The curious event was that Poe vanished for several days and was then found disoriented, wearing clothes that were not his own, near a Baltimore tavern on October 3, 1849. This odd episode happened just before his death and is one reason his final days remain mysterious.

What happened

Poe had been traveling from Richmond toward New York, but his whereabouts for about five days were unclear. He was discovered in Baltimore appearing to be in great distress, and the clothing he wore seemed mismatched or borrowed, which fueled later theories about what happened to him.

Why it matters

Historians and writers have linked this incident to several theories, including cooping, robbery, illness, or poisoning, but no explanation has been proven. That’s why the “curious event” is usually described as Poe’s unexplained disappearance and strange condition before he died.

Tiny timeline

  1. Poe left Richmond in late September 1849.
  1. He disappeared for several days.
  1. He was found in Baltimore on October 3, 1849, confused and badly dressed.
  1. He died on October 7, 1849.

Poe’s last days are still one of American literature’s most famous unsolved mysteries.