Danish author Hans Christian Andersen died on this day in 1875 at the age of 70. He is remembered for his many beloved children’s fairy tales, but he also wrote travelogues, plays, novels and poems. In letters to friends, Andersen wrote about feelings that some scholars have interpreted as romantic or sexual attraction to men, and biographers have long debated how his sexuality should be understood. In his mid-20s, he published his first collection of fairy tales, which became instantly popular. Throughout his life he continued to write fairy tales, but he also found success as a travel writer.