Channel Craft. 12" Wooden Ruler made in U.S.A. of American-grown basswood. This ruler is a list of Famous Pirates. Are there other Rulers of the Sea? Maybe. Whales or sharks come to mind, or perhaps powerful navies of the past such as the Spanish Armada or the British Navy in the time of Rule Britannia. But there was a time when pirates had a dominant influence on certain parts of the world’s oceans. Along with their nickname, we have listed the birth and death years of each pirate, if known. As you can see, those years are often not known. When they are, you will notice that many of these men and women did not live long. Pirating is dangerous business. The “head” is somewhat of a made-up image, showing an imaginary pirate with headband, eyepatch and earring. It is, however, loosely inspired by images of Edward Teach “Blackbeard” (c.1680-1718), perhaps the most notorious pirate of all.