Michiel de Ruyter
Greatest Dutch naval commander of the Golden Age. A rope-maker's son who rose to Lieutenant-Admiral-General. Led the audacious Raid on the Medway (1667), sailing up the Thames to burn the English flagship at anchor, the worst naval defeat in English history. Died of wounds after the Battle of Syracuse fighting the French. Regarded in the Netherlands as a national hero equivalent to Nelson.
- Lived: 1607 CE – 1676 CE
- Nationality: Dutch
- Roles: admiral, naval commander
