Wikimedia CommonsVirginia Vallejo photographed in 1987, the year her affair with Pablo Escobar ended.In 1982, Virginia Vallejo was a national sensation in her home country of Colombia. The 33-year old socialite, journalist, and TV personality had just scored her own TV show after starring in a series of ads for Medias Di Lido pantyhose which captivated the nation and brought her to the attention of none other than Pablo Escobar.Throughout their whirlwind romance that ensued, Vallejo became one of the kingpins most precious confidantes. She was the first journalist to get him in front of a camera and enjoyed the spoils of life nestled in the worlds most powerful drug cartel.That is, until their affair came to a dramatic end and so did her celebrity.Virginia Vallejos Rise To StardomBorn to a prestigious family with an entrepreneurial father on August 26, 1949, Virginia Vallejo enjoyed a comfortable life in an otherwise tumultuous Colombia. Members of her family included a finance minister, a general, and several European nobles who could trace their heritage back to Charlemagne.After a short stint as an English teacher in the late 1960s, she was offered work on a television program, a position that became her gateway to a career onscreen.Vallejo ultimately made her television debut somewhat reluctantly back in 1972 as a host and presenter for several programs. She later claimed that it was uncommon for women of her socioeconomic status to work in the entertainment industry and that her family largely disapproved.Vallejo pushed ahead in the career anyway, and in January 1978, she became the anchorwoman of a 24-hour news program. She was soon known across South America.FacebookVallejo claimed that it was unusual for a woman of her status to work in the entertainment industry.In 1982, she drew the attention of none other than Pablo Escobar after he saw her famous pantyhose commercial. But Escobar was not just smitten by a pretty pair of legs; he had also realized that Vallejos influence could be of tremendous use to him.And so, despite having a wife, Escobar reportedly declared to his associates I want her and ordered them to arrange a meeting with her. An invitation was extended to Vallejo to visit his Hacienda Npoles villa in 1982 and she accepted.Her Affair With The Notorious KingpinWikimedia CommonsPablo Escobar started as the leader of a small cartel; soon no cocaine would leave Colombia without his knowledge.By her own account, Virginia Vallejo was immediately charmed by the crime lord. Despite his bloody lifestyle and fierce reputation, Escobar was known for his affability and sense of humor, and Vallejo would later write about this duality in her book Loving Pablo, Hating Escobar which was later turned into a film starring Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz.For his part, Escobar seemed equally enthralled with Vallejo, although there has always been a debate about the extent of his true feelings for her. Many people believed he was simply using Vallejo to promote his public image, which she certainly helped him do.When the two first met, Escobar was only a minor public figure, but over the course of their five-year relationship he transformed into the most notorious terrorist in the world. Vallejos reputation as a prestigious journalist was crucial in helping Escobar establish his role as a man of the people, which, indeed, is still how he is remembered by many of the poor in Medelln today. Vallejo herself stated that the reason she fell in love with him was he was the only rich man in Colombia who was generous with the people, in this country where the rich have never given a sandwich to the poor.In 1983, a year after the pair had first met, Virginia Vallejo interviewed Escobar on her new program. The interview showed the cartel leader in a favorable light as he talked about his charity work Medelln Sin Tugurios, or MedellnWithout Slums.This television appearance not only brought him to national attention but helped to establish his philanthropic image with the public. When major newspapers hailed him as the Robin Hood of Medelln, he celebrated with a champagne toast.Throughout their five-year relationship, Vallejo experienced the high life. She had access to Escobars jet, she met the kingpin in swanky hotels, and he financed her shopping trips. He even opened up to her about how he and other drug traffickers had Colombian politicians in their pocket.Ending Her Career In Colombia And Fleeing To AmericaVirginia Vallejo ended her career in Colombian media in 1994 and in 2006 moved to the United States.Vallejos relationship with Escobar ended in 1987. According to Pablo Escobars son, the affair ended badly after Escobar learned he was not her only lover.Escobar Jr. recalled that the last time he saw Vallejo was outside the gate of one of his fathers estates, where she remained sobbing for hours because the guards refused to let her in on their boss orders.Virginia Vallejo, unfortunately, found that as the power and popularity of her former lover waned, so did her own. She wound up being shunned by her former elite friends and blacklisted