Michiel Adriaenszoon De Ruyter (1607-1676) He probably became a sailor age 11. In 1622 he defended his home town as a musketeer in the Dutch army against the Spaniards. That year he re-joined the Dutch merchant fleet and steadily worked his way up. In 1633 he set sail for Jan Mayen Island, serving as first mate on a fleet of 5 whalers. De Ruyter was asked to join the expanding fleet as a sub commander of a Zealandic squadron of privately financed warships. It was the beginning of the Anglo-Dutch Wars (1652-74) and he participated in all three. In 1676 he took command of a combined Dutch-Spanish fleet to help suppress the Messina Revolt and fought a French fleet under Duquesne. At the battle of Agosta, he was fatally wounded.

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