Biography:Considered part of the American Romantic Movement, and best 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, and was the first well-known American writer to try to earn a living through writing alone, resulting in a financially difficult life and career.
1836-05-16 American writer Edgar Allan Poe (26) marries his 13-year-old cousin Virginia Clemm
Historical Events
1831-03-06 Edgar Allan Poe court-martialed and dismissed from West Point military academy for gross neglect of duty and disobedience of orders
1841-04-14 1st detective story published, Edgar Allan Poe's "Murders in Rue Morgue" (April 1841)
1845-01-29 American writer Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven" 1st published in The Evening Mirror newspaper (New York City)
1849-10-03 American author Edgar Allan Poe is found delirious in a gutter in Baltimore, Maryland under mysterious circumstances; it is the last time he is seen in public before his death.