Back in 1999, I was involved in the workshopping of a play entitled Dracula 2000: A Classic Tale Re-Vamped (we had the Drac 2000 title a year before Hollywood). As part of my "pre-writing," I compiled the following list of vampire history for the cast and crew.

I thought it would be fun to post-- but I have one reservation. In compiling this list, I consulted many sources. I cannot find my list of those sources. If it looks like I may have borrowed from you, let me know (it's not like I'm selling this list for money or anything).

Lon Chaney and Edna Tichenor appear in the most famous of lost films, London After Midnight

circa 1200 B.C.-- Myth exists in the Mediterranean of vampiristic creatures, part woman and part serpent, called lamia.

1047-- A Russian prince is referred to in a document as "Upir Lichy", or wicked vampire. This may be the first appearance of the word.

1190-- Walter Map's De Nagis Curialium includes accounts of vampiristic creatures in England.

1196-- William of Newburgh's Chronicles records several stories of vampiristic revenants in England.

1428/29-- Vlad Tepes, the son of Vlad Dracul, is born.
Dracul="Dragon"
Dracula="Son of the Dragon"

1463-- Vlad Tepes becomes Prince of Wallachia and moves to Tirgoviste.

1442-- Vlad Tepes is imprisoned with his father by the Turks.

1447-- Vlad Dracul is beheaded.

1448-- Vlad Tepes briefly attains the Wallachian throne. Dethroned, he goes to Moldavia.

1451-- Vlad flees to Transylvania.

1456-- Vlad Tepes restored to Wallachian throne.

1461-- Successful campaign against Turkish settlements along the Danube. Vlad's involvement in military campaigns will make him a hero in some people's eyes. His savage treatment of opponents earns him the hatred of others, and the nickname, "Vlad the Impaler."

1462-- Following the battle at Dracula's castle, Vlad flees to Transylvania, where he begins 13 years of imprisonment.

1475-- Vlad Tepes resumes throne of Wallachia.

1476/77-- Vlad is assassinated.

1560-- Elizabeth Bathory is born.

1610-- Bathory is arrested for killing several hundred people and bathing in their blood. Her servants are executed; she is bricked into a room in her castle. Her tale will become wedded with vampire lore.

1614-- Elizabeth Bathory dies.

1610-- Leo Allatius finishes writing De Graecorum hodie quirundam opinationabus, which deals with vampires.

1657-- Francoise Richard's Relation de ce qui s'est pass� a Sant-Erini Isle de l'Archipel links vampirism and witchcraft.

1672-- Wave of vampire hysteria sweeps through Istra. Corpses of suspected vampires are typically staked (to keep them from rising) and decapitated.

1679-- A German vampire text, De Masticatione Mortuorum, by Phillip Rohr.

1710-1730s: Incidents of hysteria over vampires occur in a number of eastern European countries.

1734-- The word "vampyre" enters the English language in translations of German accounts of European waves of vampire hysteria.

1744-- Cardinal Giuseppe Davanzati publishes his treatise, Dissertazione sopre I Vampiri.

1746-- Dom Augustin Calmet publishes his treatise, Dissertations sur les Apparitions des Anges des Demons et des Espits, et sur les revenants, et Vampires de Hundrie, de boheme, de Moravic, et de Silesie.

1748-- The first modern vampire poem, "Der Vampir," is published by Heinrich August Ossenfelder.

1750-- Another wave of vampire hysteria begins in East Prussia.

c.1756-- Vampire hysteria occurs in Wallachia.

c.1772-- Vampire hysteria occurs in Russia.

1797-- Goethe's "Bride of Corinth" (a poem concerning a vampire) is published.

1798-1800-- Samuel Taylor Coleridge writes "Christabel," a vampire-themed poem.

1800-- I Vampiri, an opera by Silvestro de Palma, opens in Milan, Italy.

1801--Robert Southey's "Thalaba" first English poem to mention the vampire, by name.

1810-- Reports of sheep being killed by having their jugular veins cut and their blood drained circulated through northern England. --"The Vampyre," a poem by John Stagg, is published.

