Washington Irving

Born

April 3, 1783

Died

November 28, 1859 (aged 76)

Known as

politician, lawyer, writer, essayist, playwright, biographer

Washington Irving was an American writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He wrote the short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" (1820), both of which appear in his collection The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. His historical works include biographies of the writer Oliver Goldsmith, Islamic prophet Muhammad, and also first U.S. president George Washington, as well as several histories of 15th-century Spain that deal with topics such as the Alhambra palace, the European discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus, and the Reconquista. Irving served as the American ambassador to Spain in the 1840s.

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