Edgar Allan Poe Timeline

  • Edgar Allen Poe was born.

    Edgar Allen Poe was born.
    He was born in Boston, Massachussetts.
  • Edgar Allan Poe's sister is born.

    Edgar Allan 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.
  • Edgar's Parents Die

    Edgar's Parents Die
    Elizabeth Arnold Poe dies of tuberculosis in Richmond, Virginia. Within days, David Poe also dies of tuberculosis
  • 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."
  • Edgar Enlists into the U.S. Army, Shortly after His First Book is Published.

    Edgar Enlists into the U.S. Army, 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."
  • Edgar's Brother Dies.

    Edgar's older brother Henry dies of either tuberculosis or cholera at the age of 27.
  • Edgar Marries his Thirteen Year old Cousin, Virginia Clemm.

    Edgar 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.
  • Edgar Writes his first Novel "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym

    Edgar Writes his first Novel "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym
  • Edgar's story collection "Tales of the Groteque and Arabesque" is Published in two Volumes.

  • Edgar Publishes the Poem, "The Raven"

    Edgar Publishes the Poem, "The Raven"
    "The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. First published in January 1845, the poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere.
  • Edgar's wife Dies of Tuberculosis at their home in the Bronx.

    Edgar's wife Dies of Tuberculosis at their home in the Bronx.
    Poe has been so despondent during the final months of her illness that friends thought he was going insane. The loss of his wife sends Poe into a downward spiral of alcoholism.
  • Edgar Allan Poe Dies.

    Edgar Allan Poe Dies.
    He died in Baltimore, Mayland