Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809. He became an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic whose work profoundly influenced the development of American literature. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly those involving mystery and the macabre. His distinctive style and thematic preoccupations helped establish new literary traditions in the United States. He is widely regarded as one of the central figures of Romanticism and Gothic fiction in American letters. Poe died in Baltimore, Maryland on October 7, 1849.