from high social circles. She disappeared into relative anonymity until she suddenly resurfaced in the United States in July of 1996.Escobar had always enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship with the elites of Colombia: politicians would turn a blind eye to his crimes and accept his money. Vallejo, having been a member of the Medelln Cartel inner circle, was privy to most of these secrets, and years later decided to expose the elites who had lauded then shunned her.In a tell-all interview on Colombian television, Virginia Vallejo held up an unflattering mirror to Colombian society and named the legitimate businesses that launder drug earnings, the elite social clubs that open their doors to drug lords, and the politicians who exchange favors for briefcases filled with cash.She accused several high ranking politicians of benefiting from the cartels, including ex-presidents Alfonso Lpez, Ernesto Samper, and lvaro Uribe. She described all of their sordid relations with Escobar, including the request from a former justice minister to have a presidential candidate killed.Virginia Vallejo had exposed the hypocrisy of Colombias elite (which had been demonstrated by her own social exile), but in doing so endangered her own life. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration secreted her to the United States, which offered her political asylum.On the day she left in 2006, 14 million people watched on television as she boarded the plane that would take her out of her home country. That audience was larger than that of the World Cup final of the same year.To this day she remains in the United States, fearful of the repercussions of returning to her homeland.Next, learn about what happened to Maria Victoria Henao, Pablo Escobars wife. Then, read about Pablo Escobars death and the final phone call that brought him down.The post Meet Virginia Vallejo, The Journalist Who Had An Affair With Pablo Escobar And Made Him A Celebrity appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Michael Marks/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesCherie Currie of The Runaways.Cherie Curries life changed when she was just 15 years old.Unlike most 15-year-old girls in 1975, who were busy with homework and homecoming dances, Cherie Currie wasnt that interested in a typical high school experience. She was more interested in making a scene.Before she was even old enough to drive, she had become one of the lead singers of the all-girl rock band The Runaways, originally formed in Los Angeles. She captivated cheering crowds around the world and was once even described as the lost daughter of Iggy Pop and Brigitte Bardot. But in just two short years, shed realize that the bright lights of her newfound fame didnt do much to cover the rock industrys dark side.Cherie Curries Time With The RunawaysGAB Archive/Redferns/Getty ImagesCherie Currie with her rock band The Runaways.Born on Nov. 30, 1959, and raised in Encino, California, Cherie Currie had a challenging start to life. She said her father was kind and loving, but suffered from a horrific addiction to alcohol and post-traumatic stress disorder from his time serving in World War II. While she said her mother was tenacious, she also said her mom was hard to get along with at times.Before Cherie Currie joined The Runaways, she also said she was raped by her twin sister Maries boyfriend because he had a thing for virgins. In response to the trauma, she cut her hair in a style like David Bowies, giving her a distinctive look as she pursued her dream of being a rock star.Meanwhile, Joan Jett, another future member of The Runaways, met record producer Kim Fowley around 1973. Fowley expressed an interest in creating an all-girl rock band, which intrigued Jett. Initially, Jett approached Curries twin sister Marie first about being in the band, but Marie turned her down. That led to Cherie Currie getting the job instead. Looking back, she later reflected, she had no idea what taking the job would entail. For the next two years, the rock band, originally formed in Los Angeles, traveled across America, Europe, and even Japan, spent hours upon hours in the recording studio and they were paid little for their time and effort. We just never had a break, Currie recalled of her time in the band with her fellow members Jett, Lita Ford, Sandy West, and Jackie Fox. Either we were touring, rehearsing or in the studio, and we were making no money at all. They were making a lot of money off of us.If the grueling, thankless schedule wasnt too much for the teenage girls to handle, the treatment they endured at the hands of their management was. Currie described the managements behavior as an attempt to toughen them up, but to anyone else, it reads as flat-out abuse. Kim Fowley allegedly used to throw jars of peanut butter at the girls during rehearsals to prepare them for the rough audiences they were bound to encounter (according to Currie, there were some audiences in Britain who later threw knives at them). Fowley would also purportedly verbally abuse them and pit the once friendly and united girls