Edgar Allan Poe Timeline

  • Edgar Allan Poe is Born.

    Edgar Allan Poe is Born.
    poe was an American author, poet, editor, and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best Poe is known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story, and is generally considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre. He is further credited with contributing to the emerging genre of science fiction
  • Poe’s Sister is born

    Poe’s Sister is born
    Poe's sister Rosalie is born. Shortly after her birth, or possibly even before it, David Poe deserts the family, leaving Poe's mother alone with three children. Making matters worse, Elizabeth Poe soon falls ill with tuberculosis
  • Poe’s Parents Die.

    Poe’s Parents Die.
    Elizabeth Arnold Poe dies of tuberculosis in Richmond, Virginia. Within days, David Poe also dies of tuberculosis. With no parents to take care of them, the three children of the family are split up.
  • Poe writes his first poem.

    Poe writes his first poem.
    A fifteen-year-old Edgar Allan Poe pens his first known poem: "Last night, with many cares & toils oppres'd, Weary, I laid me on a couch to rest."
  • Poe enlists in the U.S. Army and shortly after his first book is published.

    Poe enlists in the U.S. Army and shortly after his first book is published.
    Poe enlists in the U.S. Army under the name "Edgar A. Perry." Shortly after, his first book a poetry collection entitled Tamerlane and Other Poems is published. The author is listed only as "A Bostonian."
  • Poe’s older brother dies.

    Poe’s older brother dies.
    Edgar's older brother Henry dies of either tuberculosis or cholera at the age of 27.
  • Poe marries his thirteen year old cousin, Virginia Clemm.

    Poe marries his thirteen year old cousin, Virginia Clemm.
    Poe now 27 years old marries his thirteen-year-old cousin, Virginia Clemm, at a ceremony in Richmond, Virginia.
  • Poe writes his first novel The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym.

    Poe writes his first novel The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym.
    The work relates the tale of the young Arthur Gordon Pym, who stows away aboard a whaling ship called the Grampus. Various adventures and misadventures befall Pym, including shipwreck, mutiny, and cannibalism, before he is saved by the crew of the Jane Guy. Aboard this vessel, Pym and a sailor named Dirk Peters continue their adventures further south. Docking on land, they encounter hostile black-skinned natives before escaping back to the ocean.
  • Poe's story collection Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque is published in two volumes.

    Poe's story collection Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque is published in two volumes.
    Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque is a collection of previously published short stories by Edgar Allan Poe.
  • Poe publishes the poem, The Raven.

    Poe publishes the poem, The Raven.
    "The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. the poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a talking raven's mysterious visit to a distraught lover, tracing the man's slow fall into madness.
  • Poe's wife Virginia dies of tuberculosis at their home in the Bronx.

    Poe's wife Virginia dies of tuberculosis at their home in the Bronx.
    On January 29, 1847, Poe wrote to Marie Louise Shew: "My poor Virginia still lives, although failing fast and now suffering much pain. Virginia died the following day, January 30, after five years of illness. Shew helped in organizing her funeral, even purchasing the coffin. Death notices appeared in several newspapers.
  • Edgar Allen Poe Dies.

    Edgar Allen Poe Dies.
    All medical records and documents, including Poe's death certificate, have been lost, if they ever existed. The precise cause of Poe's death is disputed, but many theories exist. Many biographers have addressed the issue and reached different conclusions, ranging from Jeffrey Meyers' assertion that it was hypoglycemia to John Evangelist Walsh's conspiratorial murder plot theory. It has also been suggested that Poe's death might have resulted from suicide related to depression.