On This Day - Blackbeard

Nov 22, 1718 English pirate, Edward Teach (a.k.a. "Blackbeard"), was killed during a battle off the coast of North Carolina, near Ocracoke Island. British soldiers cornered him aboard his ship and killed him. He was shot and stabbed more than 25 times.

Shipwreck

It's (probably) not a pirate ship but this is still pretty neat. A very well preserved 17th century ship has been discovered in the Baltic. The ship is in such good condition that experts are not sure if it should be called a "shipwreck".

Most shipwrecks don't last very long. Shipworms (actually small clam-like creatures that leave a trail like a worm-hole) eat away the wood so that only encrusted metal pieces are left. Things are different in the northern waters. It is too cold for most of the creatures that destroy ships so a sunken ship can last for decades. The Vasa was in such good condition that it was essentially re-floated and towed to shore.

Happy Birthday Robert Lewis Stevenson

Robert Lewis Stevenson was born on this date in 1850. His first and most popular novel was Treasure Island which was the basis for nearly everything that most people "know" about pirates.

Yo Ho Ho and a bottle of rum.