242 years ago today, April 3, 1783 (March 2, 1783), was the birthday of Owen, the father of American literature. Washington Irving was a famous American writer. He was born on April 3, 1783 in New York to a wealthy merchant family. From a young age, Owen loved to read the works of British writers such as Scott, Byron and Burns. After graduating from high school, he followed his father's orders to study law in a law firm, but his interests were in literature. In 1802, at the age of 19, Irving published several epistolary essays in the Morning Chronicle and rose to prominence. Later, he went to Europe to recuperate due to illness, traveled to France, England and Italy, and made a lot of travel notes, accumulating rich materials for future creation. In 1809, his first work, "The Foreign History of New York", was published under the pseudonym "Diedrich Knickerbocker". This is a witty work with a unique style, which fully shows Owen's humorous talent. After the publication of "The Foreign History of New York", Owen became a popular figure in New York literary circles. Before this, although the United States had gained independence for more than 30 years, it had never been able to break free from the constraints of England in literature and create works that could represent this new bourgeois republic. Irving's "Foreign History of New York", which was written with national characteristics, was of great significance for the development of American national literature. In 1815, Irving returned to England. He traveled all over the places of interest in England, and with admiration for the ancient British civilization and yearning for the former capitalist society, he wrote the famous "Notes on Sight and News" and the similar style "Bresbridge Grange". "Notes on Sight and News" is Owen's representative work, including 32 novels, essays, miscellaneous feelings, etc. It describes the ancient customs of England and America and the kind and simple old-fashioned characters with humorous and romantic tones and fantasies. After this work was published in England, it was highly valued by European and American literary circles and established Owen's position in the history of American literature. In 1826, Owen went to Spain to collect many precious materials about Columbus, visited the famous places of Granada, and stayed at the Alhambra Palace for nearly three months. All this aroused his interest in the study of Spanish history. Around 1929, he wrote three books on Spain: "Columbus," "The Conquest of Granada" and "The Alhambra." In these works, in the form of storytelling, Owen exposed the extravagance of the ruling class and celebrated the struggle of the Moors for freedom and happiness. After writing "The Alhambra," Owen's creative enthusiasm waned. In 1832, he returned to his homeland after a 17-year absence. He spent most of his later years at home, except for a few years as an American minister to Spain. Owen died on November 28, 1859. In memory of this writer who made outstanding contributions to literature, the American people flew flags at half-mast in New York, while many of Irving's excellent works have been passed down to this day, becoming a precious literary heritage. He himself is even regarded as the "father of American literature".