Washington Irving:
(1783-1859)

The first American author to achieve international renown, He was the creator of the fictional characters Rip Van Winkle and Ichabod Crane.

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The Daily Miscellany Times
Rip Van Winkle's Creator is Dead

Washington Irving died today at his home in Tarrytown, New York. He was 76 years old. In 1820 he published The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. This book was a collection of several amusing stories.   Among the stories in the book were the very popular "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."

All that Mr. Irving ever wanted to be was a writer. The publication of
Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent, launched him on this desired career. Later works of Irving concentrated on non-fiction. He wrote biographies of Christopher Columbus, Oliver Goldsmith and George Washington. None of these works achieved the success of the collection of stories.

Washington Irving was named after the first president George Washington. He also was blessed by Mr. Washington at his inaguration in 1789.

Washington Irving was a modest and kindly man with great charm. He never married, although persistent rumors tell of Mary Shelley's love for him in the 1820's.

1842 Irving was appointed U.S. minister to Madrid, where he lived until 1846, continuing his historical research and writing. He returned to the United States again in 1846 and settled at Sunnyside, his country home near Tarrytown, New York, where he lived until his death.

Sources:
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