THE 33 MOST FAMOUS PIRATES IN HISTORY - HISTORY

The famous pirates in history were people who committed acts of violence at sea, for example theft of boats. Pirates and buccaneers have been one of the most interesting and at the same time feared figures in history.

Public interest in pirates has led to the creation of various literary and cinematographic works over time. While most of the pirates on record were active many years ago, today there are still some who wreak havoc on the world's oceans.

Spanish ships were continually attacked in the Caribbean by pirates and buccaneers who were after the galleons in which wealth was transported between America and Spain. Many of the pirates seeking treasure in the Caribbean were sponsored by some governments and countries.

Piracy brought many famous corsairs fame and fortune, however it also led to the early death of many of them. Some benevolent, others violent and cruel, all managed to become part of a mythology that persists to this day.

Here is a list of the main pirates, buccaneers and corsairs in history.

Anne Bonny (1700 - 1782)

He was a Welsh pirate who raided ships sailing between America and West Africa between 1719 and 1722. He is believed to have been the most successful pirate of the so-called “golden age” of piracy, based on the number of ships he managed to intercept and capture. This number is thought to have been over 400.

Benjamin Hornigold (1680 - 1719)

English pirate of the 18th century, he was active during the end of the golden age of piracy. After a profitable career as a pirate, he became a buccaneer hunter, going after his former allies hired by the Governor of the Bahamas. He was assassinated after running his ship aground on a reef in 1719.

Edward Teach, Blackbeard (1680 - 1718)

He was a prominent English pirate who operated in the West Indies and the east coast of the British North American colonies. He belonged to the English navy, before joining Captain Hornigold's crew in the Bahamas. He was a feared corsair, although he was not violent, as is known. His image gave rise to fictions about pirates after his death.

Calico Jack (1682 - 1720)

An English-born pirate captain, he operated in the Bahamas and Cuba in the early 18th century, during the latter part of the golden age of piracy. He was famous for having been the first to use the pirate flag known as "Jolly Roger", with a skull and two cross-shaped bones, which became a pirate emblem.

Charles Vane (1680 - 1721)

He was an English pirate who attacked mainly English and French ships. Their main ship was called the Ranger. Its base of operation was in the Bahamas, in the town of New Providence, also called "The Pirate Republic." After a long and violent career as a buccaneer, he was executed by hanging in Jamaica.

Cheung Po Tsai (1783 - 1822)

Chinese pirate from the 19th century, his name literally means "Cheung Po the boy." He was born in Hong Kong, the son of a fisherman and later kidnapped by the pirate Cheng I at the age of fifteen.

Adopted by his captors, he took the pirate trade from them. It is said that he managed to accumulate more than 50,000 followers and a fleet of more than 600 boats.

Edward England (1685 - 1721)

Famous pirate captain of the seas off the African coast and the Indian Ocean. His most famous ships were the Perla and the Fancy. He adopted and used the famous Jolly Roger pirate flag.

He is known as one of the most humane pirates of the golden age of piracy, for his non-violent and moderate nature.

Edward Low (1690 - 1724)

He was a notable pirate of the late period of the Golden Age, at the beginning of the 18th century. He was born in London in the midst of poverty and was a thief since childhood.

He moved to Boston, United States, in his teens and became a pirate operating off the shores of New England, the Azores islands and the Caribbean. He was known for his cruelty and brutality.

Grace O'Malley (1530-1603)

It is about an Irish pirate, who followed in her father's footsteps, inheriting his maritime transport business after his death. She is an important part of Irish folklore and a leading historical figure from the 16th century.

Known as "the queen of the sea of Connacht", she received a good education and her talent for navigation was recognized by her contemporaries.

Henry Every (1659 - 1699)

He was an English pirate who operated in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans during the 1690s. Nicknamed the "archipirate" or "the king of pirates" by his contemporaries, he gained fame by retreating with his loot before being arrested or killed in battle.

Although his career was very short, his exploits sparked the public imagination and inspired others to turn to piracy.

Howell Davis (1690-1719)

This Welsh pirate captain had a very short career of just 11 months, before being ambushed and killed. It was, however, very productive at the time, capturing 15 English and French vessels. Its fleet consisted of 4 ships: Cadogan, Buck, Saint James and Rover.

Mary Read (1690 - 1721)

She was an English pirate, the most famous of the women dedicated to this activity, along with Anne Bonny. Both were the only women sentenced for piracy during the 18th century. After being captured and imprisoned, she died of a violent fever while in prison.

Samuel Bellamy (1689-1717)

English pirate, active during the early 18th century. Her career was short, it did not last more than a year, however her crew captured more than 53 ships under her command.

He became the richest pirate in history, before his death at the young age of 28. His generosity was legendary, for which some called him the "Robin Hood of pirates."

Stede Bonnet (1688 - 1718)

He was a pirate from Barbados during the 18th century, sometimes called "the pirate knight" because he was well off before turning to piracy.

