Ahoy, Me Hearties! Prepare to Board! Quiz

Answer: Shakin' All Over

Johnny Kidd and the Pirates were a British rock and roll band formed in London in the late 1950s, fronted by singer-songwriter Johnny Kidd (born Frederick Heath). Known for their theatrical stage presence and pioneering sound, they helped shape early British rock before the rise of the Beatles. Johnny often performed in a pirate costume (eyepatch, tricorn hat).

Their biggest hit, 'Shakin' All Over', was released in June 1960 and quickly climbed to number one on the UK Singles Chart by August of that year. Originally intended as a B-side, the song's energy made it a Rock classic. Though it didn't chart internationally at the time, it was later covered by bands like The Guess Who and The Who.

Sadly, Johnny died in a car crash on October 7, 1966, near Bury in Lancashire, England. He was just 30 years old. The accident occurred while he was travelling with members of his band.

Answer: Radio Caroline

Radio Caroline was a British pirate radio station that first broadcast in 1964 from a ship anchored in international waters off the coast of England. Founded by Irish entrepreneur Ronan O'Rahilly, it aimed to break the BBC's monopoly and give airtime to Rock and Pop music that mainstream stations ignored. The original ship was the MV Fredericia, later renamed MV Caroline.

It operated outside UK jurisdiction and quickly gained a massive following, especially among young listeners hungry for the sounds of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and other rising stars.

Despite legal crackdowns like the Marine Broadcasting Offences Act of 1967, Radio Caroline persisted through ship changes, storms, and government pressure. It became a symbol of rebellious broadcasting and helped shape the future of UK radio. It continues today as a legal station via AM, DAB, and online streaming.

Answer: Baseball

Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Pirates are a professional baseball team which competes in Major League Baseball's National League Central Division. Founded in 1882 as the Allegheny Base Ball Club, they adopted the name 'Pirates' in 1891 after controversially signing a player from another team, earning a reputation for 'pirating' talent.

The Pittsburgh Pirates won their fifth World Series championship in 1979, with their first in 1909 led by Honus Wagner, and their most famous in 1960, sealed by Bill Mazeroski's walk-off home run - the only Game 7 of a World Series ever ended that way. The Pirates enjoyed golden eras in the early 20th century and again in the 1970s, when stars like Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell led them to championships.

Answer: Underpants

'Pirates Love Underpants' is a cheeky and colourful picture book written by Claire Freedman and illustrated by Ben Cort, part of the bestselling 'Underpants' series. It was first published in 2013, and follows a band of underpants-obsessed pirates aboard the ship Black Bloomer as they set sail in search of the legendary Pants of Gold, hidden on a faraway island in Big Knickers Bay.

The book is packed with playful details, such as underpants strung like bunting, sharks in briefs, and a treasure map that leads to giggles galore. Aimed at readers aged 3-7, it's become a classroom and bedtime favourite for its humour, and silliness.

The 'Underpants' series began with Aliens Love Underpants (2007), which became a phenomenon. Other books in the series include 'Dinosaurs Love Underpants', 'Monsters Love Underpants' and several others. The series has sold millions of copies worldwide.

Answer: The Pirates of Penzance

'The Pirates of Penzance' is a comic opera by Gilbert and Sullivan, first performed in New York City on December 31, 1879, and in London a few months later. It tells the story of Frederic, a young man mistakenly apprenticed to a band of kind-hearted pirates due to a misheard instruction (Frederic's nurse, Ruth, was told to apprentice him to a pilot but misheard it as pirate).

As Frederic reaches what he believes is the end of his servitude, he falls in love with Mabel, daughter of the bumbling Major-General Stanley, only to discover he was born in a leap year, meaning his contract isn't up for decades!

The opera is famous for its witty lyrics, rapid-fire patter songs, and playful satire of duty, class, and Victorian society. Its most famous number, 'I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General', remains a favourite in musical theatre and pop culture. 'The Pirates of Penzance' has enjoyed lasting popularity on stage and screen for over a century.

