Literature · 1809–1849
Born: 19 January 1809 · Died: 7 October 1849 · Age: 40
American writer of macabre tales and poems, including The Raven and The Tell-Tale Heart, and a pioneer of detective fiction
Did you know?He married his thirteen-year-old cousin when he was twenty-seven years old.
Poe invented or reshaped several genres that remain hugely popular today. His story The Murders in the Rue Morgue, featuring the brilliant amateur sleuth C. Auguste Dupin, is often called the first modern detective story, paving the way for Sherlock Holmes. He also mastered psychological horror in tales such as The Tell-Tale Heart and The Fall of the House of Usher. His poem The Raven made him famous almost overnight, though it earned him very little money. He died at just 40 in mysterious circumstances in Baltimore, a fittingly enigmatic end.
Edgar Allan Poe (January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
“Quoth the Raven, 'Nevermore.'”
Profile
American writer, born 1809
Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston on 19 January 1809.
He wrote The Raven in 1845.
He is credited with inventing the detective story.
He died in Baltimore in 1849.
Career highlights
Did you know?The NFL's Baltimore Ravens are named after his poem.
Questions people ask
1736–1819Photo: Henry Howard · Public domain
1839–1906Photo: Unknown; Cézanne was born in 1839 and died in 1906 · Public domain
1798–1857Photo: Jean-Pierre Dalbéra from Paris, France · CC BY 2.0
1946–2026Photo: David Gahr · Public domain
1807–1870Photo: Julian Vannerson · Public domain
1943–1970Photo: Grossman Glotzer Management Corporation · Public domain
Missing someone? Suggest them
1929–1968Photo: Associated Press · Public domain
1642–1727Photo: Godfrey Kneller · Public domain
1935–1977Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. · Public domain
1942–2018Photo: NASA · Public domain
A newspaper from their birth date
The front page from the day they were born, a classic keepsake.
Shop on AmazonCapricorn zodiac gifts
Jewellery, prints and candles for the Capricorn in your life.
Shop on EtsyStar map of January 19
A custom print of the night sky on their birthday.
Shop on EtsyMilestone birthday gifts
Ideas for 18th, 30th, 40th, 50th and beyond.
Shop on AmazonWe may earn a small commission from purchases, at no extra cost to you.
Reviewed by the Who Shares My Birthday editorial team.
Last reviewed: October 2026