against each other. It was the abuse from Kim Fowley and our roadies that was so hard to take, Currie said. We got such abuse on a daily basis. They were trying to harden us to the reality of the rock n roll world, but how could we possibly know this wasnt the way it was supposed to be?Cherie Curries Life After The RunawaysRichard E. Aaron/Redferns/Getty ImagesThe Runaways performing live at CBGB in New York in August 1976.Eventually, Cherie Currie realized she had enough. She had only been with The Runaways for two years, but she was already dangerously addicted to cocaine and Quaaludes. Though she later said she was probably destined to have problems due to the alcoholism in her family, it was clear that her time with the band had led to her addictions spiraling out of control.Being in The Runaways, and even with our booking agent, everybody was feeding us drugs, Currie said. We had adults pulling us aside putting a spoon to our noses. So did that escalate my addiction? It absolutely did. But I think that road was going to be traveled by me at one point or another.Currie was also fed up with Fowleys treatment. In addition, she had gotten pregnant by another one of her managers, and she decided she didnt want to be part of the unpredictable, exhausting environment any longer.Perhaps the final straw was the feeling that the other girls in the band, particularly Jett, wanted her out a feeling likely sparked by Fowleys decision to constantly pit the girls against each other.There was so much conflict over the attention paid to me as the lead singer, Currie later recalled. Joan was very upset and hurt, but I really thought these girls wanted me out. It was a lack of communication. After effectively running away from The Runaways, Cherie Currie pursued a solo career, ultimately recording two solo albums. She also tried her hand at acting, even appearing alongside Jodie Foster in Foxes.However, her journey was not all smooth sailing. In fact, just two years after leaving The Runaways, Currie said that she was abducted and raped by a stalker. Horrifyingly, she alleged that the stalker had already murdered six women in Texas by the time of the kidnapping, and Currie may have potentially been the next murder victim had she not escaped in time.Meanwhile, Currie continued to struggle with her drug addiction, even freebasing cocaine, and it wasnt until the mid-1980s that she was able to turn her life around and stay sober. She took a job at North Hollywoods Coldwater Canyon Hospital, working as a tech in the drug and psych wards. Before long, she was working as a drug and alcohol counselor herself. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesThe Runaways posing for a portrait on the beach around 1976.I was only 25 and a lot of these kids were the age I was when I was in The Runaways when I was introduced to drugs, so it was a good fit for me, she said of her experience counseling troubled youths. The Candid Autobiography Neon Angel And The Movie The RunawaysCherie Currie eventually went on to publish an autobiography, titled Neon Angel, which chronicled her journey with The Runaways in her own words. She initially wrote the book for teenagers, hoping theyd use it as a what not to do manual, but it soon turned into a darkly detailed adult memoir, recalling her experiences with rape, abortion, and drug addiction.The memoir partly inspired a 2010 movie titled The Runaways, starring Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett and Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie.Currie praised both Fanning and Stewarts performances, saying, I thought the acting was just off the map and great. Dakota really gave it everything she had and Kristin, Im so proud of her. She did such a great job.Sony PicturesDakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart in The Runaways movie.However, Currie also criticized some creative liberties the movie took, like not including Curries rape at the hands of her sisters boyfriend. Instead, the film seemed to imply that Curries interest in David Bowie was the main reason why she cut her hair in such a daring style as a teenager.If you read the book, then youll know that my twin sisters boyfriend had raped me and took my virginity, she told SPIN. Thats why I was angry, thats why I cut my hair to look like David Bowies. I really felt that detail was important. The filmmakers didnt. They did not want the Cherie character to lose her innocence so early in the film.Surprisingly, the book and movie also helped Currie and Jett reconnect again after years apart. As Currie put it: Joan and I are really getting to know each other all over again. Its so funny, in the forward, Joan admits how angry she was with me for leaving the band and I was like, What? I thought you wanted me out. We never talked to each after I left and its water under the bridge now but we both wish we had spoken before.In recent years, Currie continues to work as a writer and musician, but shes also taken up an unusual career as a chainsaw artist, using a chainsaw to carve pieces of art out of wood. She said, I found it far more difficult