Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American author,
essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for his
short stories "
Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and "
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" (1820), both of which appear in his book
The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. His historical works include biographies of
George Washington,
Oliver Goldsmith and
Muhammad, and several histories of 15th-century Spain dealing with subjects such as
Christopher Columbus, the
Moors and the
Alhambra. Irving served as the
U.S. ambassador to Spain from 1842 to 1846.