November 8, 1847

Bram Stoker, the famous author of “Dracula,” was born in Dublin on this day in 1847. Born Abraham Stoker, he was the third of seven children. He had a very sickly childhood and spent most of it bed-ridden, which allowed for his imagination to run wild. He recovered and attended Trinity College Dublin where he studied mathematics. Following Trinity, he found an interest in theater and became a critic. After reviewing Henry Irving’s production of “Hamlet,” the two became close friends and Stoker then went on to become business manager for Irving and the Lyceum Theater. While manager, Stoker began writing fiction. He published his novel “The Snake’s Pass” in 1890 and “Dracula” followed in 1897; it is considered the first definitive vampire novel.