than I thought it was going to be. Its extremely dangerous But I love it.As for her past in The Runaways and beyond, she says she has a few regrets, such as the fact that the band never got back together for a reunion, but for the most part, she knows getting out was ultimately the right move. For me, she said, it was the end of a nightmare. Next, read about Angie Bowie, the eccentric first wife of David Bowie. Then, learn about rock n rolls most famous groupies.The post Inside The Turbulent Life Of Cherie Currie, The Former Lead Singer Of The 1970s Girl Band The Runaways appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Alaska State Library Historical CollectionsPortlock, Alaska, as seen from above.On the southern coast of Alaska, a mining tunnel, rubble, and rusted cannery equipment are all that remains of the village of Portlock.The residents of this shipping and canning port abandoned Portlock around 1950 in favor of towns built closer to the new Alaska Route 1 state highway. Portlock, nestled on the southern edge of the Kenai Peninsula along Port Chatham bay, was no longer practical as a place to call home.At least, thats the official story.Urban legends, on the other hand, claim the residents fled en masse from Portlock because of a huge, hairy, half-man half-beast who started stalking and attacking residents of the town. The beast, reminiscent of Bigfoot, was known to the locals as Nantiinaq.The term Nantiinaq (non-tee-nuck) came from the Native Alaskan Denaina word nantina. This literally translates as those who steal people.Nantiinaq was rumored to be responsible for dozens of mysterious deaths and disappearances of town inhabitants from the early 1900s until the town was abandoned in the 1950s. So what actually happened in Portlock?The Official History Of Portlock, AlaskaPortlocks story begins around 1786, when Captain Nathaniel Portlock of the British Royal Navy passed through and praised the area. The town took his name. However, it didnt start to grow until the dawn of the 20th-century when a cannery for salmon was built.Public DomainPortlock, Alaska, reportedly gets its name from a British sea captain named Nathaniel Portlock.The village was small, with just a handful of residents made up of fishermen, lumbermen, miners, and cannery workers, largely of Russian and Alaska Native descent. By 1921, Portlock had grown enough to open a post office.But within 30 years the town was abandoned as its residents moved to nearby places like Nanwalek and Seldovia. In 1950, its final death knell rang with the shuttering of its post office. Portlock became a ghost town.Officially, people left because it was out of the way of the new highway. Unofficially, they fled a monster who had terrorized them for decades.Inside Nantiinaqs Reign Of TerrorArtist interpretation/Cryptid WikiThe Nantiinaq was rumored to be a Sasquatch-like half-man half-beast that stalked the village of Portlock.Shortly after Portlock, Alaska was established around 1900, creepy stories about the town begin to spread. In 1905, all of the Native American workers at the cannery left the town because of something in the woods (though they returned the next year). And the next several decades saw a number of unsettling incidents in and around Portlock.In the 1920s, Anchorage Press reports that rumors began to spread of a creature hanging around a nearby mine, as well as sightings of trees which apparently had been ripped out of the ground by their roots. Then in 1931, a logger named Andrew Kamluck died a mysterious death. Kamluck was purportedly struck over the head with a huge piece of logging equipment something far too heavy for a human to pick up. And though there was blood on a nearby crane, Kamluck was found 10 feet away from it.There was also a reports of hunters whod come across 18-inch footprints while tracking a moose. They reported that they found signs of a struggle where the grass had been matted down, then only the deep tracks of the man-like animal departing toward the high, fog-shrouded mountains. It was as if something had killed the moose and then dragged it off.And it wasnt only moose that seemed to inexplicably disappear. Alaska Magazine reports that a schoolteacher who taught in the area in the 1940s recalled that a number of cannery workers vanished while hunting sheep and bear. Eerily, one of their bodies was later purportedly found mutilated and dismembered in a local lagoon.Over the decades, stories like these allegedly terrified the residents of Portlock. One by one, they began to flee the town for safer pastures.We left our houses and the school, and started all new here [in Nanwalek], Malania Kehl, who was born in Portlock in 1934, told the Homer Tribune. Over a long period of time she explained, something had terrorized the towns residents to the point that they fled. So are these stories about the Nantiinaq true?Debunking The NantiinaqStories like these abound in articles and websites about Portlock, Alaska. But locals of the area often dispute their accuracy. Malania kind of made up a story, because she was getting tired of people asking if this [story] is