Emily Dickinson

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet. Little-known during her life, she has since been regarded as one of the most important figures in American poetry. Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts, into a prominent family with strong ties to its community. After studying at the Amherst Academy for seven years in her youth, she briefly attended the Mount Holyoke Female Seminary before returning to her family's home in Amherst. Evidence suggests that Dickinson lived much of her life in isolation. Considered an eccentric by locals, she developed a penchant for white clothing and was known for her reluctance to greet guests or, later in life, even to leave her bedroom. Dickinson never married, and most of her friendships were based entirely upon correspondence.

10 December 1830

Born on the same birth day (10 December): Ada Lovelace • Danny Matt • Greg Laurie • Guitar Slim • Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis • Isaac Beeckman • Johannes Stöffler • Kahlil Bell • Kazenga LuaLua • Rusty LaRue • Simon Owen • Stef Blok

Born in the same month (December 1830): Alexander Smith (poet) • Bartolomé Masó • Christina Rossetti • Isma'il Pasha of Egypt • Joseph O. Shelby • Jules de Goncourt • Kamehameha V