1813-- Lord Byron's poem "The Giaour" includes the hero's encounter with a vampire.

1819-- John Polidori's "The Vampyre"is published in the April issue of New Monthly.
--John Keats composes "The Lamia," a poem built on ancient Greek legends.

1820-- Lord Ruthwen ou Les Vampires by Cyprien Berard is published anonymously in Paris.
--Le Vampire, by Charles Nodier, opens at Theatre de la Porte Saint-Martin in Paris.
--The Vampire or The Bride of the Isles, James R. Planche's translation of the play, opens in London.

1829-- Heinrich Marschner's opera, Der Vampyr, based on Nodier's story, opens in Liepzig.

1841-- Alexey Tolstoy publishes his short story, "Upyr," while living in Paris.

1847-- Bram Stoker is born.
--Varney the Vampire begins lengthy serialization.

1851-- Alexandre Dumas' last dramatic work, Le Vampire, opens in Paris.

1854-- Alleged case of vampirism in the Ray family of Jewell, Connecticut.

1872-- Through a Glass Darkly by Sheridan Le Fanu, is published; it includes the infamous "Carmilla."
--In Italy, Vincenzo Verzeni is convicted of murdering two people and drinking their blood.

1874-- Reports from Ceven, Ireland, tell of sheep having their throats cut and their blood drained.

1885-- Theodosia Goodman (later Theda Bara) is born.

1888-- Emily Gerard's Land Beyond the Forest is published. It will become a major source of information about Transylvania for Bram Stoker.

1894-- H.G. Wells' short story, "The Flowering of the Strange Orchid," is a precursor to SF vampire stories.

1897-- Dracula by Bram Stoker is published.
--Rudyard Kipling publishes "The Vampire."

1912-- The Secrets of House No. 5, the first vampire movie, is produced in Great Britain.

1913-- "Dracula's Guest" by Bram Stoker is published.
--The Vampire, a film, is produced. No known copy survives.

1915-- Les Vampires, a 10-part French serial, is made.
--A Fool There Was launches Theda Bara's career in silent movies. The term "vamp" is coined to describe her characters.

1916-- A Village Vampire made. No known copy survives.

1920-- A Russian film version of Dracula, the first ever made, is released. No copy has survived.

1921-- Hungarian filmmakers produce a version of Drakula. No known copy has survived.

1922-- Nosferatu, a German-made silent film produced by Prana Films, is the third attempt to film Dracula. All copies are supposedly destroyed due to a lawsuit by Stoker's widow, but the film survives.

1924-- Hamilton Dean/John Balderston stage version of Dracula opens in Derby.

--A.C. Doyle publishes Sherlock Holmes story, "The Case of the Sussex Vampire."
H.P. Lovecraft writes "The Shunned House," his take on the vampire mythos.


1927-- Dean and Balderston's oft-produced Dracula opens at the Little Theatre in London. American version, starring Bela Lugosi, opens at Fulton Theatre in New York City.
--Tod Browning directs Lon Chaney in London After Midnight, the first full-length feature Hollywood vampire film. While images from this film have become famous, no known copy of the film survives.

1928-- Montague Summers publishes The Vampire: His Kith and Kin. Summers will become one of the few educated people in this century to argue that vampires, witches, et cetera, really do exist.

1929-- Montague Summers's The Vampire in Europe is published.

1931-- American film version of Dracula with Bela Lugosi, directed by Tod Browning, premiers at the Roxy Theatre in New York and begins wave of very successful Universal Studios horror movies.

--Spanish film version of Dracula, filmed on the same sets as the Browning/Lugosi version, is released.
--Peter Kurten of Dusseldorf, Germany, is executed after a vampiric killing spree.

1932-- The movie Vampyr, directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer, is released.

1935-- Tod Browning remakes London After Midnight as Mark of the Vampire, with Bela Lugosi.

1936-- Dracula's Daughter is released by Universal Pictures.

1942-- A. E. Van Vought's "Asylum" is the first story about an alien vampire.

1943-- Son of Dracula (Universal Pictures) stars Lon Chaney, Jr., as, actually, Dracula.

