Literature · Music · 1759–1796
Born: 25 January 1759 · Died: 21 July 1796 · Age at death: 37
Robert Burns died aged 37. He was born on 25 January 1759 and died on 21 July 1796.
Scotland's national poet, writer of Auld Lang Syne, To a Mouse and Tam o' Shanter, celebrated every year on Burns Night
Did you know?He was nearly a pioneer in the Caribbean, having accepted a job on a plantation in Jamaica before his poetry became a success.
Robert Burns is Scotland's national poet and a hero far beyond it. He grew up on a struggling farm and worked the land for years. His first book of poems, published in Kilmarnock, made him famous overnight. He wrote in Scots with warmth, humour and fierce sympathy for ordinary people. He collected and rewrote hundreds of traditional songs. Auld Lang Syne is sung around the world at New Year. Every 25 January, Burns Night suppers celebrate his life with haggis and poetry.
Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide.
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“The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men / Gang aft agley”
Profile
Scottish poet, 1759–1796
Robert Burns was born in Alloway, Ayrshire, on 25 January 1759.
Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect appeared in 1786.
He wrote Tam o' Shanter and To a Mouse.
He worked as an excise officer in Dumfries.
Career highlights
Did you know?He was voted the greatest Scot in a 2009 Scottish TV poll.
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Last reviewed: October 2026