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Washington Irving

American writer, historian and diplomat (1783-1859) · United States · Writers · Died at 76

Washington Irving is read about 1,531 times a day, in 76 languages.

A typical day, 30 days to 23 October 2026

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He wrote "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" - two stories that became American folklore while their author was still alive. Irving turned regional ghost tales into something Europe took seriously, proving American writers could be more than colonial footnotes.

WritersPoliticianPoliticsLawLiteratureTheatreFictionJournalism

A life in dates

1859Died28 November 18591824“I am always at a loss to know how much to believe of my own stories.”In their wordsTales of a Traveler, To the Reader (1824)

“There is a certain relief in change, even though it be from bad to worse!”In their wordsTales of a Traveler (1824), Preface, p. 7

1822“Whenever a man's friends begin to compliment him about looking young, he may be sure that they think he is growing old.”In their wordsBracebridge Hall. Bachelors (1822)

1809“Who ever hears of fat men heading a riot, or herding together in turbulent mobs?”In their wordsBook III, ch. 2 This derives from a statement by William Shakespeare in the play Julius Caesar where Caesar declares:

“His wife "ruled the roost," and in governing the governor, governed the province, which might thus be said to be under petticoat government.”In their wordsBook IV, ch. 4

“They claim to be the first inventors of those recondite beverages, cocktail, stonefence, and sherry cobbler.”In their wordsBook IV, ch. 241

1783Born3 April 1783

Also in Deutsch

Photos 8

Irving-Washington-LOCIrving-Washington-LOCArthur Rackham (Hudson) P109Arthur Rackham (Hudson) P109Bill and Promissory Note, each signed by Henry van WartBill and Promissory Note, each signed by Henry van WartDiedrich KnickerbockerDiedrich KnickerbockerJesse Merwin 1783-1852Jesse Merwin 1783-1852New York City Hall 1789New York City Hall 1789New York City Hall 1789bNew York City Hall 1789b

In their own words 10

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Washington Irving
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10 statements, newest first

  1. I am always at a loss to know how much to believe of my own stories.

    1824, Tales of a Traveler, To the Reader (1824), Own words

  2. There is a certain relief in change, even though it be from bad to worse!

    1824, Tales of a Traveler (1824), Preface, p. 7, Own words

  3. Whenever a man's friends begin to compliment him about looking young, he may be sure that they think he is growing old.

    1822, Bracebridge Hall. Bachelors (1822), Own words

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In their orbit 2

About this person

Irving was born April 3, 1783, to a Manhattan merchant family and started writing observational letters under a pseudonym in 1802. He moved to England in 1815 for the family business, and it was there he found his audience: The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., serialized from 1819 to 1820, made him one of the first American writers to earn European acclaim. The collection included "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." He kept publishing steadily - biographies of figures from Oliver Goldsmith to Muhammad, histories of 15th-century Spain covering the Alhambra and the Moors, and he served as American ambassador to Spain in the 1840s. He pushed for copyright protections and encouraged a generation of American writers including Hawthorne, Melville, and Poe. He finished a five-volume biography of George Washington eight months before he died at 76 in Tarrytown, New York, on November 28, 1859.

Country
United States
Category
Writers
Type
Writer / Author
Status
deceased
Dates
Lived 1783 to 1859 · aged 76

Writers from the United States 6

Saul Bellow72.4Andy Ngo72.6Michael J. Knowles72.6L. Ron Hubbard72.3Pamela Geller72.6Roger Stone72.2

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