On this day in 1809, the famous poet Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts. His birth was the start of fascinating and famous poems that influenced future poets.

By the time he reached the age of 3, Poe’s parents had both died, so he was raised by his grandfather, John Allan. After attending his main school in England, he moved to the United States to study at the University of Virginia in 1826. After fighting with Allan over his heavy gambling debts, he was forced to leave the university, only having studied for 8 months. Poe decided to serve in the U.S. Army for 2 years and was appointed to West Point. John Allan completely shut Poe off after he left the army and got himself dismissed from the academy for rule breaking.

Poe published three works of poetry in the 1830s, but no attention was paid to any of them. In 1836, Poe married his 13-year-old cousin, Virginia Clemm, while working as an editor at the Southern Literary Messenger in Richmond, Virginia. Poe lost his job at the Messenger due to his irresponsibility, and the couple moved to Philadelphia, where Poe worked as an editor at Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine and Graham’s Magazine. He soon became known for two of his works: The Fall of the House of Usher and The Tell-Tale Heart. He later became known for writing mystery works, including The Murders in the Rue Morgue and The Purloined Letter.

The Poe couple moved to New York City in 1844. Allen’s poem, The Raven, was a great success the next year. While Poe was working to launch The Broadway Journal, which soon failed, his wife fell ill and died of tuberculosis in early 1847. Her death drove Poe to alcohol abuse. He later got engaged to an elderly woman in Richmond, but died before the wedding. Poe died on October 7, 1849, at age 40.