George Gordon, Lord Byron (Cyclopedia of World Authors)

A descendent of the instigator of the infamous Gordon Riots of 1780, George Gordon, Lord Byron certainly lived up to his heritage. A master poet, debauchee, and self-promoter, Byron became, after Napoleon, the most famous man of his day. His death at the age of thirty-six ensured that the adjective “Byronic” would become part of the English language.

Born in London on January 22, 1788, Byron was the son of a spendthrift father and a mother whose alternating moods of affection and wild anger left him bewildered. His life was tempestuous from the beginning. Disabled (he had a...

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