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Jolly Ol' Saint Nick has become a cultural and commercial icon, but have you ever thought about where that image and idea comes from? An amalgam of Dutch, Middle Eastern, British and American versions, Santa Claus finds his roots as a pious saint from the tenth century. 

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Ebenezer Scrooge, Oliver Twist and David Copperfield were all borne from the mind of Charles Dickens, who is largely thought to be the best writer of the Victorian era. Through his own life he rose from extreme poverty to the highest echelons of society, but never forgot his roots and used his writing to highlight the challenges of the poor in the 19th century.

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Harry Houdini began his life as Erik Weisz, a young immigrant from Hungary who rose from poverty in America to be one of the most famous escape artists and entertainers in history. 

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A short fable written by Irish Poet and famous wit, Oscar Wilde, The Happy Prince tells the story of a devoted little swallow who is compelled to serve a gilded prince despite his desire to fly to the warmer climes of Egypt where his friends have flown for the winter. 

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A writer who fought in the second world war, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. was taken prisoner in the Battle of the Bulge and survived the bombing of Dresden as a prisoner of war. These experiences, among many, led Vonnegut to be a lifelong pacifist with a penchant for writing about the human condition in a way that few have been able to do. 

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Edgar Allan Poe's famous short story, first published in 1843. Told from the standpoint of one individual, it is a tale of self-delusion, guilt and the perils of having a roommate. 

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Written by Mary Shelly when she was just 18, the first edition of Frankenstein was published anonymously in London on January 1st, 1818. Shelly's name appeared on the second edition, published in 1823, and the story of Frankenstein has seen rises and falls in popularity in the 200 years since it was given its first breath.

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Famous for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Edgar Allan Poe was one of the first American authors to live off writing alone…much to his peril. A fierce critic of transcendentalism, he was found delirious on the streets of Baltimore in clothes that were not his own days before he died. The mystery of Poe persists, but was he really mad? Or was his legacy usurped by a jealous foe? 

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The Brothers Grimm compendium of folk tales has remained the most popular book in Germany for years, second only to the bible. Born into the Holy Roman Empire during the 18th century, these two unlikely storytellers rose from poverty to prominence as anthologists of some of the most famous tales we know today. It wasn't an easy life though.

She was a rebel, the pioneer of modern nursing and an all-around badass. Listen to the story of an individual who reformed a medical system and saved thousands of lives. The story of Florence Nightingale's life is an amazing tale of a commitment to a cause and not giving damn about what anyone else thinks.