Which American author wrote 'The Gift of the Magi'?

O. Henry wrote “The Gift of the Magi.”

First published in 1905, the short story follows Della and Jim, a young married couple with little money but deep affection for each other. Della sells her beautiful hair to buy Jim a chain for his treasured pocket watch, while Jim sells the watch to buy decorative combs for Della’s hair. Their gifts become temporarily unusable, but their sacrifices reveal the depth of their love.

The story first appeared in the New York Sunday World on December 10, 1905, under the title “Gifts of the Magi.” It was later collected in “The Four Million,” published in book form in 1906. The magi reference connects Jim and Della’s generosity with the biblical gift-bearers who visited the infant Jesus.

A common mix-up concerns the author’s name. “O. Henry” was the pen name of William Sydney Porter, an American short-story writer known for surprise endings, wordplay, and stories about ordinary people. The tale’s final irony is typical of his fiction, but its emotional point is that love matters more than the practical usefulness of a gift.