Michiel Adriaanszoon de Ruyter

Born Mar. 24, 1607, in Vlissingen; died Apr. 29, 1676, near Syracuse. Dutch naval commander.

Ruyter joined the navy in 1618. In 1641 he became a rear admiral (in 1653, vice admiral) and fought under the command of Admiral M. Tromp in the First Dutch War (1652–54). In 1665, Ruyter was promoted to lieutenant admiral and was named commander in chief of the navy of the Republic of the United Provinces. He won a number of major victories at Texel, Dunkerque, and elsewhere over the English and French navies during the Second and Third Dutch Wars of the 17th century. In 1673 he received the highest naval rank of general lieutenant admiral of Holland. Ruyter was mortally wounded on Apr. 22, 1676, in a battle against the French Navy near the island of Sicily.