true, Sally Ash, Kehls cousin who served as her translator for the Homer Tribune article, told the Anchorage Press. She made up this story about how Bigfoot was killing people. It wasnt true. Everybody knows that, but it was not our place to say nothing.Ash grew up in Nanwalek, and her mother was born near Portlock. Portlock, she said was a creepy place. And despite her claim that her cousin made up stories, Ash seems to believe that the Nantiinaq exists.Theyd tell us dont go out on a foggy day. Thats when hes walking around. You could run into him and you never know what he might do, Ash said. YouTubeAn abandoned structure in Portlock, Alaska.However, Ash claimed that the Nantiinaq was not dangerous, and that the locals had a sort of respect for him.I think he is part-human, Ash said. He lived with people and then didnt want to be around them anymore so he moved to the forest; away from everybody. He started growing hair and he looked like a bigfoot scary My uncles, my grandfathers, they all talked about him. Hes old, hes tall, hes strong, hes hairy. It lives in the woods and you can tell when hes getting near. You can smell him. My mom used to talk about it a lot.She added: Respect him. Keep distance He moved around he was quick.Thus despite Portlocks status as a ghost town and the home of the Alaskan Killer Bigfoot as seen in a new Discovery+ show its more likely this small village simply couldnt stand the test of time. Nantiinaq, if it exists, probably keeps to itself like its legendary cousin Bigfoot. People would see Nantiinaq, but that wasnt the reason why people moved this way to Seldovia and Nanwalek, Ash said. They moved because of the economy, schools, and the church. There really was no killing of people.After reading about the legend of Portlock, Alaska and Nantiinaq, read about eight Bigfoot sightings that turned skeptics into believers and learn about Floridas own Bigfoot, the Skunk Ape. Or, check out 11 of the creepiest places on Earth.The post The Story Of Portlock, The Alaska Ghost Town Allegedly Abandoned Because Of A Killer Bigfoot appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Its unclear if Adam Rainer, whose height was less than five feet when he was 21, ever wished that hed grow taller. But if he did, his story would epitomize the expression be careful what you wish for.Public DomainA man believed to be Adam Rainer next to someone of average height.Not much is known about the personal details of the life Adam Rainer led, as it was his curious and unprecedented medical condition that dominated whats known about it.What is known has often become the stuff of legend, inadvertently exaggerated over the years. But Adam Rainers story needs no embellishment.Adam Rainer was the only known person in history to have been recorded as both a dwarf and a giant, a medical marvel brought about by a combination of dwarfism and a tumor inside his pituitary gland that left doctors in shocked amazement. Unfortunately, this was also accompanied by several other serious health issues.Adam Rainers Early LifeAdam Rainer was born in Graz, Austria, in 1899 to parents who were both of average height. However, it became clear early on that their sons growth was drastically stunted. Even into adulthood, Adam Rainer still stood at roughly the size of a child.When World War I broke out, he enlisted in the army, but his conspicuously small stature led doctors to conduct a series of tests to determine his eligibility. Standing at just 4 feet, 6 inches tall, doctors ultimately classified Rainer as a dwarf and deemed him unfit to be an effective soldier. The cutoff, according to IFL Science, was four-foot-ten. The most striking and particularly unusual thing about Rainers dwarfism, compared to others, was the size of his hands and feet they were far too large for his overall size. Despite his short height, he wore a size 10 shoe (or a 43, in European sizes). Public DomainA photo of a young Adam Rainer in Austria. Just one year later, Adam Rainer had grown another two inches and tried once again to enlist with the army, but he was, once again, denied. Despite the growth spurt, he was still two inches too short. As fate would have it, however, this would soon change. Even in 1920, Rainer was still well below average height. Health records show that he was also relatively thin and underweight. At 21 years old, when a person typically stops growing, most doctors and people in his life assumed that Rainer was also done growing and would remain a dwarf. But then something happened. Rainer didnt just grow another two inches he started to grow at an alarmingly accelerated rate without any sign of slowing down. Within a decade, as Rainer entered his early 30s, he was well above that four-foot-ten cutoff; he now towered over those around him at more than seven feet tall. And he became one of the tallest people ever.Adam Rainers Sudden GrowthDoctors were baffled. Two men, Dr. A. Mandl and Dr. F. Windholz, started examining Rainer in 1930. They began to suspect that Rainer may have developed a specific kind of tumor that caused an extreme case of acromegaly: a condition, in this case, caused by a tumor in the pituitary gland, that causes abnormal growth of the face, hands, and feet due to an overproduction of growth hormones. The condition may be known to most through individuals like iconic wrestler Andre the Giant or The Munsters star Fred Gwynne. Symptoms of acromegaly include enlarged hands and feet, which doctors noticed in Rainer. Additionally, over time, Rainers face became more square in shape, as his jaw and eyebrows protruded more and more due to the condition. Rainer was also exceedingly tired a significant portion of the time, another common symptom of acromegaly. In a 1961 report by Oscar Hirsch, another doctor who studied Rainer, it was remarked that the man was unable to perform a normal bite due to the immense size of his tongue. The now-giant Rainer had also begun to lose his hearing at around 26 years old. As a result of his rapid growth, Adam Rainer also experienced issues with his spine, which had begun to curve sideways as each massive growth spurt made him taller and taller. Soon, the doctors discovered that their hypothesis was correct.A Bold Operation On The TumorOscar HirschAdam Rainer photographed for a study about his unexpected growth. The tumor in Rainers pituitary gland had been growing for more than a decade, but Mandl and Windholz opted to remove it via surgery anyway. At the time, such a surgery was incredibly risky, as it would necessitate working closely with vital areas of the brain.On Dec. 2, 1930, Rainer underwent the dangerous operation. Thankfully, the surgery, performed by Oscar Hirsch, was a success. Several months passed, and Rainer returned to visit Mandl and Windholz once more for a checkup. They were glad to see that his height had remained the same no more sudden growth spurts. However, his spinal curvature was even worse, which indicated that although it was occurring at a much slower rate, he was in fact still growing. And it showed no signs of stopping. Unfortunately, Adam Rainers health problems only got worse. He started to lose vision in his right eye. As he approached middle age, Rainers spine curvature grew worse, and his vision continued to deteriorate.Some accounts would later claim that he was often confined to bed and incapable of taking care of himself because of the pain, as he spent the last years of his life in a home of the aged in Austria. He did live in such a home, but according to Hirschs report, Rainer was able to take care of himself and was never confined to bed. He was clumsy, but kind to his roommates, Hirsch wrote of what he was relayed to him by Adam Rainers doctor at the home. Adam Rainer eventually died at the age of 51 years old after undergoing surgery for perforation of the large intestine and peritonitis. No autopsy was performed. At the time of his death, Adam Rainer stood, by most estimates, at a massive 7 feet, 8 inches tall (though some estimates put him at seven-foot-ten). He is still the only man in history classified as both a dwarf and a giant in the same lifetime.If you found this story about Adam Rainer interesting, you may also want to check out 21 pictures of Andre the Giant that its hard to believe arent photoshopped. Then read the tale of the Eddie Gaedel, the smallest player in Major League baseball history.The post The Tragic Story Of Adam Rainer, The Man Who Went From Dwarf To Giant appeared first on All That's Interesting.

An 18th-century engraving of Mary Read from Captain Charles Johnsons A General History of the Pyrates.The years between 1650 and 1730 are often referred to as the Golden Age of Piracy. Notorious buccaneers like Stede Bonnet, Captain Kidd, and Blackbeard terrorized the high seas. But there was another perhaps unexpected pirate working in the Caribbean during that time: Mary Read.Little is known about Reads life before piracy, but she was born in England and had made her way to the Bahamas by August 1720. There, she joined the crew of Calico Jack Rackham alongside another female pirate, Anne Bonny.Despite her lasting infamy, Reads career lasted just two months. She was captured along with the rest of Rackhams crew in October 1720 and sentenced to death. She claimed that she was pregnant, and her execution was delayed, but she died behind bars the following April anyway.Mary Read may have faded from history if it werent for Captain Charles Johnson, who published A General History of the Pyrates in 1724. Although the text is unreliable and likely fabricated much of Reads story, it led to countless adaptations of Reads tale, cementing her legacy as one of the most fearsome swashbucklers of the Golden Age of Piracy.Mary Reads Life Before PiracyThe only information about Mary Reads early life comes from A General History of the Pyrates, which contains questionable facts. In the book, Captain Charles Johnson claims that Read was born in England to a single mother whose husband had vanished at sea, leaving her with a young son. The son died, and Mary was born shortly after to an unknown father.Public DomainA 19th-century depiction of a duel between Mary Read (right) and an unidentified man.To keep receiving