1944-- John Carradine plays Dracula for the first time in House of Dracula.

1945-- Last serious Universal "all-star" monster movie, House of Frankenstein, features Carradine as Dracula.

1948-- Bela Lugosi returns to the Dracula role for Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein, the last Universal "all-star" monster movie, played for laughs.

1950s-- Influential EC horror comics publish stories dealing with various supernatural creatures, including vampires.

1952-- EC's Vault of Horror #14 features an origin story for the comic's host, the Old Witch. She is the daughter of a male werewolf and a female vampire-- perhaps the first portrayal anywhere of a vampire giving birth.

1953-- Drakula Istanbula, a Turkish film, is released.
--Eerie No. 8 includes the first comic book adaptation of Dracula.

1954-- The Comics Code banishes vampires from comic books.
--Richard Matheson's short story, "I am Legend" presents vampirism as a disease.

1956-- John Carradine plays Dracula in the first TV adaptation of the story for Matinee Theatre.
--Kyuketsuki Ga, a Japanese vampire film, is released.

1957-- The first Italian vampire movie, I Vampiri, is released.
--Infamous American producer Roger Corman makes the first science fiction vampire movie, Not of This Earth.
--El Vampiro begins a wave of Mexican vampire films.

1958-- Horror of Dracula with Christoper Lee is released, beginning wave of Hammer Studios horror films.

1959 --I Was A Teenage Vampire receives limited release.

1961-- Korean film adaptation of Dracula is produced.

1962-- The Count Dracula Society is founded in the USA by Donald Reed.

1963-- "Transylvania 6-5000," one of the last of the Bugs Bunny shorts released theatrically, pits Bugs against a shape-shifting vampire. The vampire doesn't stand a chance.

1964-- Parque de Juelos (Park of Games), Spanish vampire movie, is produced.
--The Munsters and The Addams Family open in the fall TV season.
--Matheson's "I am Legend" is adapted to the screen as The Last Man on Earth, with Vincent Price.

1965-- Jeanne Youngson founds The Count Dracula Fan Club.
--The Munsters comic, based on the television show of the same name, is the first comic book series featuring a vampire character.

1966-- Low-budget horror soap Dark Shadows debuts.
--Low, low budget vampire western, Dracula vs Billy the Kid, appears.

1967-- In episode 210 of Dark Shadows, vampire Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) makes his first appearance.

1969-- Warren releases the first issue of adult comic Vampirella, the longest running vampire comic book to date.
--A BBC-TV production plays Dracula for laughs.

1970-- Christopher Lee stars in El Conde Dracula, the Spanish film adaptation of Dracula.
--Two films, inspired by Carmilla, are released: Countess Dracula, and Hammer's The Vampire Lovers (starring Ingrid Pitt).
--Sabrina the Teenage Witch cartoon spins off The Groovy Goolies, which includes vampire characters.

1971-- Marvel Comics releases the first issue of The Tomb of Dracula.
--Morbius, the Living Vampire introduced in Spider-Man.
--The Return of Count Yorga and the highly sexual Twins of Evil are among the most popular of many vampire movies released in the early 70s.
--Matheson's "I am Legend" adapted again, as The Omega Man, with Charlton Heston.
--General Mills introduces Count Chocula.

1972-- The Night Stalker with Darrin McGavin as a vampire hunter becomes the most watched television movie at that time. (a series will follow).
--Vampire Kung-Fu is released in Hong Kong as the first vampire martial arts films.
--Blacula, the story of "Dracula's Blood-Brother," weds vampire and "blaxploitation" film genres.
--In Search of Dracula by Raymond T. McNally and Radu Florescu introduces Vlad Tepes to the world of contemporary vampire fans. The connection between the fictional and historical figures, vaguely hinted at in Dracula, becomes firm.
--True Vampires of History by Donald Glut assembles the stories of historical vampire figures.

1973-- Dan Curtis Productions' TV version of Dracula stars Jack Palance.
--Christopher Lee plays Dracula in film for the last time.
--Andy Warhol's Dracula is released.
--Scream Blacula, Scream is released.
--Nancy Garden's Vampires launches a wave of juvenile vampire literature.

