Errol Flynn parried his way through the Oscar-nominated Captain Blood in 1935. Johnny Depp played it scurvier and swarthier as Jack Sparrow in Disney's 2003 smash, Pirates of the Caribbean.
Courtesy Everett Collection
In the 17th and 18th centuries, pirates flew the jolly roger to warn other ships that they wouldn't be confined by the rules of battle on the high seas. In the 21st century, hipsters employ the same symbol for reasons unknown.
Left: iStockphoto; Right: Michael Buckner/Getty
Pittsburgh's professional baseball team changed its name to the Pirates in 1891 after it was accused by the league of "piratical" wrongdoing in a player trade with another team. Today, the Pirates are one of the worst teams in baseball, on the brink of breaking the major league record for most consecutive losing seasons.
Left: Rogers Photo Archive/Getty Right: Morry Gash/AP
In centuries past, piracy meant looting and pillaging, usually through violent means. It's since evolved into a crime most associated with the distribution of digital media before its release date.
Left: Getty Images; Right: Greg Baker/AP
Hasbro began making "action figures" in the '60s as a way of marketing dolls to boys. Today, the soldiers, cops and pirates constitute a multi-billion dollar industry, and many of the most avid collectors are adult men.
The Pirates of Penzance was first a Broadway hit, then a 1983 film starring Kevin Klein. It was more beloved than Broadway's most recent pirate-themed musical, The Pirate Queen, which was eviscerated by the press and bombed at the box office.
Left: Courtesy Everett Collection; Right: Joan Marcus
Pirate's booty has traditionally been imagined as jewels and gold coins overflowing a steamer trunk. It wasn't until the past decade that "booty" entered the popular consciousness as slang for a woman's butt.
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Pirates of yore used coves for docking, for protection, and for hiding from sight. The Pirates Coves we're most familiar with today involve Astroturf, chemically treated waterfalls and multi-colored golf balls.
Like many costumes for young women, the store-bought Halloween pirate costume has been transformed from a wholesome bit of trick-or-treat fun into something more titillating.
