Acclaimed poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born on February 27, 1807, in Portland, Maine. The second of eight children, Longfellow began attending school when he was just three years old. He was then sent to a private school at age six, where he was known for being very studious and fond of reading. He published his first poem, “The Battle of Lovell’s Pond,” in 1820. Longfellow then entered Bowdoin College in 1822, when he was 15. While there he met and befriended fellow writer Nathaniel Hawthorne and future president Franklin Pierce. During his time there, Longfellow published nearly 40 poems. He graduated fourth in his class and delivered the student commencement address.