent was about 132 million dollars.

Royal Fortune belonged to Bartholomew Roberts, the famous Welsh corsair, whose death ended the golden age of piracy. Bartholomew changed several ships during his career, but the 42-gun three-masted battleship was his favorite. On it he accepted his death in a battle with the British warship "Swallow" in 1722.

Fancy is the ship of Henry Avery, also known as Lanky Ben and the Archiperate. The Spanish 30-gun frigate Charles II successfully plundered French ships, but in the end a riot broke out on it, and power passed to Avery, who served as the first mate. Avery renamed the ship Imagination and sailed on it until he finished his career.

Happy Delivery is a small but beloved ship of George Lauter, an 18th century English pirate. His signature tactic was to ram an enemy ship with his own ship with simultaneous lightning-fast boarding.

The Golden Hind was an English galleon commanded by Sir Francis Drake that circled the world between 1577 and 1580. Initially, the ship was called "Pelican", but upon entering Pacific Ocean Drake renamed it in honor of his patron, Lord Chancellor Christopher Hutton, who wore a golden doe on his coat of arms.

The Rising Sun was a ship owned by Christopher Moody, a truly ruthless thug who took no prisoners on principle. This 35-gun frigate terrified Moody's enemies until he was safely hanged - but it went down in history as the most unusual pirate flag known, a yellow on a red background, and even with winged hourglass to the left of the skull.

The Speaker is the first of the capital ships of John Bowen's corsair, a successful pirate and brilliant tactician. The Talkative is a large 50-gun ship with a displacement of 450 tons, originally used to transport slaves and, after being captured by Bowen, for daring attacks on Moorish ships.

Revenge is a ten-gun sloop of Steed Bonnet, also known as the "Gentleman of the Pirates." Bonnet lived an eventful, albeit short life, having managed to be a small landowner, serve under Blackbeard's command, fall under an amnesty, and again take the path of piracy. The small, maneuverable Retribution sank many of the larger ships.

Large and tiny, powerful and maneuverable - all these ships, as a rule, were built for completely different purposes, but sooner or later ended up in the hands of the corsairs. Some ended their "careers" in battle, others were resold, others were drowned in storms, but they all somehow glorified their owners.

The peak of sea robberies came in the 17th century, when the World Ocean was the arena of struggle between Spain, England and some other growing European colonial powers. Most often, pirates made their living by independent criminal robberies, but some of them ended up in public service and deliberately harmed the foreign fleet. Below is a list of the ten most famous pirates in history.

William Kidd (January 22, 1645 - May 23, 1701) - Scottish sailor who was convicted and executed for piracy after returning from a voyage to the Indian Ocean, where he was supposed to hunt pirates. It is considered one of the most cruel and bloodthirsty sea robbers of the seventeenth century. The hero of many mysterious stories. Some modern historians, such as Sir Cornelius Neil Dalton, consider his pirate reputation to be unfair.

Bartholomew Roberts (May 17, 1682 - February 17, 1722) was a Welsh pirate who in two and a half years robbed about 200 ships (according to another version, 400 ships) in the vicinity of Barbados and Martinique. Known primarily as the opposite of the traditional pirate image. He was always well dressed, had exquisite manners, hated drunkenness and gambling, and dealt well with the crew of the ships he had captured. He was killed by cannon shot during a battle with a British warship.

Blackbeard or Edward Teach (1680 - November 22, 1718) was an English pirate who hunted in the Caribbean in 1716-1718. He liked to strike terror into his enemies. During the battle, Teach weaved incendiary wicks into his beard, and in puffs of smoke, like Satan from Hell, burst into the ranks of the enemy. Due to his unusual appearance and eccentric behavior, history made him one of the most famous pirates, despite the fact that his "career" was rather short, and his success and scale of activity were much smaller than his other colleagues on this list.

Jack Rackham (December 21, 1682 - November 17, 1720) - an English pirate, famous primarily for the fact that his crew included two more no less famous corsairs, female pirates Anne Bonnie, nicknamed "the ruler of the seas" and Mary Reid.

Charles Wayne (1680 - March 29, 1721) was an English pirate who plundered ships from 1716 to 1721 in North American waters. He became famous for his extreme cruelty. As history says, Wayne was not attached to such feelings as compassion, pity and sympathy, he easily broke his own promises, did not respect other pirates and did not take anyone's opinion at all. The meaning of his life was only prey.

Edward England (1685 - 1721) was a pirate operating off the coast of Africa and in the waters of the Indian Ocean from 1717 to 1720. He differed from other pirates of that time in that he did not kill prisoners unless absolutely necessary. Ultimately, this led his crew to riot when he refused to kill sailors from yet another captured English merchant ship. Subsequently, England was landed in Madagascar, where he survived for some time by begging, and eventually died.

Samuel Bellamy, nicknamed Black Sam (23 February 1689 - 26 April 1717) was a great English sailor and pirate who hunted at the beginning of the 18th century. Although his career lasted a little more than a year, he and his crew captured at least 53 ships, making Black Sam the richest pirate in history. Bellamy was also known for his mercy and generosity towards those he captured in his raids.

Saida al-Khurra (1485 - about July 14, 1561) - the last queen of Tetouan (Morocco), who ruled between 1512-1542, a pirate. In alliance with the Ottoman corsair Aruj Barbarossa of Algeria, al-Hura controlled the Mediterranean Sea. She became famous for her struggle against the Portuguese. She is considered one of the most prominent women in the Islamic West of the modern era. The date and exact circumstances of her death are unknown.

Thomas Tew (1649 - September 1695) was an English privateer and pirate who made only two major pirate voyages, later known as the Pirate Circle. He was killed in 1695 while trying to rob the Mughal ship Fateh Muhammad.

Steed Bonnet (1688 - December 10, 1718) - an outstanding English pirate, nicknamed "the pirate gentleman". Interestingly, before Bonnet turned to piracy, he was a fairly wealthy, educated and respected man who owned a plantation in Barbados.

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