Quiz of the Day
Pirates & the High Seas
Saturday, 19 September 2026
International Talk Like a Pirate Day falls on 19 Sep — a swashbuckling quiz on real and fictional pirates and the golden age of piracy.
1. On which date is International Talk Like a Pirate Day celebrated each year?
- October 31
- June 19
- September 19
- September 5
International Talk Like a Pirate Day was created in 1995 by two friends in Oregon, John Baur and Mark Summers, as a private joke. It gained worldwide attention in 2002 after humor columnist Dave Barry wrote about it. The date, September 19, was chosen because it was the ex-wife's birthday of one of the founders — an easy day to remember.
2. By what name is the notorious pirate Edward Teach far better known?
- Calico Jack
- Long Ben
- Blackbeard
- Black Bart
Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, terrorized the Caribbean and the American colonies in the early 1700s. He reportedly wove lit fuses into his beard during battle to create a fearsome, smoking appearance. He was killed in November 1718 at Ocracoke Inlet by a Royal Navy force led by Lieutenant Robert Maynard.
3. What is the common name for the black skull-and-crossbones pirate flag?
- The Jolly Roger
- The Red Ensign
- The Union Jack
- The Black Spot
The Jolly Roger became the popular name for the black flags flown by pirates to strike fear into their targets. While the skull over crossed bones is the best-known design, many captains flew their own personalized versions with skeletons, hourglasses, or weapons. A ship that surrendered quickly at the sight of the flag could often be captured without a fight.
4. The one-legged pirate Long John Silver is a central character in which classic novel?
- Moby-Dick
- Treasure Island
- Peter Pan
- Robinson Crusoe
Long John Silver appears in Robert Louis Stevenson's 1883 novel Treasure Island. The book shaped much of the modern pirate stereotype, including treasure maps marked with an X, the 'black spot,' and parrots perched on shoulders. Silver's parrot in the story is named Captain Flint, after a dead pirate captain.
5. Captain Hook is the pirate villain in which children's story?
- Peter Pan
- Alice in Wonderland
- The Jungle Book
- Pinocchio
Captain Hook is the archenemy of Peter Pan in J. M. Barrie's story, first staged as a play in 1904. He lost his hand to Peter, who fed it to a crocodile — and the same crocodile relentlessly pursues Hook, having developed a taste for him. The croc also swallowed a ticking clock, which warns Hook whenever it is near.
6. Which pirate captain does Johnny Depp play in the Pirates of the Caribbean films?
- Will Turner
- Jack Sparrow
- Davy Jones
- Hector Barbossa
Johnny Depp played Captain Jack Sparrow beginning with 2003's The Curse of the Black Pearl. Depp based the character's swaying mannerisms partly on Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, who later appeared in the films as Jack's father. The film franchise was inspired by a Disney theme park ride rather than a book.
7. Which animal is stereotypically depicted perched on a pirate's shoulder?
- A monkey
- A parrot
- A cat
- A raven
The image of a pirate with a parrot on the shoulder was popularized by Long John Silver's parrot in Treasure Island. Real sailors did sometimes keep exotic birds captured in tropical ports, both as companions and to sell for profit back home. Parrots were valuable and easier to keep aboard ship than many other animals.
8. Which woman was a member of Calico Jack's crew alongside the pirate Anne Bonny?
- Grace O'Malley
- Mary Read
- Rachel Wall
- Ching Shih
Mary Read and Anne Bonny sailed with 'Calico Jack' Rackham and were among the few documented female pirates of the golden age. When their ship was captured in 1720, both reportedly fought fiercely while much of the male crew hid below deck. Both women avoided immediate execution by claiming to be pregnant.
9. Bartholomew Roberts, the most successful pirate of the golden age by ships taken, was nicknamed what?
- Black Bart
- Calico Jack
- Long Ben
- Gentleman Pirate
Welshman Bartholomew Roberts, known as Black Bart, is believed to have captured around 400 vessels during his career in the early 1720s — more than any other pirate of the era. He was noted for dressing finely in battle and for forbidding gambling and drinking after dark aboard his ships. His death in 1722 is often cited as marking the end of the golden age of piracy.
10. Which pirate commanded one of the largest pirate fleets in history in early 1800s China?
- Cheung Po Tsai
- Koxinga
- Ching Shih
- Limahong
Ching Shih, also known as Zheng Yi Sao, led the fearsome Red Flag Fleet in the South China Sea after taking over from her husband. At its peak her force numbered tens of thousands of pirates across hundreds of ships, rivaling many national navies. She eventually negotiated an amnesty in 1810 and retired, dying peacefully years later — a rare fate for a pirate leader.
11. The pirate flag popularly credited to 'Calico Jack' Rackham shows a skull above what?
- Two crossed cutlasses
- An hourglass
- Crossed bones
- A bleeding heart
The flag associated with Calico Jack Rackham features a white skull above two crossed cutlasses on a black field. This design has become one of the most recognizable pirate emblems and appears widely in modern pop culture. Rackham earned his nickname 'Calico Jack' from the brightly patterned calico cotton clothing he favored.
12. The pirate ship Whydah Gally, wrecked off Cape Cod in 1717, was captained by whom?
- Stede Bonnet
- Samuel Bellamy
- Charles Vane
- Edward Low
Samuel 'Black Sam' Bellamy captured the slave ship Whydah Gally and turned it into his flagship before it sank in a violent storm off Wellfleet, Massachusetts, in 1717. Bellamy died at around 28 years old, having reportedly amassed enormous plunder in barely a year of piracy. The wreck was discovered in 1984 and is considered the first fully authenticated pirate shipwreck ever found.
13. In which city was the pirate Captain William Kidd hanged in 1701?
- Boston
- London
- Port Royal
- Kingston
Captain William Kidd, a Scottish sailor who began as a privateer hunting pirates, was convicted of piracy and murder and hanged at Execution Dock in Wapping, London, in 1701. The rope broke on the first attempt, and he had to be hanged a second time. His tarred body was then displayed in a metal cage over the Thames for years as a warning to others.
14. Which Irish 'Pirate Queen' famously met Queen Elizabeth I of England?
- Grace O'Malley
- Jeanne de Clisson
- Anne Bonny
- Mary Read
Grace O'Malley, or Gráinne Mhaol, led a seafaring clan off Ireland's west coast in the 16th century and became legendary for raiding ships and defying English rule. In 1593 she sailed to England and met Queen Elizabeth I in person to negotiate the release of her captured relatives. The two women, both formidable leaders, reportedly conversed in Latin as they had no common spoken language.
15. The infamous pirate haven of Port Royal, Jamaica, was largely destroyed in 1692 by what natural disaster?
- A tsunami
- A hurricane
- A volcanic eruption
- An earthquake
Port Royal was once one of the richest and most notorious ports in the Caribbean, a hub for pirates and privateers dubbed 'the wickedest city on Earth.' On June 7, 1692, a massive earthquake struck, causing much of the town to sink into the sea and killing thousands. Many survivors and observers interpreted the catastrophe as divine punishment for the city's vice.