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Born in Ireland in 1847, Bram Stoker studied mathematics at Dublin's Trinity College and embarked on his longtime role as an assistant to actor Sir Henry Irving in the 1870s. He also began carving out a second career as a writer, publishing his first novel, The Primrose Path, in 1875. Stoker published his most famous work, Dracula, in 1897, though he died before the fictional vampire would achieve widespread popularity though numerous film and literary adaptations in the 20th century.
Stoker was born Abraham Stoker on November 8, 1847, in Dublin, Ireland, to father Abraham Stoker and mother Charlotte Matilda Blake Thornley Stoker. One of seven children, he suffered from illnesses that left him bedridden until around age 7 but made a full recovery. In 1864, Stoker enrolled at the University of Dublin - founded by Queen Elizabeth I in 1592 - and attended the university's sole constituency, Trinity College. He studied mathematics at Trinity, graduating with honors in 1870. Stoker then began working as a civil servant at Dublin Castle, home to British royals in Ireland from the early 1800s to the early 1920s. (Stoker's father had also served as a civil servant at the castle, and helped his son land a position there.) During this period, Stoker began juggling another role: In the evenings, he worked as an unpaid writer for a local newspaper, the Dublin Evening Mail (later the Evening Mail), penning reviews of various theatrical productions. Stoker also found time for his short stories, publishing "The Crystal Cup" in 1872.
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