Profile of the Day: Lord Byron

Posted January 22, 2024 by Amanda | No Comment

Do you have any poets in your family tree? On this day in 1788, English poet Lord Byron was born in London, England.

Image: Lord Byron / Library of Congress

Regarded as one of the greatest British poets in history, Lord Byron is perhaps just as well known for his amorous escapades as his works of literature.

He was born George Gordon Byron on January 22, 1788. He was the son of Captain John “Mad Jack” Byron and his second wife, Catherine Gordon. His father died when he was 3, and at the age of 10, Byron inherited his title and estate from his great uncle William, becoming the 6th Baron Byron of Rochdale.

Byron became an instant celebrity after the publication of his first two cantos of Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage in 1812. A gifted writer, Byron soon became a leading figure of the Romantic movement. Perhaps his best-known work is his lengthy narrative poem Don Juan, which is still widely read and well regarded today.

Did you know he was the father of Ada Lovelace, the world’s first computer programer?

Lord Byron died on April 19, 1824 at the age of 36 after falling ill while supporting the Greeks fighting for independence from the Ottoman Empire.

Explore Lord Byron’s family tree on Geni and discover how you’re related!