On this day...

American author and historian, Washington Irving, died in 1859 at the age of 76. He made his literary debut in 1802, writing letters to the 'Morning Chronicle' under pseudonym Jonathan Oldstyle. Having moved to England in 1815 to help the family business, Irving furthered his budding enthusiasm for writing, and by 1819 he had published his best known work, 'The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon. The collection of short stories were published in seven installments, and included 'Rip Van Winkle' and 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'. Also a historian, Irving wrote numerous biographies of figures such as George Washington, Oliver Goldsmith and Christopher Columbus. He is among the first American authors to gain acclaim in Europe and preceeding other trans-Atlantic successes Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville and Edgar Allan Poe. Irving is the reason behind two slightly more obscure pieces of trivia; he popularised the name 'Gotham' for New York city, as used in the Batman comics, and also introduced the dubious belief that the people of the Middle Ages thought the Earth to be flat.

On this day...

James Boswell, the Scottish diarist, set out for London in 1762. During the eight and a half month stay that followed, Boswell wrote his 'London Journal'; he documented each detail of the city, in which he stated that 'we may be in some degree whatever character we choose.' The most significant event recorded was his meeting with prolific essayist, poet and author Samuel Johnson; an event which led to the creation of Boswell's most famous work, 'The Life of Samuel Johnson'. Often said to be the greatest biography ever written, it earned Boswell the reputation he had long sought for; indeed the word 'Boswellian' has evolved into the English language, meaning one who studiously records the deeds of others. Many of Boswell's works were not discovered until the 1920s; over 8,000 pages of manuscript including records of meetings with playwright Oliver Goldsmith and philosopher Edmund Burke. Boswell died in 1975, aged 54.

On this day...

Anglo-Irish playwright and poet Oliver Goldsmith, is though to have been born in 1730. There are disputes as to his exact date of birth; theories ranging from 10th-29th of November and from the years 1727-1731, but 10th November 1730 is now accepted by most. His works span the genres; from the romantic ballad of 'The Hermit', to the novel 'The Vicar of Wakefield'. The latter proved very popular among 18th and 19th centuries audiences, being cited in many contemporary works such as Austen's 'Emma', Dickens' 'David Copperfield', and Shelley's 'Frankenstein'. Yet arguably his most famous work is of the dramatic genre. 'She Stoops to Conquer', a comedy of manners, has gained lasting appeal, being adapted numerous times for the screen, including a recent 2008 series. Goldsmith died in 1774, at the age of 43.