From Wikipedia

Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia
(c. 1431 – December, 1476),
more commonly known as
the Impaler or Dracula,
was a three-time voivode of Wallachia, ruling mainly from 1456 to 1462.
Historically, Vlad is best known for his independent policy towards the Ottoman Empire, the expansionism of which he resisted and for the exceedingly cruel punishment he imposed.
In the English-speaking world, Vlad III is perhaps most commonly known for inspiring the name of the vampire in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula.