166 years ago today, November 28, 1859 (November 5, 1859 in the lunar calendar), American writer Washington Irving passed away. Washington Irving On November 28, 1859, American writer Washington Irving died. Washington Irving is a famous American writer. He was born on April 3, 1783 in a wealthy family in New York. Since his childhood, Owen has loved reading the works of British writers Scott, Bairon and Burns. After graduating from high school, he obeyed his father's orders to study law at a law firm, but his interests were in literature. In 1802, 19-year-old Owen made his mark by publishing several epistolary essays in the Morning Chronicle. Later, he went to Europe to recuperate due to illness, traveled to France, Britain and Italy, and made a large number of travel notes, accumulating rich materials for his future creations. In 1809, his first work,"The History of New York", was published under the pseudonym of "Diedrich Nikkbok". This is a witty work with a unique style, fully demonstrating Owen's humorous talents. After the publication of "The History of New York", Owen became a popular figure in the New York literary world. Prior to this, although the United States had gained independence for more than 30 years, it had never been able to get rid of the shackles of Britain in literature and create works that were sufficient to represent this emerging bourgeois republic. Owen's "New York History" is a work with national characteristics based on his own national themes and is of great significance to promoting the development of American national literature. In 1815, Owen went to England again. He traveled all over Britain's scenic spots and historic sites, and with admiration for the ancient British civilization and yearning for the former capitalist society, he wrote the famous "Notes on Views" and the similar style "Bresbrecch Grange". "Notes on Things and Views" is Owen's masterpiece, including 32 novels, essays, and miscellaneous senses. With a humorous style and a fantasy romance, it describes the ancient customs and habits of Britain and the United States as well as the kind and simple old-style characters. After this work was published in the UK, it received great attention from European and American literary circles, establishing Owen's position in the history of American literature. In 1826, Owen went to Spain to collect many precious materials about Columbus, visited the scenic spots of Granada, and stayed in the Alhambara Palace for nearly three months. All this aroused his interest in studying Spanish history. Around 1929, he wrote three books about Spain: "The Legend of the City of Guern","The Conquering of Granada" and "Alhambara". In these works, Owen exposed the arrogance and extravagance of the ruling class in the form of storytelling and praised the Moors 'struggle for freedom and happiness. After writing "Alhambra", Owen's enthusiasm for writing waned. In 1832, he returned to his motherland after 17 years. In addition to serving as the U.S. envoy to Spain for a few years, he spent most of his later years in his hometown. Owen passed away on November 28, 1859. In order to commemorate this writer who made outstanding contributions to literature, the American people flew the flag at half-mast in New York. Many of Owen's excellent works have been passed down to this day and have become a precious literary heritage. Comments: He is known as the father of American literature.