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Poe's Death
Died in Baltimore hospital. -
Poe's sister born
Sister 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.
(Shmoop) -
Orphaned
Poe was orphaned and adopted -
Parent's Death
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. Henry goes to live with his paternal grandparents. A Richmond couple, John and Frances Allan, take in Edgar as a foster child. Rosalie is taken in by another Richmond family named Mackenzie. Both Edgar and Rosalie adopt their foster families' names as their middle names. (Shmoop) -
Poe sails to England
The Allan family sails to London, where Edgar enrolls in school. -
Back To USA
Five years after leaving America for England, the Allans return to Richmond, Virginia. (Shmoop) -
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." (Shmoop) -
College
Poe enrolls midway through the academic year at the University of Virginia, which had opened less than a year before. (Shmoop) -
Spilt with the Allans
After running up a $2,000 gambling debt while at college, Poe gets into an argument with his foster father when John Allan refuses to give him money to settle the debt. Poe ditches college and the Allans. He moves to Baltimore to join relatives there.(Shmoop) -
Soldier and Published Author
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."(Shmoop) -
Mothers Death
Frances Allan was Poes mother they were close, Frances died in Richmond. Poe was in army but leaves to go to her funeral -
West Point
Poe is appointed to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. A few months later he publishes his second book of poetry, Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Minor Poems. (Shmoop) -
Brothers Deat
Henry was Poe's older brother, Henry died at sge of 27 of either tuberculosis or cholera -
West Point Reject & Emerging Writer
Tired of the military, Poe successfully attempts to get himself kicked out of West Point. When he stops going to classes and chapel, Poe is court-martialed and dismissed. He publishes several anonymous short stories plus another book of poems. (Shmoop) -
Southern Literary Messenger
Poe takes a job as editor of the Southern Literary Messenger magazine. He publishes critical reviews of other writers' work as well as his own stories and poems.(Shmoop) -
Marriage
Poe was 27 and married his 13 year old cousin -
Moves North
Poe moves his new wife and mother-in-law to New York and then to Philadelphia.(Shmoop) -
First Novel
Poes first novel The narrative of Aurthur Gordon Pym is published -shmoop -
Editing Agian
Poe begins as an editor at Graham's Magazine, where he works until May 1842. The magazine runs Poe's short story "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," the first-ever entry in a genre now known as the detective story.(Shmoop) -
Virginia Falls Ill
While singing at the piano, Virginia begins to bleed from her mouth, a symptom of untreated tuberculosis. Her illness grows progressively worse.(Shmoop)