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Edgar Allan Poe Timeline

A chronological list of events that occurred during Edgar Allan Poe's life. Historical events are included to provide a perspective of the period in which Poe lived.

  • Events in Poe's life
  • Other historical events
   

1809

 

1810

1 year old
  • Edgar's parents separate. Elizabeth Poe takes the children.
  • Beethoven composes his famous piano piece, Fur Elise.

1811

2 years old
  • Edgar's mother, Elizabeth dies.
  • Mr. and Mrs. John Allan adopt Edgar Poe.

1812

3 years old

1813

4 years old

1814

5 years old

1815

6 years old

1816

7 years old

1817

8 years old

1818

9 years old

1819

10 years old

1820

11 years old
  • Edgar returns to the United States and continues his schooling.
  • Florence Nightingale is born on May 12, in Italy.

1821

12 years old

1822

13 years old

1823

14 years old
  • Edgar attends the academy of William Burke, succeeds in athletics.

1824

15 years old

1825

16 years old

1826

17 years old
  • Edgar attends the University of Virginia, goes by "Edgar Poe".
  • James Fenimore Cooper, 37, writes "The Last of the Mohicans".

1827

18 years old
  • Poe drops out of school because John Allan won't give him any money.
  • Poe writes and prints his first book, "Tamerlane and other Poems".
  • Poe can't support himself so he joins the United States Army.
  • Ludwig Van Beethoven dies.

1828

19 years old
  • Edgar Poe does well in the Army, attains rank of sergeant major.
  • Jules Verne is born on February 8, in France.
  • Leo Tolstoy is born on September 9, in Russia.
  • Construction of the first U.S. railroad, the B&O, begins.

1829

20 years old
  • Mrs. Allan dies, Edgar returns home.
  • Poe and John Allan temporarily reconcile their differences.
  • Poe applies to West Point, John Allan sponsors him.
  • Andrew Jackson is President.

1830

21 years old

1831

22 years old
  • Poe deliberately gets kicked out of West Point.

1832

23 years old
  • Poe submits a number of stories to magazines. They are rejected.
  • Edouard Manet is born on January 23, in France.

1833

24 years old
  • Poe sends a desperate letter to John Allan asking for help, and is ignored.
  • Slavery is banned in Great Britain.

1834

25 years old

1835

26 years old

1836

27 years old

1837

28 years old

1838

29 years old

1839

30 years old
  • Poe writes "The Fall of the House of Usher".
  • "Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque", Poe's first volume of short stories, is published. He receives no money from the publisher.
  • Louis Daguerre invents the daguerreotype and photography is born.

1840

31 years old

1841

32 years old

1842

33 years old

1843

34 years old
  • Poe writes "The Black Cat".
  • Poe wins a hundred dollar prize for "The Gold Bug".
  • The first major wagon train headed for the American Northwest sets out with 1,000 pioneers, on the Oregon Trail.
  • Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is first published in London, England on December 19.

1844

35 years old

1845

36 years old

1846

37 years old
  • Poe writes "The Cask of Amontillado".
  • Poe writes "The Philosophy of Composition".
  • Poe sues another paper for libel and wins. The suit is settled for $225.00.

1847

38 years old

1848

39 years old

1849

40 years old
  • Poe writes "Hop-Frog".
  • June 30 - Poe leaves NYC and visits John Sartain in Philadelphia.
  • July 13 - Poe goes to Richmond and stays at the Swan Tavern Hotel.
  • Poe joins the "Sons of Temperance" in an effort to stop drinking.
  • Poe lectures on "The Poetic Principle".
  • Sept 27 - Poe leaves Richmond and goes back to Philadelphia.
  • Sept 30 - Poe apparently gets on the wrong train and goes to Baltimore.
  • Oct 3 - Poe is found half conscious and is taken to a hospital.
  • Edgar Allan Poe dies on October 7, 1849.