Okay, I've been researching this for a while, and I'm pretty sure it's true, so unless I'm challenged:
While amigurumi* were popular in Japan for a little while, the very first amigurumi pattern published in English in the United States was featured in Knit.1 magazine in the fall of 2006, designed and written by yours truly! The first and only time in my entire life when I anticipated a coming trend.
(*Amigurumi: super-cute little crocheted dolls)