Pirates attacked large convoys, were able to fight off sizeable naval ships and became a general force to be reckoned with. Below is a list of some of the most infamous and notorious of these pirates who continue to capture the imagination of the public today.

Though pirates have existed since ancient times, the Golden Age of piracy was in the 17th and early 18th centuries. During this time more than 5000 pirates were said to be at sea. Throughout history there have been people willing to rob others transporting goods on the water.

Transatlantic shipping traffic between Africa, the Caribbean, and Europe began to soar in the 18th century, a model known as the triangular trade, and became a rich target for piracy. Trade ships sailed from Europe to the African coast, trading manufactured goods and weapons for slaves.

Infamous names associated with the period include Captain Kidd (d. 1701), Blackbeard (d. 1718), and Bartholomew Roberts (d. 1722). These men, and some women like Anne Bonny and Mary Read, targetted merchant shipping and, much more rarely, well-armed treasure ships.

Wreck divers recently discovered a heavily armed, 18th-century pirate ship in the waters between Morocco and Spain. Armed to the teeth, it now sits at the bottom of the ocean, serving as an...