Hayreddin Barbarossa

Starting as an Ottoman corsair, Hizir Reis made himself a name under the service of his elder brother Oruc Reis. In 1516, the brothers captured Algiers from the Spanish crown with Oruc declaring himself as Sultan. When his brother died in 1518, Hizir inherited Oruc's nickname of 'Barbarossa' (Redbeard in Italian) and received the honorary name Hayreddin. As time went by, Barbarossa climbed the ranks of the Ottoman navy and secured many key victories on the sea which lead to the Turkish dominance of the Mediterranean Sea during the mid 16th century. Eventually in 1533, Barbarossa was appointed Kapudan Pasha (Grand Admiral) of the Ottoman Navy by Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent.