German nobleman Hieronymus Karl Friedrich von Münchhausen was born #OTD in 1720.
Münchhausen's stories gained widespread popularity, and they were collected and published by various authors over the years. The most famous collection is attributed to Rudolf Erich Raspe, who published "Baron Munchausen's Narrative of his Marvellous Travels and Campaigns in Russia" in 1785.
Books by Rudolph Erich Raspe at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1120