A: Everyone’s favorite desert island hero Robinson Crusoe definitely existed, though he went by a slightly less-catchy name name. Daniel Defoe’s 1719 novel, which has become the granddaddy of desert island lit, is based on the true-life story of the Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk.

In 1704, the young Alexander took part in a privateering expedition that included an incredibly inauspicious combination: a tyrant captain, a leaky ship, and repeated attacks by the Spanish. Hoping to rid himself of at least some of the drama, Selkirk jumped ship (literally) on a tiny island 400 miles off the coast of Chile. Of course, he did it because he imagined he’d get rescued pretty quickly.

Unfortunately for him (though great for a world of readers), Selkirk ended up stranded there for more than four years — which was bad, but still better than the alternative. Shortly after he deserted his crew, the ship sank with everyone on board.