Blackbeard (c. 1680–November 22, 1718) was the nickname of Edward Teach, alias Edward Thatch (other sources give his name as Edward Drummond, although his birth name is not known), a notorious English pirate who had a short reign of terror in the Caribbean Sea between 1716 and 1718, during a period of time referred to as the Golden Age of Piracy. His final and best known vessel was the Queen Anne's Revenge, which is believed by some to have run aground near Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina in 1718.

Blackbeard had over a dozen wives, most of which were common-law marriages. His last wife was Mary Ormond (or Ormand) of Bath, North Carolina, to whom he was only married for a short while. A painting of him hangs in Van Der Veer House (ce. 1790), in Bath.

Blackbeard often fought with, or simply showed himself wearing, multiple swords, knives, and pistols, and was notorious for wearing hemp and lighted matches woven into his enormous black beard during battle. This image, which he cultivated, has made him the premier image of the seafaring pirate.

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NPR Topics: Politics & Society

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