Edgar Allan Poe was briefly enlisted in the US Army under a fake name, but even more bizarrely, he was expelled from West Point after showing up to a public parade wearing nothing but his white belt and gloves.

A closer look

Edgar Allan Poe was briefly enlisted in the US Army under a fake name, but even more bizarrely, he was expelled from West Point after showing up to a public parade wearing nothing but his white belt and gloves. The godfather of gothic horror was apparently so desperate to get kicked out of the prestigious military academy that he resorted to aggressive, institutionalized streaking. You would think the creator of the modern detective story and the master of macabre poetry would have devised a brilliant, psychological masterplan to escape his military obligations. Instead, he just pulled the ultimate frat boy stunt to ensure his immediate court-martial and dismissal. It paints a remarkably funny picture of the perpetually depressed, raven-obsessed author running around an elite military installation completely naked just to avoid doing any more math homework. Historical academics love to analyze his deep psychological trauma, but sometimes a legendary genius is just a dramatic guy who really hates basic training