1974-- Dracula appears as a character in the children's show, The Hilarious House of Frightenstein.
--Ringo Starr, Harry Nilsson, and other musicians appear in Son of Dracula. Ringo, for some reason, plays Merlin the Magician.

1975--The Dracula Tape, by Fred Saberhagen views Dracula as a hero rather than a villian.
--In his third appearance (in the notoriously titled Giant-Size Man-Thing), comic-book antihero Howard the Duck battles a vampirized "Hell-cow."

1976--Anne Rice publishes Interview with the Vampire, the most influential vampire novel since Dracula.
--Stephen King is nominated for the World Fantasy Award for his vampire novel, 'Salem's Lot.
--Fans hold first Shadowcon, a national Dark Shadows convention.

1977-- A new version of Dracula opens on Broadway starring Frank Langella.
--BBC produces Count Dracula.
--Martin Riccardo founds the Vampire Studies Society.

1978-- Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's book Hotel Transylvania begins her series of vampire novels.
--Eric Held and Dorothy Nixon found the Vampire Information Exchange.
--The film Bram Stoker's Original Dracula is released.

1979-- Based on the success of the new Broadway production, Universal Pictures remakes Dracula starring Frank Langella.
Other vampire films that year include Nosferatu the Vampyre, Salem's Lot, and the comical Love at First Bite.
--Bauhaus records "Bela Lugosi's Dead" the first hit of the new Gothic movement.
--Deborah and James Howe publish Bunnicula, the Vampire Bunny. After Deborah's death, James will continue the successful children's book series alone.

By this point, more than 100 Dracula films are known to exist. Vampire books and films are too numerous to mention.

1980-- The Bram Stoker Society is founded in Dublin, Ireland.

1983-- In the December issue of Dr. Strange, the sorceror superhero kills all of the vampires in the world, thus banishing them from Marvel Comics for the next six years.
--The Hunger, starring Catherine Deneueve, Susan Sarandon, and David Bowie, is released.

1985--The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice is published and reaches the best seller list. Several other vampire novels will follow.

--Fright Night , Transylvania 6-5000, and the anime flick Vampire Hunter D are among a number of vampire films released.

1986-- Vamp, featuring Grace Jones, is released. Films like it, last year's Fright Night and-- 1987-- --The Lost Boys combine horror and humour.

1988-- Dracula's Widow, directed by Francis Ford Coppola's nephew, bombs.

1989-- Overthrow of Romanian dictator Nikolai Ceaucescu opens Transylvania to Dracula enthusiasts.
--Latest adaptation of Carmilla is released.
--Nancy Collins wins a Bram Stoker Award for her vampire novel Sunglasses After Dark.
--Nick Night, a TV movie, tells the story of a 13th century vampire trying to redeem himself as a contemporary police officer.
1990-- "Sexy" Dark Shadows television remake bombs.

1991-- Vampire: The Masquerade," the most successful of the vampire role-playing games, is released by White Wolf.

1992-- Francis Ford Coppola makes Bram Stoker's Dracula, starring Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder.
--Film version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer appears.
--Forever Knight, based on the Nick Knight telefilm, debuts.
--Innocent Blood, odd vampire/gangster horror/comedy film, is released.
--"Vampire"-style mass murderer Andrei Chikatilo of Rostov, Russia, is sentenced to death.

1995-- Film version of Interview with the Vampire is released. Oprah Winfrey forms "prayer circle" outside premiere to work against the forces of darkness she believes the film is calling down. Others also are appalled by the casting of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt.
--Pam Keesey edits Dark Angels, an anthology of lesbian vampire fiction.

1996-- Noted self-obssessed director Quentin Tarantino makes From Dusk Till Dawn.

1997-- TV version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, starring Sarah Michelle Geller, debuts. Teen lockers get new poster girl.

Late 1990s-- Vampire novels, films, videos, shows, games, fanzines, comics, web sites, toys, reach numbers too great to track.
"Goth" subcultures borrow heavily from vampire lore.

Further Reading

Professor Elizabeth Miller's Dracula Page

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