The Real People Who Inspired Timeless Fictional Characters

Tintin Isn’t Just An Animated Character

Photo Credits: dzveroo007 / YouTube

In 1928, 15-year-old Palle Huld from Denmark won a competition in honor of Around The World In 80 Days author Jules Verne. He was awarded a 46-day trip around the world, completely unaccompanied. During travels, he went to England, Scotland, Japan, Korea, China, the Soviet Union, and more.

Upon his return to Copenhagen, he was greeted by a crowd of thousands of people to welcome him home from his travels. Palle Huld’s adventures, in turn, inspired the Belgian cartoonist Hergé to come up with his character Tintin, a young Belgian reporter and adventurer who travels the world with his little dog Snowy. The comics were later made into the animated movie The Adventure of Tintin directed by Steven Spielberg.