
Captain Kidd Takes the Cara Merchant: 7 of 10
The adventures of William Kidd have inspired works of literature as well as endless searches for buried treasure. But his greatest haul was perhaps his first act of true piracy (he had been a privateer for the British Navy until then): the Armenian trading ship Cara Merchant, which he commandeered off the coast of India. He sold most of its rich cargo but may have buried much of the loot after he scuttled the ship off the coast of Hispaniola, in what is now the Domincan Republic. The ship's remains were positively identified this month.
Blackbeard Blockades Charleston: 8 of 10
One of the most terrifying pirates in history, Edward Teach operated out of the Outer Banks in North Carolina, harassing ships carrying tobacco, dyes and sugar in and out of the British Colonies. In addition to making off with these ships' cargo and reselling it himself, he also took on the supertankers of the day: slave ships. His most audacious exploit, however, was the blockade of Charleston, North Carolina, in which Blackbeard looted several ships but made only one real ransom demand: a chest of medicine in exchange for hostages.
Mistress Ching Retires Rich: 9 of 10
With the death of her pirate husband Zheng Yi in 1807, the former prostitute Ching Shih took command of several hundred ships, extorting money throughout the South China Sea. Her Red Flag Fleet was feared from the Chinese coast to Malaysia. Her greatest accomplishment, however, was knowing when to give up. Unable to defeat her, the Chinese government offered her amnesty. She took it and retired with her immense loot as a respectable millionairess. She also took good care of her crew: all of Ching's pirates were pardoned. A character in the Pirates of the Carribbean films may be inspired by her.
The Taking of the MV Sirius Star: NEXT 10 of 10
Pirates operating from the Somali coast had picked off huge targets before: a French cruise liner; a Ukrainian freighter bearing military hardware for a still-mysterious destination. But the Saudi-owned MV Sirius Star is the biggest ship ever commandeered by privateers: the supertanker is more than 1,000 feet long and three times as large, by displacement, as a U.S. Nimitz-class aircraft carrier — the largest naval ships in the world.
The adventures of William Kidd have inspired works of literature as well as endless searches for buried treasure. But his greatest haul was perhaps his first act of true piracy (he had been a privateer for the British Navy until then): the Armenian trading ship Cara Merchant, which he commandeered off the coast of India. He sold most of its rich cargo but may have buried much of the loot after he scuttled the ship off the coast of Hispaniola, in what is now the Domincan Republic. The ship's remains were positively identified this month.
Blackbeard Blockades Charleston: 8 of 10
One of the most terrifying pirates in history, Edward Teach operated out of the Outer Banks in North Carolina, harassing ships carrying tobacco, dyes and sugar in and out of the British Colonies. In addition to making off with these ships' cargo and reselling it himself, he also took on the supertankers of the day: slave ships. His most audacious exploit, however, was the blockade of Charleston, North Carolina, in which Blackbeard looted several ships but made only one real ransom demand: a chest of medicine in exchange for hostages.
Mistress Ching Retires Rich: 9 of 10
With the death of her pirate husband Zheng Yi in 1807, the former prostitute Ching Shih took command of several hundred ships, extorting money throughout the South China Sea. Her Red Flag Fleet was feared from the Chinese coast to Malaysia. Her greatest accomplishment, however, was knowing when to give up. Unable to defeat her, the Chinese government offered her amnesty. She took it and retired with her immense loot as a respectable millionairess. She also took good care of her crew: all of Ching's pirates were pardoned. A character in the Pirates of the Carribbean films may be inspired by her.
The Taking of the MV Sirius Star: NEXT 10 of 10
Pirates operating from the Somali coast had picked off huge targets before: a French cruise liner; a Ukrainian freighter bearing military hardware for a still-mysterious destination. But the Saudi-owned MV Sirius Star is the biggest ship ever commandeered by privateers: the supertanker is more than 1,000 feet long and three times as large, by displacement, as a U.S. Nimitz-class aircraft carrier — the largest naval ships in the world.