Edgar Allan Poe timeline

Edgar Allan Poe Is Born

No writer has the ability to evoke a sense of horror and dread more effectively than Edgar Allan Poe, born on January 19, 1809 in Boston,... Read more

Edgar Poe's mother dies and he is adopted by John Allan

His father abandoned their family in 1810,[6] and his mother died a year later from consumption. Poe was then taken into the home of John Allan, a... Read more

Edgar Allan Poe attends the University of Virginia

Poe attended the University of Virginia (1826-27), but was expelled for not paying his gambling debts. This led to quarrel with Allan, who refused... Read more

Edgar Allan Poe joins US Army

Unable to support himself, on May 27, 1827, Poe enlisted in the United States Army as a private. Using the name "Edgar A. Perry", he claimed he was... Read more

Edgar Allan Poe enrolls at West Point

Frances Allan died on February 28, 1829, and Poe visited the day after her burial. Perhaps softened by his wife's death, John Allan agreed to... Read more

Edgar Allan Poe dismissed from West Point

Poe traveled to West Point and matriculated as a cadet on July 1, 1830. In October 1830, John Allan married his second wife, Louisa Patterson. The... Read more

After winning a contest Edgar Allan Poe's "MS. Found in a Bottle" is published

"MS. Found in a Bottle" is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. The plot follows an unnamed narrator at sea who finds himself in a... Read more

Edgar Allan Poe marries his cousin, Virginia Clemm

Marriage plans were confirmed and Poe returned to Baltimore to file for a marriage license on September 22, 1835. The couple may have been quietly... Read more

Edgar Allan Poe Takes a Job as Editor of the Southern Literary Messenger

December 1835 Southern Literary Messenger Poe takes a job as editor of the Southern Literary Messenger magazine. He publishes critical reviews of... Read more

Edgar Allan Poe Publishes First Novel "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym"

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket (1838) is the only complete novel written by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. The work relates the... Read more

"Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque" Edgar Allan Poe's first volume of short stories is published

Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque is a collection of previously-published short stories by Edgar Allan Poe. It was published by the... Read more

Edgar Allan Poe Becomes Assistant Editor of Burton's Gentleman's Magazine

July 1839 Magazine Editor Poe is hired as an editor at Burton's Gentleman's Magazine, a job he holds until June 1840. Read more

Edgar Allan Poe Becomes the Editor at Graham's Magazine

April 1841 Editing Again Poe begins as an editor at Graham's Magazine, where he works until May 1842. The magazine runs Poe's short story "The... Read more

Edgar Allan Poe Moves to New York and Works for the New York Evening Mirror

One evening in January 1842, Virginia showed the first signs of consumption, now known as tuberculosis, while singing and playing the piano. Poe... Read more

"Thou Art The Man" Is Published

"Thou Art the Man," originally titled "Thou Art the Man!," is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1844. It is an early experiment... Read more

Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" is published

"The Raven" is a narrative poem by the American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in January 1845. It is often noted for its musicality,... Read more

Virginia Clemm Poe Dies

On January 29, 1847, Poe wrote to Marie Louise Shew: "My poor Virginia still lives, although failing fast and now suffering much pain."Virginia... Read more

Edgar Allan Poe Proposes to Poet Sarah Whitman but Engagement is Called Off

November 1848 Engagement Poe proposes to a poet named Sarah Helen Whitman, who agrees on the condition that he quit drinking. Poe can't live up... Read more

Edgar Allan Poe Becomes Engaged to Sarah Elmira Royster

August 1849 Engaged Again Poe travels to Richmond and convinces his childhood sweetheart, Elmira Royster Shelton, to become his fiancée. He joins... Read more

Edgar Allan Poe dies

On October 3, 1849, Poe was found on the streets of Baltimore delirious, "in great distress, and... in need of immediate assistance", according to... Read more