Edgar Allan Poe was born January 19, 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts. He was a genius writer who created poems, short stories, and a novel, along with being credited with creating the modern detective story. His life started out in tragedy when he was abandoned by his father at age one and then lost his mother to Tuberculosis at age three. He and his siblings were split up and sent to different foster homes, Edgar finding a home with the Allan family where he was baptized with the name Edgar Allan Poe. He spent most of his life in poverty, moving from home to home. The greatest sadness in his life came from the loss of many women whom he loved in his life, including his mother, step mother, his wife, and several previous lovers.