Dracula Rises: Stoker Defines Vampire Literature Forever
Bram Stoker published Dracula on May 26, 1897, after seven years of research and writing while managing the Lyceum Theatre in London for actor Henry Irving. The novel drew on Romanian folklore, Irish mythology, travel accounts of the Carpathian Mountains, and the historical Vlad the Impaler, though the connection to Vlad was tenuous. Stoker never visited Transylvania; his descriptions came from travel guides and library research. The novel sold modestly during Stoker's lifetime and earned mixed reviews. Florence Stoker, Bram's widow, fought to protect the copyright against unauthorized adaptations, including F.W. Murnau's 1922 film Nosferatu. Dracula has since been adapted into over 200 films, making the Count the most frequently portrayed character in horror cinema.
May 26, 1897
129 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on May 26
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