January 1, 1680 - Blackbeard
Among the pirates of the early eighteenth century, few cultivated their reputation as deliberately or as effectively as Blackbeard, whose tactical acumen matched his flair for psychological intimidation. Operating across the West Indies and the American colonial coast, he commanded a flagship of 40 guns and a crew exceeding 300 men — force enough to blockade an entire port and hold its population to ransom. His career, though brief, exemplified how piracy at its height could function less like outlawry and more like a shadow naval power.
From Wikipedia
Edward Teach (or Thatch; c. 1680 – 22 November 1718), better known as Blackbeard, was an English pirate who operated around the West Indies and the eastern coast of Britain's North American colonies. Little is known about his early life, but he may have been a sailor on privateering ships during Queen Anne's War before he settled on the Bahamian island of New Providence, a base for Captain Benjamin Hornigold, whose crew Teach joined around 1716. Hornigold placed him in command of a sloop that he had captured, and the two engaged in numerous acts of piracy. Their numbers were boosted by the addition to their fleet of two more ships, one of which was commanded by Stede Bonnet, but Hornigold retired from piracy toward the end of 1717, taking two vessels with him.
Teach captured a French slave ship known as La Concorde, renamed her Queen Anne's Revenge, equipped her with 40 guns, and crewed her with over 300 men. His nickname derived from his thick black beard and menacing appearance. He was reported to have tied lit fuses (slow matches) under his hat to frighten his enemies. He formed an alliance of pirates and blockaded the port of Charles Town, South Carolina, ransoming its inhabitants.
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