When someone mentions pirates, images of peg legs, parrots, grand pirate ships, and buried treasure permeate our minds. Embellished stories of seafaring rogues offer a romanticized version of lives full of thievery and adventure.
However, only a handful of pirates lived long enough to have something to show for it. Most legendary pirates date back to the Golden Age of Piracy, which occurred between the 17th and early 18th centuries.
While dead men tell no tales, we have uncovered all the gripping details about 13 famous pirates who ruled the high seas. Stay with us to find out why Mary Read dressed as a man, Charles Vane was stubborn, Captain Morgan was knighted, and Blackbeard’s beard was genuinely black.
