Blackbeard, who is almost certainly history's most infamous pirate, is a figure shrouded in myths and wild rumors. Now archaeological excavations into his sunken flagship is revealing that the historical Blackbeard was far scarier than any legend ever could be.

We're fairly sure that Blackbeard was born either Edward Teach or Edward Thatch in Bristol around 1680. In 1717, he commandeered a French slave ship and renamed it the Queen Anne's Revenge. With that as his flagship, Blackbeard struck fear into merchants from Virginia to the Caribbean, commanding over 300 men and three other ships at his height.

Of course, that heyday was short-lived, as he was dead by 1718, and he lost his flagship months before he died. His reign as the world's most fearsome pirate lasted just under twelve months, but it was still more than enough to burn his name into human history.