money from her former mother-in-law, Mrs. Read disguised young Mary as the legitimate son who had died, dressing her in boy clothes throughout her childhood. As the story goes, Mary Read continued wearing male clothing into adulthood, ultimately enlisting in the British army. Johnson claimed that Read then fell in love with a fellow soldier, married him, and opened a tavern. When he died, Read decided to seek a fresh start, and she boarded a ship for the West Indies. The Fearsome Female Pirate Of The CaribbeanAfter reaching the Bahamas, Read still disguised as a man joined the crew of John Calico Jack Rackham. Like Read, Rackham doesnt appear in historical records until the summer of 1720. Hes known to have captured a series of fishing boats in addition to several larger vessels. Public DomainPirate captain Calico Jack was active in the Caribbean until he was captured and hanged at Port Royal, Jamaica, in November 1720.Read also became close friends with Anne Bonny, another female pirate onboard Rackhams ship. According to Johnson, however, Bonny didnt initially realize that Read was a woman:Anne Bonny took her for a handsome young Fellow, and for some Reasons best known to herself, first discovered her Sex to Mary Read; Mary Read knowing what she would be at, and being very sensible of her own Incapacity that Way, was forced to come to a right Understanding with her, and so to the great Disappointment of Anne Bonny, she let her know she was a Woman also.Rackham was reportedly so disturbed by their intimacy as he was Bonnys lover that he threatened to slit Reads throat, so she had to reveal her secret to him, too. Over the next two months, Rackham, Bonny, Read, and the rest of the crew terrorized the Caribbean. On August 22, 1720, they stole a sloop in Nassau. This crime led the governor of the Bahamas, Woodes Rogers, to release a proclamation naming Mary Read and demanding her arrest. As such, Reads true identity was clearly not as secret as Johnson made it out to be in his narrative.The remainder of Reads life is fairly well-documented because it was spent behind bars.The Fall Of Mary Read And Her Enduring LegacyBy October, the law had caught up to Rackhams crew. A privateer named Jonathan Barnet tracked them down off the coast of Jamaica, where they were celebrating a recent payday by drinking rum. Legend has it that Mary Read and Anne Bonny single-handedly battled Barnets men because their male counterparts were too intoxicated to fight. Public DomainMary Read purportedly disguised herself as a man to join the crew of Calico Jack Rackham in 1720.In the end, the entire crew was arrested. Mary Reads trial was recorded in The Tryals of John Rackham and Other Pirates in 1721. She faced charges for Piracies, Felonies, and Robberies committed on the High Seas.One of the victims of Rackhams crew, Dorothy Thomas, gave a witness deposition speaking of the ferocity of Mary Read and Anne Bonny. Thomas stated:That the Two Women, Prisoners at the Bar, were then on Board the said Sloop, and wore Mens Jackets, and long Trousers, and Handkerchiefs tied about their Heads; and that each of them had a Machet and Pistol in their Hands, and cursed and swore at the Men, to murder the Deponent; and that they should kill her, to prevent her coming against them; and the Deponent further said, That the Reason of her knowing and believing them to be Women then was, by the largeness of their Breasts.Two Frenchmen who were aboard a vessel that was taken by Rackhams crew also testified that Read and Bonny were very active on Board, and willing to do any Thing That they did not seem to be kept, or detaind by Force, but of their own Free-Will and Consent. In addition, witnesses noted that Read and Bonny were both very profligate, cursing and swearing much, and very ready and willing to do any Thing on Board.In the end, all of the pirates were sentenced to death, but Bonny and Read both claimed to be pregnant. So, while Rackham and the other men were hanged, Bonny and Read were imprisoned to await a later execution.Public DomainMary Read (right) and Anne Bonny (left) were both members of Calico Jacks crew.Mary Read died behind bars in April 1721. Johnson wrote that she was seizd with a violent Fever, but her true cause of death is unknown. She was buried in Spanish Town, Jamaica. There are no records of her childs burial, so she either died before the baby was born or had never been pregnant at all.In the centuries since her death, Reads story has been retold in countless books. She also appears in the video game Assassins Creed IV, as well as several movies and television shows. Today, Mary Read is one of historys most famous pirates despite the fact that she only sailed the high seas for two months.After learning about the exploits of Mary Read, check out the story of Ching Shih, Chinas famed female pirate lord. Then, read about Henry Avery and historys most lucrative pirate raid.The post Mary Read Is One Of Historys Most Famous Pirates But She Only Sailed The Seas For Two Months appeared first on All That's Interesting.

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