What real-world event and historical figure provided the primary creative inspiration for Daniel Defoe's 'Robinson Crusoe'?
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Correct answer: The four-year marooning of Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk on Juan Fernández island
Alexander Selkirk was marooned at his own request on a Pacific island in 1704 and rescued in 1709. His sensational survival story was popularized by woodcuts and essays in London, providing Defoe with the raw narrative concept for Crusoe's adventures. Defoe expanded Selkirk's brief experience into a multi-decade saga of psychological development, empire-building, and religious redemption.
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