George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron, commonly known as Lord Byron, was a prominent British poet and a leading figure of the Romantic movement. Born on 22 January 1788, he is celebrated as one of the greatest poets of the United Kingdom. Among his best-known works are the lengthy narrative poems Don Juan and Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, as well as many shorter lyrics from Hebrew Melodies which became popular.

Byron’s life was marked by scandal, exile, and excessive living. His peers viewed him as dark, seductive, and romantic, and his legacy, the brooding Byronic hero, continues to captivate audiences worldwide. Educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, Byron traveled extensively across Europe. His life took him to Italy, where he lived for seven years in Venice, Ravenna, Pisa, and Genoa after fleeing England due to threats on his life. During his time in Italy, he frequently visited his friend and fellow poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.

Later in life, Byron played a significant role in the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire, for which he is celebrated as a folk hero in Greece. He died at the age of 36 from a fever contracted during the campaign in Missolonghi in 1824.

Byron’s personal life was riddled with affairs and complexities. His legitimate daughter, Ada Lovelace, is a foundational figure in computer programming, thanks to her work on Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine. Byron also had extramarital children, including Allegra Byron and possibly Elizabeth Medora Leigh, daughter of his half-sister Augusta Leigh.