Almost since the end of the golden age of piracy in 1720, pirates have captured the public's imagination. When it comes to pirates, perhaps nothing has captured people's attention more than one of the most famous pirate flags in existence, the Jolly Roger. Find out more about the most famous pirate flags in this article.
EDWARD TEACH "BLACK BARB"
Without a doubt, the most famous pirate on this list, Edward Teach, also has the distinction of having one of the most famous pirate flags on this list. To get more information about the best pirate flags, see this.
It has become the one most people think of when they hear the word "pirate". Teach and his first ship, Queen Anne's Revenge, were made famous through their depiction in media such as "Sid Meier's Pirates!" and "Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag." Blackbeard's flag, shown below, is almost as famous as Blackbeard himself.
BARTHOLOMEW ROBERTS
Although he was a pirate for only three years, Bartholomew Roberts is perhaps the most successful pirate on this list. From 1719 to 1722, Roberts won over 400 prizes. Roberts began his pirate career in June 1719. The ship he was on was captured by pirates under the command of Howell Davis.
The pirates forced Roberts and several of his men to join them. Then they set sail for the island of Principe off the west coast of Africa. At Principe, Captain Davis was shot by the Portuguese garrison, who had discovered that he and his crew were pirates. With Davis' death, a new captain was to be elected - Roberts.
HENRY EVERY
One of the most famous pirates on this list, Every, has captured the attention of contemporary and modern audiences. Although he was only active between 1694 and 1696, Every holds the record for the largest treasure theft ever carried out by a pirate crew.
In a raid on Mughal merchant ships in 1695, his crew brought back treasure worth £300,000 to £600,000, the equivalent of $50 million to $120 million in U.S. dollars today. After the raid, Every largely disappeared from public view. All records of his location and activities ceased to exist after 1696 - including what he did with his shares of the Mughal treasure.