Meet the American who conjured up 'Legend of Sleepy Hollow': Washington Irving, first US celebrity author
Fox News
Washington Irving was born in New York City in 1783, just 18 months after his namesake George Washington led America to independence with victory over the British at Yorktown.
It stands 203 years later as one of the most famous ghost stories in world history — remade in many versions and retold in scores of languages. "He had talent, movie-star good looks and a charm that endeared him to his audience." "'Frankenstein' author Mary Shelley penned Irving love letters; Charles Dickens fawned over him." Irving established his fame with a brazen marketing scheme. The Horseman "rides forth to the scene of battle in a nightly quest for his head." — Washington Irving Kerry J. Byrne is a lifestyle reporter with Fox News Digital.
Irving rode the spooky steed himself into global fame and a legacy as the first international celebrity born in the new nation.
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