Born on January 22
Lord Byron's Birthday
She walks in beauty, like the night.
Next: January 22, 2027
Where it comes from
George Gordon, Lord Byron, was born in London on 22 January 1788, and this Story marks his birthday. In 1809 he set off on a grand tour of the Mediterranean and began, in Greece, the long poem that made his name.
How it's celebrated
There is no organised observance, but his birthday is a good excuse to read a poem aloud. 'She Walks in Beauty' (1814) is short enough to copy into a card, and the comic epic Don Juan is still funny two centuries on.
Did you know
As a student at Trinity College, Cambridge, he kept a pet bear.
Read the full story of Lord Byron's Birthday
Star sign
Aquarius · January 20 – February 18 · Air sign
Original and independent, a little ahead of their time.