TODAY: In 1819, Washington Irving’s short story “Rip Van Winkle” (attributed to the fictional Dutch historian, Diedrich Knickerbocker) is first published in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., a collection of essays and short stories published serially throughout 1819 and 1820.

Also on Lit Hub: Roddy Doyle on writing: Start with quantity, worry about quality laterThe early days of voting in America involved a lot of white men drinking in taverns • Read an excerpt from Roddy Doyle’s new novel Love.

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