Today in military history: Marines go ‘to the shores of Tripoli
On April 27, 1805, the United States Marines went to the shores of Tripoli to take down some pirates. For basically as long as it has been around, the United…
What is known about Blackbeard’s (still) buried treasure
There is no doubt that the most well-known and infamous pirate of all time is Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard. He terrorized the Caribbean for years before his eventual death in 1718. Three hundred years later, his massive, hidden fortune i…
The 6 most badass, real pirates
Pirates, the swashbuckling legends of yesteryear. We often hear the stories of pirates like fairytales from long ago, but we rarely learn about them in detail, as individuals. From unique…
The real reason pirates wore eyepatches was actually a good idea
There’s probably not a pirate book, movie, television show or other depiction of these seafaring mercenaries that doesn’t feature an eyepatch in some way, shape or form. Pirates are synonymous…
How a prostitute turned pirate queen defeated 3 navies at once
Ching Shih was born around 1775 in China and became a prostitute in Canton, a province in southwest China, before marrying a pirate leader, taking over his fleet, and growing it until it was able to destroy a combined fleet of Chinese, British, and …
This is the Coast Guard’s hardcore equivalent to the Navy SEALs
We’ve all poked fun of the U.S. Coast Guard. We get it. They’re like the red-headed stepchild of the Armed Forces. The very mention of their existence is almost always met by other troops spouting off the same, “yeah, well, they’re not always Do…
7 female pirates you might not know about
Names like Blackbeard and The Barbarossa Brothers may ring a bell. They conjure visions of a billowing Jolly Rogers flag, bands of thieving pirates, and of poor souls walking the plank to their watery graves. But you probably also picture only men. …
Pirates attack and rob Italian ship in the Gulf of Mexico
A pirate attack on an Italian ship in the Gulf of Mexico that left two sailors wounded isn’t the first such incident, and with Mexico struggling to address rising insecurity, it’s not likely to be the last.
About eight armed pirates arrived …
The crazy pirate plan to bring Napoleon to the United States
On Chartres Street in New Orleans’ French Quarter, you can find the best muffuletta sandwich and the best Pimm’s Cup cocktail at a place called Napoleon House – so named because it was going to be the residence of L’Empereur – just as soon as…
7 awesome pirate crews who plundered the Seven Seas
So, after sitting through weeks of military transition classes, you’ve decided, “screw it! I’ll just turn to a life of crime!” Congrats! You’re joining a long tradition — a tradition mostly limited to privateers in the 17th and 18th centuries…