History of Piracy in Timeline

Piracy is robbery or violence at sea, typically targeting ships or coastal areas to steal cargo, valuables, or take hostages. Pirates use ships to conduct these acts. It dates back to the 14th century BC with the Sea Peoples, who raided ships in the Aegean and Mediterranean. Narrow shipping channels provide opportunities for piracy.

1909: Penalty for piracy was life imprisonment

By 1909 the penalty for piracy was life imprisonment.

1911: Publication of Peter Pan

In 1911, J. M. Barrie's novel, Peter Pan, was published and popularized pirate culture inventions such as "walking the plank". The fictional pirate Captain Hook and his crew helped define the fictional pirate archetype.

1932: Convention on Piracy adopted by the League of Nations

In 1932, a Convention on Piracy was adopted by the League of Nations.

1950: Disney's Film Adaptation of Treasure Island

In 1950, Robert Newton's portrayal of Long John Silver in Disney's film adaptation of Treasure Island helped define the modern rendition of a pirate, including the stereotypical West Country "pirate accent".

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1953: Publication of 'Piracy Was a Business'

In 1953, Cyrus Karraker's study Piracy was a Business was published, discussing pirates in terms of contemporary racketeering.

Piracy was a business. 1953 [Leather Bound]

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April 29, 1958: Convention on the High Seas Signed

On April 29, 1958, the Convention on the High Seas was signed at Geneva. Articles 15 to 17 of the Convention contained a definition of piracy which had been drafted by the International Law Commission.

1967: Tokyo Convention Act

In 1967, the Tokyo Convention Act was enacted.

1971: Cameron v HM Advocate

In 1971, In Cameron v HM Advocate, the High Court of Justiciary said that that Schedule supplemented the existing law and did not seek to restrict the scope of the offence of piracy jure gentium.

1981: Senior Courts Act

In 1981, Section 46(2) of the Senior Courts Act 1981 was enacted.

1982: UNCLOS Definition of Piracy

In 1982, Articles 101 to 103 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) formally defined piracy iure gentium, establishing an international legal standard for the act.

1982: Aviation Security Act

In 1982, Section 5 of the Aviation Security Act 1982 was enacted.

1985: Hijacking of the Achille Lauro

In 1985, the Italian civilian passenger ship Achille Lauro was hijacked by the Palestine Liberation Organization, an act regarded as piracy.

1997: Merchant Shipping and Maritime Security Act

In 1997, Section 26 of, and Schedule 5 to, the Merchant Shipping and Maritime Security Act 1997 replaced the Schedule to the Tokyo Convention Act 1967.

1998: Publication of 'The Invisible Hook'

The book The Invisible Hook: The Hidden Economics of Pirates by Peter T. Leeson was published in 1998.

The Invisible Hook: The Hidden Economics of Pirates

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2001: Murder of Sir Peter Blake by pirates on the Amazon River

In 2001, Sir Peter Blake, a New Zealand world champion yachtsman, was killed by pirates on the Amazon River.

2003: Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise began

In 2003, the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise was released, popularizing stereotypes of the "golden age" of piracy.

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2004: Rediker's research on merchant sailor mortality

In 2004, Rediker's research indicated that merchant sailors suffered from mortality rates as high or higher than the slaves being transported.

2004: Estimated worldwide losses of US$16 billion per year

In 2004, estimated worldwide losses due to seaborne piracy against transport vessels were US$16 billion per year.

2004: Worldwide losses of US$16 billion

In 2004, worldwide losses due to seaborne piracy against transport vessels were estimated to be US$16 billion.

November 2005: Attack against the Seabourn Spirit

In November 2005, the German-built cruise ship Seabourn Spirit was attacked offshore of Somalia, highlighting the sophisticated tactics of modern pirates, who used speedboats launched from a mother ship and were armed with automatic firearms and an RPG.

November 2006: Regional Cooperation Agreement formed

In November 2006, the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia was formed.

2006: 239 pirate attacks reported

In 2006, there were 239 reported pirate attacks, with 77 crew members kidnapped and 188 taken hostage, but only 15 attacks resulted in murder.

2007: Pirate attacks rose by 10 percent

In 2007, pirate attacks rose by 10 percent to 263 attacks, with a 35 percent increase in reported attacks involving guns, and 64 crew members injured.

2008: VSOS became the first authorized armed maritime security company

In 2008, VSOS became the first authorized armed maritime security company to operate in the Indian Ocean region.

2008: Gun use in pirate attacks recorded

In 2008, gun use in pirate attacks was recorded in 76 cases.

2008: British Foreign Office advised the Royal Navy regarding pirates

In 2008, the British Foreign Office advised the Royal Navy not to detain pirates of certain nationalities, as they might be able to claim asylum in Britain under British human rights legislation.

2008: Value of captured Spanish frigate Hermione adjusted for inflation

In 2008, the captured Spanish frigate Hermione's treasure was adjusted for inflation, revealing that each seaman netted $1.4 million, and the two captains received $188.4 million each.

2008: Somali pirates made about $120 million annually

Since 2008, Somali pirates centered in the Gulf of Aden made about $120 million annually, reportedly costing the shipping industry between $900 million and $3.3 billion per year.

September 2009: Increase in pirate attacks

In September 2009, the number of pirate attacks surpassed the previous year's total, reaching 306, due to increased pirate activity in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia. Pirates boarded vessels in 114 cases and hijacked 34 of them, with gun use increasing to 176 cases.

2009: Publication of International Legal Dimension of Terrorism

In 2009, a book entitled International Legal Dimension of Terrorism was published, which called the attackers of the Achille Lauro "terrorists".

2010: 27 ships captured

In 2010, 27 ships were captured by pirates.

2010: Definition of piracy under section 1651

In 2010, a U.S. District Court ruled in the case of United States v. Said that the definition of piracy under section 1651 is confined to "robbery at sea".

2011: 25 ships captured

In 2011, 25 ships were captured by pirates.

2011: Brazil creates an anti-piracy unit on the Amazon River

In 2011, Brazil established an anti-piracy unit on the Amazon River in response to piracy incidents.

2011: International Chamber of Shipping changed its stance on private armed guards

In 2011, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) changed its stance on private armed guards, accepting that operators must be able to defend their ships against pirate attacks.

February 2012: Enrica Lexie incident

In February 2012, Italian Marines based on the tanker Enrica Lexie allegedly fired on an Indian fishing trawler off Kerala, killing two of her eleven crew, sparking a diplomatic row between India and Italy.

May 23, 2012: The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued an opinion

On May 23, 2012, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued an opinion vacating the Court's dismissal of the piracy count.

September 2012: Heyday of piracy in Indian Ocean reportedly over

In September 2012, it was reported that the heyday of piracy in the Indian Ocean was over, as backers were reluctant to finance pirate expeditions due to low success rates.

October 2012: Pirate attacks dropped to a six-year low

By October 2012, pirate attacks had dropped to a six-year low, with only five ships captured by the end of the year, according to the International Maritime Bureau.

2014: Research on Piracy and Entrepreneurship

In 2014, research examined the links between piracy and entrepreneurship, taking a nonmoral approach to piracy as a source of inspiration for entrepreneurship education and research in business-model generation.