Answer: Long John Silver

First published in 1883, 'Treasure Island' is an adventure novel by Robert Louis Stevenson. It follows young Jim Hawkins, who discovers a pirate's treasure map at his family's inn and joins a voyage aboard the Hispaniola to recover the hidden riches. Along the way, he encounters mutiny, swordfights, and the cunning one-legged cook Long John Silver, whose charm masks a ruthless ambition.

The novel helped define the modern pirate genre, introducing elements like buried treasure, the black spot, and parrots on shoulders. Set in the 18th century, it explores themes of loyalty, greed, and coming of age. Treasure Island remains one of the most influential and enduring tales of swashbuckling adventure.

Owned by the pirate, Long John Silver, the parrot's Captain Flint was named after his deceased and infamous former pirate Captain.

Answer: United States

The pirate perch (Aphredoderus sayanus) is a small, freshwater fish native exclusively to the United States. It's found in slow-moving streams, swamps, and backwaters from the Atlantic coast to the Mississippi Valley.

It's nocturnal, solitary, and carnivorous, feeding on mosquito larvae, shrimp, worms, and small fish. What sets it apart is its bizarre anatomy: as it matures, its anus migrates to its throat/gill area, a trait so unusual that its genus name literally translates to 'excrement throat'.

This unusual fish is also believed to use chemical camouflage, making it nearly undetectable to both predators and prey, which is a rare trait in the animal kingdom. Despite its name, the pirate perch isn't aggressive or swashbuckling; it was dubbed 'pirate' after early observations suggested it preyed only on other fish.

Answer: England

Mary Read was an English pirate who gained notoriety during the Golden Age of Piracy in the early 18th century. Disguised as a boy from childhood, reportedly to help her mother claim financial support, she continued the ruse into adulthood, serving as a soldier in Flanders and later as a sailor.

After her husband died, she returned to sea and was eventually captured by pirates, choosing to join their ranks. Her path led her to sail with the infamous John 'Calico Jack' Rackham, where she met fellow female pirate Anne Bonny.

She fought fiercely in battle, often dressed as a man, though some of her crewmates knew her true identity. In 1720, Rackham's crew was captured near Jamaica, and while the male pirates were executed, Read and Bonny claimed pregnancy and received stays of execution.

Mary Read died in prison in 1721, likely from fever. Much of her life is known through Captain Charles Johnson's 'A General History of the Pyrates', a blend of fact and fiction that helped cement her legend.

Answer: North Africa

The Barbary pirates, also known as Barbary corsairs, were seafaring raiders who operated from the North African coast, primarily from Algiers, Tunis, Tripoli, and later Morocco, between the 16th and 19th centuries.

Backed by the Ottoman Empire or local rulers, they targeted European and American merchant ships in the Mediterranean and Atlantic, capturing cargo and enslaving sailors and civilians. Their raids extended as far north as Iceland and the British Isles, and they were notorious for coastal attacks that led to the abduction of thousands into slavery.

These pirates were a mix of North Africans, Turks, and even European renegades who had converted to Islam. Their activities prompted several military responses, including the Barbary Wars with the United States in the early 1800s and British bombardments of Algiers. Piracy was finally suppressed in the 19th century, especially after France invaded and colonised Algeria in 1830.

Answer: Bartholomew Roberts

Bartholomew Roberts, born John Roberts in Wales in 1682, was one of the most successful pirates of the Golden Age of Piracy. He turned to piracy in 1719 after being captured by the crew of Howell Davis, and quickly rose to captain. Renaming himself Bartholomew, he commanded ships like the Royal Fortune and Good Fortune, and operated across the Atlantic from the Americas to West Africa. He captured over 400 vessels, more than any other pirate of his era.

Roberts was a flamboyant figure, famed for his strict pirate code, elaborate dress, and custom flags, one depicting him standing over two skulls labelled 'A Barbadian's Head' and 'A Martinican's Head'. He avoided the gallows that claimed many pirates, but met his end in battle off Cape Lopez (modern-day Gabon) in 1722, struck by grapeshot from a British warship. His death marked the symbolic close of piracy's golden age.

His nickname 'Black Bart' was applied posthumously, as there's no evidence he used it during his lifetime, though it's now his most famous epithet.