He belonged to a prosperous English family established in Barbados and inherited his father's fortune after his death. After acquiring a ship, which he called Vengeance, he jumped into the sea as a pirate and captured countless American ships.

Thomas Tew (1692-1695)

Also known as "the Rhode Island pirate," he was an English pirate who embarked on two long voyages and tragically died during the second of them. He inaugurated a route, known as the "Pirate Round", which was followed by many other famous pirates after him.

Turgut Reis (1485-1565)

Admiral of the Greek navy, under his command the fleet of the Ottoman Empire extended its power across North Africa.

William Kidd (1645-1701)

Scottish navigator, known simply as Captain Kidd, was tried and sentenced to death after returning from a trip to the Indian Ocean. Some historians debate the idea that Kidd was a pirate and not a member of the Scottish navy.

Although successful, his career as a pirate was less destructive and profitable than that of some of his contemporaries.

Sir Francis Drake (1540-1596)

He was a captain and politician of Elizabethan England. He made the second circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition and was the first to complete the journey as captain of the ship. With its entry into the Pacific, a period of piracy began on the west coast of America.

Jean Laffite (1780 - 1823)

French pirate who operated in the Gulf of Mexico during the early 19th century. He operated a warehouse in New Orleans that sold the goods stolen by his brother, also the pirate Pierre Laffite. During the Mexican war of independence, the Laffites acted as spies in the service of Spain.

Woodes Rogers (1679-1732)

English captain and navigator, he became governor of the Bahamas. He set out on a journey around the world, assaulting ships in his path and accumulating wealth.

Upon returning, he was sued by his crew, for not having distributed the profits. He went bankrupt and was imprisoned for his debts.

Christopher Myngs (1625-1666)

English naval officer, operated in the Caribbean commanding a pirate crew. During an attack in the Bay of Campeche, he was seriously injured.

Francois L'Ollonais (1635 - 1668)

He was a French pirate who was active in the Caribbean during the 1660s. He gained a reputation for his ferocity and cruelty. He participated in the sacking of Maracaibo (present-day Venezuela) and in the expedition to Honduras.

Henry Morgan (1635 - 1688)

He was a Welsh navigator, landowner, and governor of Jamaica. From his base on the island, he attacked and looted multiple Spanish vessels. During his fruitful career he attacked Cuba, Panama and Venezuela. His life was turned into fiction in multiple literary works around the pirate theme.

John Morris (1663-1672)

He was an English buccaneer, active in the Caribbean. He was one of the first pirates to participate in expeditions against Spanish rule in Mexico and Nicaragua.

Thomas Paine (1632 - 1715)

American pirate who intercepted numerous Spanish vessels during the 17th century. He participated in the sacking of Spanish settlements, such as Rio de la Hacha in 1680.

Richard Sawkins (1640-1680)

English buccaneer, participated in the so-called "Pacific Adventure", a pirate expedition commanded by Captain John Coxon. He was celebrated by his crew for his bravery and prowess.

George Booth (1654-1700)

He was an English pirate, a pioneer in the navigation of the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. He commanded a vessel named Speaker.

John Bowen (¿- 1704)

A pirate of Creole origin, active during the Golden Age, he sailed alongside several of his famous contemporaries. Over a period of 4 years, Bowen managed to accumulate more than 170,000 pounds sterling in merchandise and money. He retired shortly before his death.

Peter Easton (1570 - 1620)

He was an active pirate in the early part of the 17th century, mainly off the coast of Newfoundland. He was one of the most successful pirates and controlled so much marine space that he never managed to be captured, despite having undergone several expeditions against him.

Cheng I Sao (1775 - 1844)

Famous Chinese pirate, she terrorized the seas of the eastern country during the first part of the 19th century. She personally directed more than 300 vessels with a crew of up to 40,000 pirates.

Black Caesar (¿- 1718)

He was an African pirate who, for more than a decade, operated based in the Florida Keys. He was one of the survivors of Blackbeard's crew and continued to operate after the death of that famous pirate. One of the Cayo Largo islands was named in his honor.

Pedro Gilbert (1800 - 1835)

A pirate who sailed during the early 19th century, he was one of the last to operate off the Atlantic coast. He had the honor of having participated in the last pirate attack on record in the waters of that ocean, although the title of "last pirate" belongs to Nathaniel Gordon.

Nathaniel Gordon (1826-1862)

He was the only pirate tried, sentenced and executed for having participated in acts of slave trafficking, under the Pirate Law of 1820. He is known as “the last pirate”. He died by hanging.

References

Most famous pirates in history. Taken from historylists.org.
List of famous pirates. Taken from thewayofthepirates.com.
List of pirates. Taken from en.wikipedia.org.

THE 33 MOST FAMOUS PIRATES IN HISTORY - HISTORY - 2025