The story of is a rare case where a literary prank accidentally created a global fashion trend and a professional sports legacy. The Prank that Became a Person
In 1809, American author launched an elaborate marketing hoax to promote his upcoming book, A History of New York . He placed fake missing person ads in newspapers for an "eccentric Dutch historian" named Diedrich Knickerbocker . The hoax worked so well that when the book—a satire mocking the city’s early Dutch settlers—was released, "Knickerbocker" became an instant nickname for any old-school New Yorker. The Person who Became a Pant buy knickerbockers pants