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What day was Edgar Allan Poe actually born?
Biographies say he was born January 19, 1809, but his gravestone in Baltimore, MD says his birthday is January 20, 1809. Who's right?
Since it is the wrong date, I wonder way no one has ever corrected it. I guess it's kind of like Elvis with his middle name spelled worng.
4 Answers
- Anonymous1 decade agoFavourite answer
January 19, 1809
Source(s): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Allan_Poe - JenniferLv 41 decade ago
The below information was written on the headstone, as you can read the date was engraved incorrectly.....
Poe’s full name is given in capital letters on the base. Each of the other sides carries a different inscription: (North side) “Maria Clemm Poe; Born; March 17, 1790; Died; February 16, 1871”; (West side) “Edgar Allan Poe; Born; January 20 [sic], 1809; Died; October 7, 1849”; (South side) “Virginia Clemm Poe; Born; August 15, 1822; Died; January 30, 1847.” (The incorrect date of Poe’s birth was engraved. He was born on January 19 not 20.)
http://www.eapoe.org/balt/poegrave.htm
So Jan 19th is his actual birthday. Interesting question, I enjoyed the research.
- aidaLv 71 decade ago
As C.D. Merriman says matter-of-factly (in parentheses at that) in his online biography of Poe (http://www.online-literature.com/poe/), the birthdate on the tombstone is wrong. Every source I've ever seen other than the tombstone says January 19.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
Wikipedia? Oh COME ON. Look, I don't know the right answer, but don't trust wiki!
