> On January 19, 1809, which American author was born?And the answer: Edgar Allan Poe. Born in 1809, the poet, author, and literary critic Edgar Allan Poe is bestknown for his profound short stories and poems, such as "The Tell-Tale Heart"and "The Raven." After a lifetime of sorrow, he died at the young age of 40.Photo credit: public domain.Often referred to as the "Father of the DetectiveStory," Poe was a master of the macabre. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1809,Poe's mother passed away when the young poet was just two years old, leaving himorphaned. Poe was then taken into the Allan family as a foster, and by the timehe reached his teenage years, Poe was writing prolifically. In 1826, Poeenrolled at the University of Virginia, yet the effort was short lived. Lackingthe funds to keep him enrolled, Poe attempted to gamble the money, but was leftin greater debt and forced to withdraw from the university.In 1830, Poe enrolled in West Point instead. Yet this, too, did not stick. Hisfoster father, John Allan, failed to provide Poe with sufficient funds tomaintain himself as a cadet nor give the consent necessary to resign from theAcademy. So Poe gained a dismissal by ignoring his duties and violatingregulations. After cutting ties with Allan, Poe moved to New York City, where hepublished his third collection of verse titled Poems. The next few years weresimilarly difficult for Poe, as he struggled to make a living off of his work. Finally, his first break came. In 1835, Poe accepted an editorship in Richmond,Virginia, at The Southern Literary Messenger. This journal was the first of manythat Poe would helm, and ultimately served to become his most profitableenterprise. While Poe’s writings gained attention in the late 1830s and early1840s, the profits from his work remained meager, and he supported himself byediting Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine and Graham’s Magazine in Philadelphia andthe Broadway Journal in New York City. Today, Poe is remembered fondly as one ofthe architects of the modern short story, as well as for his poems and criticaltheories. Learn more about Edgar Allan Poe below.