An illustration depicting Robinson Crusoe, a character created by Daniel Defoe in his novel of the same name. It was published in 1719 and the first edition credited the work's protagonist Robinson Crusoe as its author, leading many readers to believe he was a real person and the book a travelogue of true incidents. It is often considered the first English novel. The story is partly based on the life of Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish castaway who lived for four years on a Pacific island called "Mas a Tierra", now part of Chile, which was renamed Robinson Crusoe Island in 1966.